iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

It takes a lot to rouse me from the deep depression of the past year. Apparently, misrepresenting Japanese archaeology will do it...rivaled only by deleting comments, which I’ll share the gist of below. Who knows? Maybe this has incited me to finally start creating content again.

youtube.com

The Ancient Japanese Tombs Even Archaeologists Can't Touch

YouTube video by For The Love of History

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

I’ve been quiet this past year, mostly because of the thesis grind. But the year has also been marked by loss, health issues, and an erosion from verbal abuse, neglect, and a lack of support. I’m torn about staying in academia and whether I’m “enough.” Mostly, I just want somewhere safe to land.

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Laura Grace Weldon @lauragraceweldon.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

One out of 12 rams is uninterested in females. Deemed “non-procreative" by farmers, they're typically sent to slaughter. German farmer Michael Stücke rescues the gay rams. His company Rainbow Wool, sells fabulous wool products from his flock of gay sheep. rainbow-wool.com

Man standing in field of sheep holding rainbow flag.

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Artologica aka Michele Banks @artologica.net · 01/01/2026

Just making sure that 2025 is definitely over

14th century painting of St. Margaret of Antioch attacking a devil woman in a virid dress hitting a demon with a hammer

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Dr Florence Smith Nicholls @florencesn.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Jamin Warren interviewed me for Killscreen about my background as a field archaeologist, my current video game archaeology research, and why we should preserve contemporary play experiences for the future! 🏺 www.killscreen.com/mapping-the-...

killscreen.com

How I Use Archaeology to Map Your Favorite Videogames

Archaeologist Florence Smith Nicholls discusses "archaeogaming," mapping the digital traces of Elden Ring, and the hopeful act of "anticipatory archaeology."

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Z̷o̸ ̴f̸r̴o̵m̵ ̴O̵h̴ @rbrittonart.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

"This shit isnt going away" is such a moronic thing to say. They are pushing ai in every part of our lives because they NEED their investments to work. The billionaires need ai to work. It's wildly unpopular, they are hoping we roll over and take it.

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小山田浩史 @magonia00.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

もともと「太古の宇宙飛行士」説を提唱していたソ連（当時）のSF作家アレクサンドル・カザンチェフがCBAの遮光器土偶=宇宙服の宇宙人説を自説の最適例として取り上げて世界中に広まっちゃったんだよね　秋に宮城の縄文展でいっぱい遮光器土偶見てきた

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Ro Salarian @rosalarian.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Writers who use genAI for illustrations are class traitors. We all have to fight this beast TOGETHER. We are not just trying to save SOME of our livelihoods.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

The recent 7.6 offshore earthquake near Aomori has impacted the Jōmon World Heritage Sites in the region. I found an article online discussing damage to artifacts from the Futatsunomori Shell Midden (north of Hachinohe). Local staff are working with university partners to respond to the damage.

A collection of reassembled Jomon pottery lies in pieces on the ground of a storage space, while an individual picks through the debris.

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Emily @suika.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Gender is a performance and I refuse to put on a good show for a bad audience.

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

nothing is more validating than seeing this post from a linguist

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Emily @suika.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

My first-ever piece for @unseenjapan.com ⤵

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Emily @suika.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

Despite a disappointing ruling, the crowd yells "we don't give up!" while applauding the plaintiffs and legal team of the second Tokyo High Court case for same-sex marriage.

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Jjinandtonic @jjinandtonic.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

This is how you get that archaeologist you’ve been into to lick you

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Christopher P. Hood @hoodcp.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

Cardiff University has done a short piece about the work that my PhD student, Emily Bush, is doing. The research explores ecocriticism through Japanese disaster narratives. #Japan #DisasterStudies #DisasterNarratives #Ecocriticism You can read the article here: www.cardiff.ac.uk/stories/expl...

cardiff.ac.uk

Exploring ecocriticism through Japanese disaster narratives

PhD student Emily Bush is exploring ecocritical perspectives in media about historical Japanese disasters.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

I’m dealing with some sudden financial strain, so I’m looking for a bit of freelance work. If you know anyone who needs illustration or design work, I’d really appreciate referrals. I’m also planning to open commissions and update my ko-fi/carrd soon. I appreciate the support! amasugiru.carrd.co

amasugiru.carrd.co

ama

a site to connect all my forms of social media and gallery

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Emily @suika.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Was just thinking: will future archeologists be able to date human remains based on the amounts of microplastics built up in them?

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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 19/11/2025

“Closeups show human faces distorted beyond recognition, sprouting extra appendages. The bodies of what appear to be dogs horrifically merge with human figures. Happy holidays indeed.”

futurism.com

Town's Huge Christmas Mural Was Generated Using AI, Resulting in Ghastly Chthonic Horrors

An enormous new mural near London, depicting a crowded Christmas scene, has drawn outrage and mockery from passersby.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Trying to decide if it's worth sharing my final thoughts on Ghost of Yotei. Maybe, if anything, it would help contextualize the game somewhat and continue the dialogue. Lately, I've had such a difficult time finding the motivation to post on social media, but I do miss sharing thoughts and art.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

I'm feeling gloomy about not sticking to Inktober, but I've been drawing more for myself lately. As much as I enjoy engagement on social media, I've been thinking of trying a different format. How do people feel about mail clubs? I want to draw landscapes... tie it in to archaeology... make friends.

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Steph Halmhofer @cultarchaeo.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Once again urging archaeologists to critically assess the AI push into archaeology. There is a huge swath of problematic ethical issues that come with the AI tech & tech lords & we don't have to make it easier for them to insert themselves in archaeology by welcoming them in. Don't be complicit. 🏺

thetimes.com

Elon Musk says AI research into ancient Rome will ‘rewrite history’

The world’s richest man is financing a new age of archaeological projects that seek to use artificial intelligence to fill in knowledge gaps

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paulseesequasis @pseesequasis.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

‘Bone Box’ by Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas at the Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver, BC. “Fabricated out of discarded trays that once stored archeological collections, this interactive work calls for us to engage with one another.”

Colour image of Haida artist Yagulanaas’s ‘Bone Box,’ also associated with his Haida Manga work.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

One thing I noticed during my tour of the northern Jomon sites were the facilities, specifically the bathrooms. Japan is notorious for its state-of-the-art toilets, but they also have squat toilets. I spent part of the trip comparing them and wondering if its tied in with funding distribution.

A sign posted in the middle of a site that reads “dumping grounds”.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

In regards to city foxes, I don’t hear enough about those that call Sapporo home. The Shinkansen construction destroyed a large green space in the city, but it seems they still move through its remains. Luckily the botanical gardens and luxury housing grounds offer sanctuary in the immediate area.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

I went to Sushiro in Sapporo with a friend. It was my first and last time there. I had the approximation of fish. The katsuo was the sushi equivalent of three kobolds in a trenchcoat. The fish was translucent hot pink with a faux char on the edges. Not gonna talk about the tobiko. It was upsetting.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

Met up with a friend who gave me a belated birthday present. She was worried I always got archaeology themed gifts. I told her that I, frankly, do not get enough, especially since Japan has top tier goods. I love my new bag charms.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

Looking through my photos, and I forgot to share one of my favorite parts of my Golden Jomon trip: Cultural Property Battle cards. Their stats are: Designation, Est. value, Rarity, Period. These are from Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture. I would have absolutely tried to find them all with time.

Four upward facing cards featuring Japanese cultural properties from Aomori with stats. An additional card is reversed. The back reads Cultural Property Battle Cards in Japanese

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Iron Spike @ironspike.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Have you ever been so fucking delighted by a username/icon set that it made you follow a total stranger

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Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

'Born in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty region in 1873, Papakura grew up during a time of significant change for Māori, including the rapid loss of land, language and Indigenous knowledge as the grip of colonisation tightened.' www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

theguardian.com

Nearly 100 years after her death, Oxford’s first female Indigenous scholar honoured

Mākereti Papakura died weeks before handing in her thesis at Oxford university documenting the life and customs of her tribe, work that is still used by Māori today

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

I'm two hours into a playthrough of Ghosts of Yotei and I'm worried about the lack of 1)Ainu presence in the landscape and 2)Ainu place names. They are a significant part of maintaining Indigenous claims to the land and challenging wilderness narratives. I worry they will appear as a side quest.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

#archInk2025 Day 2: Shell During prep, the Conch of Teleportation reminded me of oracle bones, divinatory records from the Shang. They feature some of the earliest writing in China. I thought dragon turtles, taken from Chinese mythological creatures, would help expand a focus on Chinese archaeology.

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Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Super cool to learn that I was huffing cinnabar while laboriously excavating paintings at Çatalhöyük. #archink #pigment #inktober

A drawing with a finger held up and red pigment on the fingertip. Next to it is written “cinnabar, treasured world-wide for its fiery red hue, is toxic and poisoned those who sought its beauty.” Hashtags are in the tweet.

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archaeoINK - Jona Schlegel @jonaschlegel.com · 01/10/2025

starting archInk 2025 with pigment. i kept it digital today, a bit like field journal notes, an archaeology journal. pigment feels small, but it made the first colours on stone. minerals: grounded, mixed with a binder, painted on a surface and suddenly there’s an image. #archInk #inktober

A hand-drawn illustration showing the archaeological Inktober prompt "Pigment". In the centre is a large stone with a prehistoric bull painting in brown and black. On the left, a flat stone holds red, yellow, and black mineral pieces. On the right, another flat stone shows brown mineral lumps ready for grinding. Labels identify bright red, golden yellow, black (charcoal), and rich brown pigments. Text explains that pigments are minerals ground on flat stones and mixed with water to paint.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

I’m fighting the stormy seas of post graduate limbo and I’m being battered by subsequent waves telling me I’m not good enough. Rejection is one thing, but the direct statements sting. My brain is already stalled by burnout, and the fear of capsizing makes me question if I should go back to dry land.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

#archInk2025 Day 1: Pigment Back at it with a D&D bend. Today’s piece is Nolzur’s Marvelous Pigments. The item text says you can dip a brush right in, but pigments are technically the colorant. You can use them dry, but painting needs a binder. So I imagined some natural sources and the medium.

An illustration of a box of pigments and a bottle of binder. It reads from top to bottom: ArchInk Day 1. Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments. Includes: Fire beetle, Sussur Bark, Merrow Coral, Residuum, Glowcap Phospher, Infernal Iron Soot.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

I’m going to start arting again and never stop. That’s my birthday gift to me.

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archaeoINK - Jona Schlegel @jonaschlegel.com · 09/09/2025

Here's the official #archInk2025 prompt list - 31 days of archaeological (illustration) prompts for October. From pigment and bronze to provenance and afterlife, each prompt open to be explored through drawing or other techniques and mediums. Ready to join in? #archInk

Hand-drawn archInk 2025 prompt list on lined paper with archaeological tools scattered around the margins including pottery sherds, flint tools, brushes, and an ink bottle. The title 'archInk 2025' is written in orange and green lettering. Below are 31 numbered prompts organized in three columns:
1 Pigment, 2 Shell, 3 Residue, 4 Bronze, 5 Flint, 6 Horn, 7 Textile, 8 Stratigraphy, 9 Ivory, 10 Palimpsest; 11 Transformation, 12 Echo, 13 Pseudoscience, 14 Network, 15 Bioarchaeology, 16 Gatekeeping, 17 Ownership, 18 Exclusion, 19 Preservation, 20 Visibility; 21 Embodiment, 22 Provenance, 23 Absence, 24 Toolmark, 25 Reclamation, 26 Ephemeral, 27 Justice, 28 Looted, 29 Temporality, 30 Becoming, 31 Afterlife

signed by @archaeoInk

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Antiquity Journal @antiquity.ac.uk · 18/09/2025

By ~30,000 years ago people had fully colonised Japan's Ryukyu islands, but how did they get there? Archaeologists tried to recreate the trip with a bamboo raft but failed, indicating Palaeolithic boats were more advanced than expected #WorldBambooDay 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 🏺 #Archaeology

A raft made from several bamboo stalks lashed together, with five rowers, navigates the open ocean.

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cartoon hermeneutics @tom-kaczynski.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

"Resistance to digitalization […] Opacity: The combined text/image nature of comics renders them opaque to search engines. Metadata can be created about a page, or even the text can be transcribed and the image described..." 1/2

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Dr Florence Smith Nicholls @florencesn.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

I wrote a piece for the Guardian games newsletter this week on my PhD research into preserving play experiences, and why I think that the most archaeological games are those that that actually make you *think* like one 🏺 www.theguardian.com/games/2025/s...

theguardian.com

Forget Tomb Raider and Uncharted, there’s a new generation of games about archaeology – sort of

In this week’s newsletter: an archaeologist (and gamer) on why we love to walk around finding objects in-game and in real life

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Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 07/09/2025

Tokyo 68 – a fictionalized graphic novel focusing on women in the Tokyo University struggle of 1968-1969. Rebellious Japanese students of New Left protest movements. By artist Hélène Aldeguer and historian Chelsea Szendi Schieder. Future versions in English and Japanese. @chelseaszendi.bsky.social

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Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 03/09/2025

enshittification | noun | when a digital platform is made worse for users, in order to increase profits

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

Current wishlist: a postdoc that lets me disappear into a hole and draw archaeology and heritage comics/graphic novels while my brain reboots from phd and field school burnout. Does it exist? Can it exist? Asking for me.

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ama @amasugiru.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

Over a week into the field season and I’m considering disappearing into the hills and never returning. At least the views are pretty from a spot that took 10+ years to reach.

Panorama of the eastern side of Funadomari Bay and Lake Kushu on Rebun.

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