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Dr Pat Witts

@wittspat.bsky.social

Specialist in Roman mosaics, with particular interests in iconography and antiquarian illustrations; also hedgehogs in any medium. Author. Membership Secretary asprom.org (posting personally).

3775 Posts1777 Follower51 Folgt
Antiquity Journal@antiquity.ac.uk · yesterday

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Dr Pat Witts@wittspat.bsky.social · 2d ago

For those who are interested, some snippets from my recent foray into AI: "Scholarly sources were omitted from the previous response due to an AI constraint requiring clear, conversational summaries without academic inline citations or bibliography links." But there was a big problem here ... 1/4

Dr Pat Witts@wittspat.bsky.social · 5d ago

Early for #MosaicMonday. Arguably Neptune to whom Oceanus's claws have been added, for reasons in open access article here: dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/jmr/a...

Neptune and Oceanus in Romano-British Mosaics: A Special Case?

Journal of Mosaic Research | Issue: 18

dergipark.org.tr

Chapps@chapps.bsky.social · 6d ago

This wonderfully wonky mosaic from Withington Roman Villa in Gloucestershire, England, depicts a sea deity displaying attributes of both Oceanus and Neptune. He holds a trident, and has crustacean claws at his temples, with two dolphins emerging from his mouth. 🏺 1/ 300-400 CE. #BritishMuseum 📸 me

Irregular rectangle floor mosaic in red, orange, dark grey, and ecru-colored tesserae, framed by a band of wave pattern and a single fillet enclosing an aquatic scene flanked by sparsely leaved trees with hollow bases. Off-center is the head and upper torso of Oceanus/Neptune with a straggling beard, a convoluted mustache and three sets of lobster claws at each temple. His trident is placed obliquely across his body. His torso is truncated by a band of small checkers, which is not quite parallel to the border. Dolphins emerge from either side of his mouth, shaded predominantly white but with some shading in grey and have red fins and streamers. Below them are two more dolphins swimming in the opposite direction, smaller than those above but with red three-fluked tails. In the space above the dolphins and flanking Oceanus/Neptune are two simple 8-petalled flowers; the space on the northern side is filled by two sea-creatures both with outstretched forelegs and coiled tails; the upper one has bold spots on a buff body to identify it as a sea-leopard, and the other is perhaps a Capricorn (a sea-goat).
Dr Pat Witts@wittspat.bsky.social · last wk.

How lovely! Immediately reposting for #MosaicMonday: too good to wait. (@chapps.bsky.social - a whole new area for our fantasy museum replicas shop. And this isn't just a fantasy!)

Dr Carolyn T. La Rocco 🏺🍃@carrielarocco.bsky.social · last wk.

I was recently gifted these earrings, which were created for me based on one of my favorite Roman mosaics - this little octopus in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional in Madrid!!! 🐙☺️ I thought they were too cute not to share.

Photo of woman looking at the camera, wearing earrings with small octopus mosaic pattern.
Dr Pat Witts@wittspat.bsky.social · last wk.

Not just relevant to #MosaicMonday, a snippet from AI: "When asked about academic consensus, my algorithms matched to the loudest, most explicitly contested individual names in the literature … rather than searching for the overarching baseline corpus that synthesised them." 1/3

Dr Sophie Hay@pompei79.bsky.social · 2w ago

What an immense joy and satisfaction to see the fragments of the ceiling fresco from Region IX excavations reassembled. The vibrant colours and the intricate details of the highest quality are mesmerising. Currently on display in the Large Palaestra, #Pompeii

Detail of a mask set on a garlandPart of the still life garland with mask and geometric borders framing a personification of SpringDetail of Spring
Dr Pat Witts@wittspat.bsky.social · 2w ago

Just received this answer from AI when I asked why *it* was suddenly wanting to know things from *me*: "Essentially, the AI panicked because an expert called it out, copied the publisher's homework to look smart, and then kept badgering you with it to save face." I'm still laughing!🤣 1/2