Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Sam Neil

Radiocarbon @14cjournal.bsky.social · 5d

👋 Hello, Bluesky! We’re Radiocarbon, an international peer-reviewed journal (since 1959) dedicated to advancing radiocarbon research, from calibration and chronology to applications across archaeology, geology, environmental science, and more. We’re glad to be here. #Radiocarbon #Geochronology

2 18 42

Reposted by Sam Neil

Lorena Becerra-Valdivia @lorenabecval.bsky.social · 8d

🚨SAVE THE DATE for two 14C conferences happening in Santiago, Chile 🇨🇱, next year:

4th 14C & Diet: 6-8 July
3rd Latin American 14C: 8-10 July

Plus, the 11th 14C & Archaeology will be in Brazil just before on 30 June-3 July 🇧🇷

Details for 🇨🇱 below👇 Please share widely!

@fransantanas.bsky.social

4 6

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · 12d

Useful new paper on use of isotopes in biomolecular archaeology www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

The signal and the noise: inherent challenges for isotopic studies in bioarchaeology

Isotopic analysis as a method of assessing diet or geographical origin is now ubiquitous in archaeology, to the point where seemingly no project is co…

www.sciencedirect.com

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · 26d

1

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · 26d

Has just emerged from below ground in central Bordeaux looking at some beautifully carved 4th-6th century sarcophagi

1 2

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · 28d

Made it from Oxford to Bordeaux... just before the transport chaos started here in France

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · Sep 5

Busy in the labs working on isotope samples to link these to our palaeogenomic data. Better linking these datasets will help us directly study changes in population diet, mobility and genomics over time.

2

Reposted by Sam Neil

Royal Society of Chemistry @rsc.org · Sep 2

Your project can create positive change – by helping the environment, your project can also support your own growth and success.

Make your ideal project a reality and share sustainable research practices with your community.

Find out more: rsc.li/sustainable-labs-grant

Promotional illustration for the Royal Society of Chemistry's Sustainable Laboratories Grant 2025. The scene depicts several individuals engaged in various scientific activities in a lab setting, with emphasis on recycling and sustainability. A quote from Martyn Towner about the benefits of the recycling project is also featured.

1

Reposted by Sam Neil

Cedric Boeckx @cedricboeckx.bsky.social · Sep 1

Nice piece by @mathiesoniain.bsky.social on polygenic prediction of human complex traits using ancient DNA (h/t @evobioclio.bsky.social ) 🧪🧬
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Polygenic prediction of human complex traits using ancient DNA

Ancient DNA has revolutionized our understanding of human history and clarified many aspects of human evolution on a molecular level. In this article,…

www.sciencedirect.com

3 7

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · Aug 26

Disagree with this paper, it is too early to tell...very many sites have not been sampled, or had data published yet... www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Modeling the European Neolithic expansion suggests predominant within-group mating and limited cultural transmission - Nature Communications

The Neolithic Revolution marked an important shift from foraging to farming in human society. Here, the authors show that in Europe the spread of farming involved mostly within-group mating and limite...

www.nature.com

Reposted by Sam Neil

Love Dalén @lovedalen.bsky.social · Aug 22

Attending #ESEB2025 has been an amazing experience!

If you are interested in more ancient DNA and museomics, please consider joining us in Stockholm for the first International Conference on Palaeogenomics (June 23-26 2026)!

Follow @palaeogenomics.bsky.social

👉icp2026.palaeogenomics.org

1 9 27

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · Aug 5

Just to note on this article: systemmatic use of micro-CT scanning is no longer recommended. It has been shown that it causes radiation damage, impacting collagen preservation. This can be significant and
may prevent radiocarbon dating & stable isotope analysis:
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

On the impact of micro-CT scanning on radiocarbon dating of fossil material: A cautionary note for the palaeoanthropological community and beyond | Radiocarbon | Cambridge Core

On the impact of micro-CT scanning on radiocarbon dating of fossil material: A cautionary note for the palaeoanthropological community and beyond

www.cambridge.org

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · Jul 26

Escaped the DNA lab for a day to climb Europe's largest sand dune

3

Reposted by Sam Neil

Shai Carmi @shaicarmi.bsky.social · Jul 17

Two useful new reviews on ancestry inference in population genetics:

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

8 25

Reposted by Sam Neil

Genetics Society UK @gensocuk.bsky.social · Jul 14

We have an exciting line-up of speakers already confirmed for our Ancient Genomes meeting in November. If you want to be one of the speakers or present a poster, submit your abstract by 31 July!

genetics.org.uk/events/ancie...

2 3

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · Jul 17

Cool....Optimized in-solution enrichment of over a million ancient human SNPs. doi.org/10.1186/s130...

Optimized in-solution enrichment of over a million ancient human SNPs - Genome Biology

Background In-solution hybridization enrichment of genetic markers is a method of choice in paleogenomic studies, where the DNA of interest is generally heavily fragmented and contaminated with enviro...

doi.org

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · Jul 14

Bastille Day in Bordeaux...

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · Jun 28

Details of our new research project are now online: thanks to the the European Commission for funding.

Based at @pacea.bsky.social partnered with @unioxarchaeology.bsky.social

cordis.europa.eu/project/id/1...

The transition to farming provided the foundation for evolution of modern complex societies. This process, also known as a change from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic involved a radical shift in subsi...

cordis.europa.eu

1 4 7

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · Jun 27

Excellent paper illustrating diversity of past social organization: matrilocality and the importance of female lineages at Çatalhöyük

Camilla Mazzucato @camillamazzucato.bsky.social · Jun 26

After many years this is out now, many congratulations to everybody!

Female lineages and changing kinship patterns in Neolithic Çatalhöyük

Combining 131 paleogenomes with bioarchaeological and archaeological data, we studied social organization and gendered practices in Çatalhöyük East Mound (7100 to 5950 BCE), a major Neolithic settleme...

www.science.org

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · Jun 21

Excellent new paper @profjaneevans.bsky.social
on cattle from Stonehenge

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Sequential multi-isotope sampling through a Bos taurus tooth from Stonehenge, to assess comparative sources and incorporation times of strontium and lead

The aim of this paper is to use the sequential nature of enamel deposition in hypsodont teeth to study the relationship, in time and source, of stront…

www.sciencedirect.com

4 8

Reposted by Sam Neil

Royal Society of Chemistry @rsc.org · Jun 18

£5000 to help you hit that research milestone!

Whether it’s for chemicals, consumables, software licenses or equipment, the RSC’s Research Fund provides grants of up to £5,000 that enable RSC members around the world to start new research projects.

Apply now: rsc.li/research-fund
#ChemSky

Person in lab coat and safety glasses conducting an experiment, with text 'Research Fund, Apply now for up to £5000' from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

3 3

Reposted by Sam Neil

Sonia Zakrzewski @soniaz.bsky.social · May 29

A permanent job here at @archsoton50.bsky.social @unisouthampton.bsky.social in #Palaeolithic Archaeology and/or #Palaeoanthropology 🏺🧪
Please share widely!
jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...

1 40 36

Reposted by Sam Neil

Tom Higham @tommyhigham.bsky.social · Mar 12

Job alert!
@katerinad.bsky.social and I are looking for an archaeologist/archaeological scientist to join us on a 4 year post-doc, helping to manage and participate in field and lab work on 2 ERC grants in our group. We would love to hear from you via the link! 👇
jobs.univie.ac.at/job/Postdoct...

4 110 150

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · Apr 24

Now that contracts have been signed and it is official, I am delighted to say I have been awarded a Marie-Curie Fellowship in ancient DNA and stable isotopes, based at @pacea.bsky.social (University of Bordeaux) and seconded to @unioxarchaeology.bsky.social (University of Oxford).

3 20

Sam Neil @drsamneil.bsky.social · Apr 23

Soil likely to have higher nitrogen content due to the midden, promoting plant growth on it.

1 1