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Dr Tess Machling

@tessmachling.bsky.social

7.4K followers 1.7K following 9.3K posts

Archaeologist, gold & torc researcher, chocolate artefact maker & mum. Often post about cats who aren't mine... Views all my own 😊 Green party 💚 She/her 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Work on torcs & gold: https://bigbookoftorcs.com Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tess317409

bigbookoftorcs.com

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · Aug 25

A new page for BBoT - Torc FAQs, with a list of the things I'm asked most often! 😁

#Archaeology #Torcs #Gold #IronAge 🏺

bigbookoftorcs.com/torc-faqs/

Torc FAQs

As people often ask me about torcs, I thought it might be useful to answer some of the most frequently asked questions. If there’s anything you want to ask, that isn’t here, then please…

bigbookoftorcs.com

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 2h

Absolutely!! What I've been trying to do with The Big Book of Torcs! 😊

www.bigbookoftorcs.com

The Big Book of Torcs

by Tess Machling

www.bigbookoftorcs.com

Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 3h

The Greens of the old days used to drive me nuts, so I'm really looking the new attitude!!

Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 3h

Really is...

Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 5h

Urrrghhh... they sound delightful...

www.northants.police.uk/news/northan...

Two men charged with burglary offences in Northampton and South Wales

Two men have been charged with a number of offences following joint work between Northamptonshire Police and South Wales Police.

www.northants.police.uk

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 5h

Charged!!!! But still the gold hasn't been located... 🤞🙏

#Archaeology 🏺

www.south-wales.police.uk/news/south-w...

St Fagans burglary: Two men charged

www.south-wales.police.uk

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 6h

Honestly, this is just THE best news. If you haven't joined yet, please do - the #Greens under @zackpolanski.bsky.social have momentum now and that means the chance to really change things for the better. 💚

join.greenparty.org.uk

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 6h

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I'm now imagining you doing the voice🐥

Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 7h

I was thinking more...

The record sleeve for Orville the Duck's song- I wish i could fly...

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 7h

*now* we understand those bodies in hillfort ditches!! 🤣

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 8h

I think also the different, tighter, Treasure laws in Scotland help. Plus, (and I'm not saying the Scottish Treasure Trove folks aren't busy: they are!) there's way more detectorists in England and Wales and much more arable land!

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 8h

"We’ve had several discussions here ... warnings because of cuts to the sector that the safety of the collections was under threat"

Heritage: Value it, protect it, invest in it ...or or will be gone!

#Archaeology 🏺

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Fears over safety of artefacts after midnight museum heist

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of burglary after the break-in at St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff.

www.independent.co.uk

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 8h

Yup.

Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 10h

Yeah, we've all heard it. I think I'm kind of at the point where it's - yeah, try me. I feel like we're having to grovel for what should belong to all of us.

There's a very macho, bullying, aspect to this which we don't talk about either.

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 18h

But we need everyone onside to preserve heritage.

Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 18h

I disagree. We need to encourage the public to value these things - perhaps if we did offer more education on why gold artefacts aren't just treasure, maybe they would help us to keep them safe? The nation's should, after all, belong to the nation!

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 18h

Oh absolutely.. we need the real thing!

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 21h

I get it. 😊

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 21h

The police got there in minutes, but the thieves were in and out in 4 minutes... in this case , having arrested people within 24hrs they've done really well...

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 23h

Indeed. Now to keep all crossed they find the gold... 🤞🙏

Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 1d

Oh so much 🤞🤞🤞

Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 1d

YES!!! Now keep everything crossed they can find the gold!
🙏🤞🙏🤞

#Archaeology 🏺

www.south-wales.police.uk/news/south-w...

St Fagans burglary update: Two men arrested

www.south-wales.police.uk

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 1d

Tbh the originals are irreplaceable so the costs are irrelevant. But gold replicas is just another cost to be born.

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 1d

I'm not sure... unless they are gold there will be no point... and the cost of gold replicas will be huge.

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Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 1d

Done...

bigbookoftorcs.com/2025/10/07/s...

Solid-gold rant incoming…

by Tess Machling [A download/print PDF version can be found at the end of the paper] Before I go any further, I want to state that the theft and destruction of heritage across the world is not unco…

bigbookoftorcs.com

Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 1d

Yup... why I try and cut across that in my work - I want to make people care about gold, not become acquisitive ....