I'm very slowly making a flint Maesmor-type Neolithic macehead. But I'm not sure the form of the blank is right to cut the lozenges, so I've made a plaster cast to practice.

An another glorious day for making maceheads. Granite and Lewisian Gneiss, the latter is becoming a favourite rock

I don't often post about the Romans, but I found this beautiful and delicate glass mosaic whilst digging around in NMS's stores today. It's from Suffolk Street, London and was donated by C. Roach Smith in 1849.

A lovely sunny day. Great for carving stone in the garden - a pestle macehead and a carved stone ball made today

A lovely role for someone! - Lecturer in Archaeology at UHI in Kirkwall, Orkney: myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/ork...

Lecturer, Archaeology - ORK10266 | Orkney Islands Council | myjobscotland

View details and apply for this lecturing role in with Orkney Islands Council on myjobscotland

myjobscotland.gov.uk

I first visited Skara Brae 40 years ago... and I still keep going back. It's a magical place (like the whole of Orkney)

A great new aDNA study of Neolithic tombs in Orkney and Caithness using NMS collections. Source: Live Science share.google/RaJRkW13VLpk...

Stone Age tombs in Scotland reveal 'webs of descent' among male relatives

An analysis of DNA from Stone Age skeletons buried in Scotland reveals how people organized the burial of their dead.

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Heading to Orkney. This photo doesn't capture the wind chill...

Museum job alert!! Assisstant Curator Renaissance and Early Modern History at National Museums Scotland Full time but temporary (mat leave cover) Closes 18 Feb so don't dilly-dally careers.nms.ac.uk/job/829206

FREE ONLINE MAGAZINE: Celebrating Archaeology in Scotland Explore the links between archaeology and wellbeing in the 2025 edition from Scotland's Archaeology Strategy, featuring our @digitscotland.bsky.social and @scarf-scot.bsky.social projects: archaeologystrategy.scot/magazine/ #ScotArchStrat

And it's here! Our very own Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal Volume 31 is now ready to download absolutely free. And it's a stoater, to use the technical Scottish term. Thanks to all our authors, illustrators, sponsors, typesetter and the editorial team. www.tafac.org.uk/2025/11/volu...

There's a great range of papers at the upcoming Lithic Studies Society conference on 7/8 November in Leicester. I look forward to catching up with some folk there! Book here: www.tickettailor.com/events/lithi... @lithicstudiessoc.bsky.social

Here are some installation photos of our show currently on at The Reid Gallery - Glasgow School of Art Even better in real life though, so if you are in Glasgow pop in for a survey of our Papay SurvØY. www.flickr.com/photos/glasg...

Saoirse Higgins and Jonathan Ford – SurvØY, 20 September – 1 November 2025 Reid Gallery

SurvØY was developed over four years as a contemporary artist ‘island almanac’, surveying and monitoring scales of change in the context of the island environment of Papa Westray, one of the most nort...

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Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy is advertising for a new Chair. Take a look - It's a great role to help shape Scottish archaeology archaeologystrategy.scot/scotlands-ar...

There's a new flintknapping workshop at Kilmartin Museum if you fancy learning an ancient craft www.kilmartin.org/introduction...

The annual Orkney Archaeology Review, published by Orkney Archaeology Society, has been dropping through members' letterboxes. #archaeology #orkney

2025 Orkney Archaeology Review published

The annual Orkney Archaeology Review, published by Orkney Archaeology Society, has been arriving through members' letterboxes this week.

archaeologyorkney.com

New paper klaxon: pre print now available OA: muse.jhu.edu/pub/423/arti... Thanks to everyone at @ria.ie for their work on this, and most importantly to Chantal for collaboration on the paper. A short 🧵 on what we argue... @ucdarchaeology.bsky.social @ucddublin.bsky.social @eaapam.bsky.social

We find fingerprints, cord, basketry and other impressions left in damp pottery while pieces were made in the Neolithic but some new examples have left us puzzled and intrigued. #archaeology #Orkney #Neolithic #Ceramics #NessOfBrodgar

Puzzling but precise – intrigued by impressions on pottery sherds

We find fingerprints, cord, basketry and other impressions left in damp pottery while pieces were made in the Neolithic but a new example has left us puzzled and intrigued.

nessofbrodgar.co.uk

Hooray! Our paper on kinship in Neolithic Ireland is out. Such a pleasure to write this (and draw fancy maps) with a team of fabulous and inspiring prehistorians: Neil Carlin, Jess Smyth, @cjfrieman.bsky.social, Dani Hofmann, @pennybickle.bsky.social, Kerri Cleary and @prehistorian.bsky.social:

UCD School of Archaeology, Dublin@ucdarchaeology.bsky.social · last yr.

"Social and Genetic Relations in Neolithic Ireland: Re-evaluating Kinship" A major contribution to debates on Neolithic kinship, genetic relatedness & monuments like Newgrange. Led by Dr Neil Carlin & Dr Jessica Smyth at UCD Archaeology & international team Cambridge Arch J doi.org/10.1017/S095...

OUT NOW! The Early Neolithic of Northern Europe: New approaches to migration, movement and social connections. www.sidestone.com/books/the-ea... #prehistory #monuments #NeolithicScandinavia

The Early Neolithic of northern Europe @ Sidestone Press

In Britain, Ireland and Southern Scandinavia, the Early Neolithic is characterised by monumental constructions (e.g. causewayed enclosures, dolmens) and by specific traditions of depositional practice...

sidestone.com

Wonderful flintknapping!

Nina Willburger @drnwillburger.bsky.social · last yr.

A figurine of a hartebeest, made of flint, found in a cemetery at Hierakonpolis. It dates to the Naqada II period, 3650–3450 BC. The Naqada culture was a Chalcolithic Predynastic Egyptian culture. Hierakonpolis is a major site for studying this period. On display at Neues Museum Berlin. 📷 me 🏺

The fundraiser to reopen Tomb of the Eagles is at 80%. Can you help get it over the line? www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/tomb-of-th...

Orkney Archaeology Society's next public talk is an online event with Dr Hugo Anderson-Whymark, outlining further discoveries at Blomuir Passage Grave, Holm. The talk will be on 20th March, starting at 7pm. Get your free tickets here, orkneyarchaeologysociety.org.uk/event/talk-f...

Talk: Further discoveries at Blomuir Passage Grave, Holm

By Hugo Anderson Wymark National Museums Scotland In 2023 a new Neolithic passage grave was discovered at Blomuir, Holm. Excavations in 2024 fully excavated the chamber and side cells, revealing fu…

orkneyarchaeologysociety.org.uk

The Lithic Studies Society is now on Bluesky, for all your stone tool lovers: @lithicstudiessoc.bsky.social #lithics #flint

Free one day symposium @ntlmuseumsscot.bsky.social exploring case studies of Collecting Environmental Change, 13 March. More info and booking here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/collecting... 📜 #envhist

Collecting Environmental Change: Case Studies from Scotland and Europe

This symposium explores how museums are collecting objects that represent the impact of and response to environmental change.

eventbrite.co.uk

Tonight's the night that Blomuir #Neolithic Passage Grave in #Orkney is on #DiggingForBritain - BBC 2 8pm. Victorian diggers removed enough stone for a house, but still left us some amazing archaeology!

All of the new Digging for Britain episodes have dropped on Iplayer, so you can catch up on new discoveries at Blomuir Passage Grave!

'Digging for Britain' episode featuring Orkney excavations online now - Archaeology Orkney

The Digging for Britain programme featuring the Orkney excavations at The Cairns and Blowmuir is now available on BBC iPlayer.

archaeologyorkney.com

Well, that's my Twitter/X account deleted for good. I've imported my old tweets across as there are a few good images

I'm looking forward to the new series of Digging for Britain, which starts tomorrow! But you've have to wait until Thursday for news of exciting new discoveries in our Neolithic passage grave at Blomuir, Orkney

Some objects speak for themselves! This heart shaped facing stone of finest 'Brandon black' flint dates from c.1930. #flintfriday