Happy to see @jamesbluecat.bsky.social* clarifying the publisher's pitch for his novel PAGANS, which has been making me anxious since it came out. * My husband, not a random novelist whose marketing has unsettled me!

James Alistair Henry@jamesbluecat.bsky.social · 24h ago

Okay, so this has brought a lot of attention to my book PAGANS, which is great, obviously, but also I'm braced for people shouting at me that the Norman Conquest *didn't* bring Christianity to the UK, as you might think from a quick glance at the blurb, it was here already. CORRECT.

So happy to share this article in Medieval Archaeology that I co-authored with Thomas Keyes (scribalstyles.net) on the design principles of Pictish stone sculpture. Please DM me if you need access!

The Use of Coherent Geometry in the Design of Pictish Stone Sculpture

SO-CALLED ‘PICTISH SYMBOL STONES’ are often set apart from other artistic and epigraphic traditions of northern Europe on the basis of their unique iconography; while Pictish monuments often share ...

tandfonline.com

A Pictish ring was found by volunteer John Ralph during a University of Aberdeen-led dig at Burghead, Moray, #OTD in 2023. Professor Gordon Noble said it further indicated 'the high-status production of metalwork' at the Pictish power centre. 📸National Museums Scotland

Some excellent papers coming up at our annual PAS conference - including new thinking on the Pictish symbols, intriguing stable isotope results from Burghead, and how to represent the Pictish world accurately in popular culture. Tickets on sale now at £12 members/£15 non-members + small booking fee.

The Pictish Arts Society@pictishartssociety.bsky.social · last wk.

Have you got your tickets yet? Our online conference on 3-4 Oct will focus on the 'Pictishness' of Pictish art, with expert speakers on Pictish sculpture, symbols, metalwork, archaeology and representation in popular culture. Book now! #EarlyMedieval #MedievalSky

We are now back at the labs and laying out finds to dry- here is just a small selection- all of these will be written up for a much richer view of Pictish Burghead and Pictish life than we have ever had before!!

Congratulations to @celticist.bsky.social for getting this important project funded!

Sculpted stone study could shed new light on lost kingdoms

Some artefacts are considered "at risk" as they are in, or near, churches earmarked for closure and sale.

bbc.co.uk

I started my PhD program with an eight week old at home, sole income being my doctoral stipend, in a history program, in Knoxville, TN. And every month we got a new book to read to my son, free, mailed to us, so my kid, my kids, grew up in rooms full of books even when I had no money. That's Dolly.

An excellent blog with many interesting ideas for all of us thinking about what 'became' of the Picts and their language.

Clare Downham@downham.bsky.social · 3w ago

Viking-Pictish interactions in the Northern Isles by Prof Andrew Jennings #scotland #medievalsky www.vikingislands.co.uk/p/before-the...

Well the finds keep on coming at Burghead 2026! Two incredibly lovely pins from the upper and lower citadels of the fort! These may have been for women’s head coverings - 7th-8th century Pictish fashion!

Academic friends! What's the etiquette when you know who reviewed your peer-reviewed article - for example, if the editor left the reviewer's name in the document properties?

Appalling news for Cornwall, for Penryn, for Exeter staff and students, and for access to Humanities courses.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney.bsky.social · last mo.

My uni have just withdrawn Geography, History & Geography and Politics & Geography undergrad courses run from our Penryn campus. Terrible for Cornwall. How did the staff find out? When UCAS clearing opened at 8am 😡

And don't tell me, the hourly rate is only paid for contact hours, not the time spent reading the supervisee's work and providing notes?

Plashing Vole@plashingvole.bsky.social · last mo.

Delighted to hear today that the answer to ‘who will supervise PhDs whose supervisors are being sacked?’ is ‘hire hourly-paid supervisors who were sacked in the previous round of sackings’. This rather whiffs of fake redundancies.

The full agenda is now up for our 2026 conference, held online from 3-4 October. Join us to learn about the Pictishness of Pictish art, as well as the latest archaeological research from Pictland. Plus: the inside track on the making of Carved in Stone, a stunning Pictland-set TTRPG. #MedievalSky

Conf | The PAS

thepictishartssociety.org.uk

Ooh, a whole Leeds IMC panel on what's new in Pictish studies - really looking forward to seeing what comes of this. Please do think about submitting an abstract if you can!

Fergus@fergushs.bsky.social · last mo.

Coming out of the woodwork to announce a Pictish CfP for Leeds IMC this year! Any shares would be much appreciated :) Any Qs just drop me a message here or @ fergus.holmes-stanley@glasgow.ac.uk

I’ve found out that if you google Zebedee the AI overview will pull through a description of the biblical Zebedee and an image of Zebedee from The Magic Roundabout.

This year's Highland Archaeology Conference talks programme is almost ready! Save the date and watch this space for further announcements!!

Superb new volume, and free to read online - many thanks @sidestone.bsky.social!

Royalty and Ritual @ Sidestone Press

Medieval kings and kingship, and the rituals that define them, continue to captivate both scholars and the wider public. This interdisciplinary volume offers a Europe-wide perspective on early medieva...

sidestone.com

Good to see this update of the early history of Restenneth Priory from Historic Environment Scotland. Until last year, HES was still promoting the pseudo-historical narrative that it was the church 'in the Roman style' that the Pictish king Nechtan f. Der-Ilei commissioned from Northumbria c. 710.

The husband, off to record the Lovecraft/Cluedo mashup you've always wanted to hear on Radio 4.

James Alistair Henry@jamesbluecat.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Heading towards London to record this ABSOLUTE NONSENSE tomorrow and Thurday.

It's the International Day of Ogham today. The (former) OG(H)AM project are happy to announce the recipients of this year's Certificate of Achievement for Ogham Excellence, the team behind the creation of "Carved in Stone. A Storyteller's Guide to Pictland". More: carvedinstone.scot #IntDayofOgham

Well that was an amazing first full day at East Lomond. So so many finds for a first day- spindle whorls, Roman pottery, crucibles, and all sorts. And filming with Alice Roberts for her new Channel 4 series! Watch this space!!

Tomorrow we begin the 2026 field season at East Lomond hillfort! Since 2022 we've uncovered an exceptional Pictish settlement sequence (3rd century–c.600 AD), with finds including weaponry, metalworking, a silver handpin, imported E-ware and gaming pieces. Daily updates 6-17 July

A very satisfying thread.

Kate Watson@loreandordure.com · 3mo ago

This is my next book restoration project: a c.1910 revised edition of Mrs Beeton’s Household management. Of no great financial value even in immaculate condition, but of sentimental value to me, binding falling apart so badly that it can barely be handled.

The University of Exeter is not in budget deficit. Yet are proposing to cut 150 academic jobs. This include my job. Please sign and share the petition, write our Vice Chancellor, to your MP, and get the word out about the act of self harm this university is about to commit. c.org/yKcx6Zr29H

This campaign needs you now

Stop Redundancies at the University of Exeter

c.org

Unearth rare Pictish treasures: Join the Burghead dig this August www.northern-scot.co.uk/news/unearth...

Unearth rare Pictish treasures: Join the Burghead dig this August

No prior experience neccesary.

northern-scot.co.uk

Unmissable lecture for anyone interested in Pictish art. Professor Heather Pulliam of the University of Edinburgh delivers this year's Groam House Museum Annual Academic Lecture on monsters in Pictish sculpture. Online this Thursday 25 June at 7.30pm, tickets £3 members/students and £6 non-members.

What lies beneath? Pictish Monsters and the Living Frame - Groam House Museum

Find out all about Pictish monsters in this talk by Heather Pulliam, Professor of Medieval Art at Edinburgh School of Art

groamhouse.org.uk

I recently used this argument to convince my client to keep using human copywriters instead of writing everything with Copilot. 'Putting no effort into your written content is disrespectful to the people you want to read it.' It worked! (For now, anyway.)

Tits McGee@scientits.bsky.social · 3mo ago

"The level of effort is so low that we consider it spam" is a great rule to have against AI content

With Scotland v Morocco coming up, here is an 11th-century connection. About the time the Almoravid ruler Yusuf ibn Tashfin cofounded Marrakesh, the Scottish king Máel Coluim III founded a monastery at Monymusk. And there, in modern times, a gold dinar from Marrakesh, minted c.1097, has been found!

Bigger and better than ever - the Annual Day of the Picts at Burghead will be on the 22nd of August this year. Get it in your diaries!

Had my first direct experience of ageism yesterday. At 55, I knew it was coming someday soon, but I'd expected it to come from the professional side of my life in the tech industry, not the academic side. Trying to shrug it off today and carry on.