Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉

@benpaites.bsky.social

3.7K followers 440 following 750 posts

Senior Curator at Colchester Museums. Mainly Roman archaeology and LGBTQ+ history. Also cat dad to Artemis and enthusiastic Gaymer. He/Him Author of 50 LGBTQ+ Finds: https://www.amberley-books.com/50-lgbtq-finds.html Website: https://www.ben-paites.com

www.amberley-books.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · Apr 15

Today is the day! My book is finally available to buy. After years of work, I’m so excited to finally share it with the world! But this isn’t the end. I will be promoting the book across the country over the next year, so stay tuned for more info.
#BookLaunch

A man with short dark hair and a short beard in a cream jumper holding a book. The book title reads “50 LGBTQ+ Finds” and is dark brown in colour with a picture of an object on the front in the form of a bust that is green in colour.

59 150 1.1K

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 11h

Huge congrats! 🥳

1 1

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 2d

Day 6 - Moirai
#ClassicsTober #ClassicsTober25

White chalk on black background style design. A young short girl stands to the left, a woman in the centre and older woman to the right kneeling. Each holds a spindle with thread connecting them. Below is the Greek word Moirai.

1 2

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 2d

The Romans got EVERYWHERE so I wouldn’t be too surprised.

2 1

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 2d

I’ve watched to much true crime and horror to know that barns are where you keep the bodies 😶

1 6

Reposted by 👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉

Brenna Hassett @brennawalks.bsky.social · 2d

so... the wellcome trust gave me a £1,000,000? and i didnt even have to hold the world to ransom.

i am super excited, going to be recruiting SOON for a phd and a postdoc, and could not do anything without my amazing collaborators <3

www.lancashire.ac.uk/news/grant-t...

Archaeology research project receives £1 million grant to better understand how people got sick

University of Lancashire’s Dr Brenna Hassett receives Wellcome funding to understand how the invention of farming, herding, and sedentism changed human disease.

www.lancashire.ac.uk

15 11 130

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 2d

That’s so old it’s almost Roman?!

1 11

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 2d

I’ve just found out Jilly Cooper was born in the town next to where I grew up?! 🙃

1 1

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 2d

Maybe I’ll need naps in between sessions this week…

1 1

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 2d

I don’t think I was clear-headed a single morning of that conference. Now I’m a little older I’m not sure I could handle that.

1 1

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 2d

That pub quiz was wonderful!

1 1

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 2d

Thank you! 😁

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 2d

See you there! 😄

1 2

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 3d

I’m speaking at the #MAConference this Wednesday. Very excited to hear the other speakers for what will be an incredible few days in Cardiff.
Who else will be there?

This was me during the Brighton conference in 2019 (Photo by Dan Vo)
@museumsassociation.org #Museums2025

A man with a rainbow cape pouting at the camera.

3 17

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 3d

Day 5 - Hermes Psychopompos
#ClassicTober #ClassicsTober25

An image of the god Hermes with a winged hat and a short tunic, holding a torch in his left hand and reaching out to a spirit, covered in a shroud, with his right arm. Below is the Greek for Hermes Psychompos.

1 2

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 4d

“Gay 3” 🤦‍♂️

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 4d

Day 4 - Shroud
#ClassicsTober #ClassicsTober25

A drawing like chalk on a black background. A shrouded figure with the word shroud written beneath.

1 2

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 4d

Serenity

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 5d

Gay 3 - Graiai
#ClassicsTober #ClassicsTober25

A black background with white chalk like drawing of three faces. One central with a single eye and single tooth sticking out of their lips and long hair. The figures either side are facing the central figure, with no eyes and a faint smile on their closed mouths. Below is the Greek word Graiai.

1 1 3

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 6d

Day 2 - Thanatos
#ClassicsTober #ClassicsTober25

A ghostly figure drawing like chalk on black paper. It shows a winged skeleton with a long sword on his left hip. Below are Greek letters which read Thanatos.

1 4

Reposted by 👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉

Flora 🏺 Ancient History Art @flaroh.bsky.social · 7d

Hypnos 💤🪽 for #ClassicsTober Day 1!

Art by flaroh illustration. A portrait bust of the god Hypnos with red wings on either side of his head. Illustrated with a green and red and black palette

1 27 130

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 7d

See how far I can keep this up. Only doing spooky sketches on my phone.
Day 1 - Hypnos
#ClassicsTober #ClassicsTober25

A chalk drawing on a black background. It shows swirling eyes a nose and mouth with wings either side. The Greek for Hypnos is written below.

2 6

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 7d

As someone who went to Cambridge, I’d say it’s vers. It can certainly fuck you, but it also gives you great joy when you’re inside it.

Oxford is a needy bottom.

Reposted by 👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 7d

"If we lose hope, we're doomed."

We must continue Dr. Jane Goodall's mission and all fight for the future of the planet.

160 4.3K 13K

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 7d

“Smoking shisha in a prison”

👻🐈‍⬛ Ben Paites (but Spooky) 🧙‍♀️🐉 @benpaites.bsky.social · 7d

I’ve just spotted my book is for sale on the @britishlibrary.bsky.social shop! How exciting 🥳🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
#50LGBTQfinds

A screenshot of the British Library website showing the book 50 LGBTQ+ Finds for sale.

3 23