iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

I also got to *hold the Bronze Age Ellastone Dress Fastener!!! (*I'm fibbing... this is a gorgeous replica by the very talented James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social ) #Archaeology #BronzeAge 🏺

The Ellastone dress fastener replica made by James Dilley. The fastener is a curved bar with two wide cone shaped terminals

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Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Emma Jones @emlouwynjones.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Finishing and polishing these miniature bronze axehead pendants on a cold winters day. Thank goodness @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social has the furnace going to cast some (much larger) MBA basal looped spears! 😍

A collection of 8 miniature bronze axehead pendants at different stages of finish and polish.

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

@nasadler.bsky.social Nice to see you on the Prehistory Guys recording earlier. Hope you’re keeping well!

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

@elliescerri.bsky.social Hey! Hope you’re keeping well! Would you mind if I dropped you a message about some sites to visit in Malta? (Finally getting the chance to visit!)

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Agriculture, the technology that changed the world (and us) A seasonal cycle of moving to different campsites to utilise food sources changed to working the land. Neolithic farmers appear to have genetically dominated the smaller hunter-gatherer groups within a short period of time. 🏺🦣🧪

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

How did people make arrowheads in the Stone Age? A flake of stone would be trimmed, then have hundreds of tiny flakes detached using an antler point. The knapper would put pressure on the flaker tool from their abdomen while the flake was braced again a leg. 🎥 @emlouwynjones.bsky.social

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Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Joana Valdez-Tullett @joanavaldez.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

My gorgeous Christmas present 💝 By the hands of lovely @emlouwynjones.bsky.social and @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Well, it’s finally happened, one for the bucket list. This week I found a flint handaxe at Happisburgh while walking with friends. Their shared concern was due to my delighted dancing looking like I was having a funny turn!

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Handaxes on the move! We’ve been busy making lots of replica prehistoric goodies for Christmas presents. But a couple found themselves on a plane with @profaliceroberts.bsky.social heading to Australia for her Cells to Civilisation tour! Here’s one of Palaeolithic handaxes being made: 🏺 🦣 🧪

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Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Dr. Ellery Frahm @elleryfrahm.com · 30/11/2024

I have many new followers since I last introduced myself. I'm an #archaeologist at Yale, and one of my specialties is identifying the geological origins of obsidian artifacts using nondestructive chemical tests. This carved obsidian bowl, for example, originated from a source in northeastern Turkey.

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Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Julien Riel-Salvatore @julienrs.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

In honor of #FlintFriday, get a load of this chonky beauty from the Collection Smith at UdeM: a textbook amygdaloid Acheulean handaxe on tan flint. I especially dig the differential patination shown by color differences that suggests one of two possible trajectories in this tool's use-life... 1/3

Amygdaloid flint handaxe with bifacial retouch made from a large nodule of tan flint. The butt (lower part) and right side are more heavily patinated, having a darker brown color but still fresh flint scars.

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

I am often asked what I do with the flakes from flintknapping when making a large tool (and am occasionally accused of being wasteful). But many are saved for arrowheads or other tools, while others are saved for workshops so students can practice making scrapers and flake tools.

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Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Dr Matt Pope @mattpope.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

The Ossuary, Jersey, with extra lens flare. A small Cist-in-Circle tomb The remains of 20 people were interred in this little chamber of pink & grey granite during the Chalcolithic. Built amidst coastal woodland before sand dunes inundated it. @jerseyheritage.bsky.social #TombTuesday #AncientSky 🏺

Two granite pillars 1m high and a round capstone 1m across face a high dune, with sun behind

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Weirdest material I've knapped? There are a few, but can you guess what this is? Art group Troika asked me to make flint handaxes which would be fitted to silicon wafer boards as part of several art installations including "Pink Noise" at the Langen Foundation... 📷 @emlouwynjones.bsky.social

Image of Palaeolithic style handaxe made from shiny material with silver, metallic lustre.

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Sadly the AncientCraft Facebook page is becoming overrun with comments like this on almost every post/video. Frightening stuff… *blocks user*

Screen shot from the AncientCraft Facebook showing a post with a video of flintknapping. Most recent comment reads: “Thank GOD Trump did win or we'd be in a drag queen commie hell right now. That's if we lived through the derp states nuclear war using the cabals' naughty baby the Ukraine who likes to put bio weapon labs on the front with Russia.”

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Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Rachel Pope @prehistorian.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Prehistorians starter pack: go.bsky.app/R1ejt58

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Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Mark Knight 🍉 @markknight63.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Early Bronze Age tree-rings & tidal bundles (laminated roddon fills) #Fenland

Slice through a preserved tree from the deep peat deposits at Must Farm.

Laminated tidal deposits (sand & silt) from a roddon or preserved tidal channel in Fenland

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Making a Bronze Age axe… A few years ago @emlouwynjones.bsky.social and I made a film for Kings Lynn museum showing the heating, casting and finishing involved in making the kind of axes used to make Seahenge. Here is a shortened version:

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Technology that seemingly started with working silicon is now mostly driven by it. One of the weirder materials I’ve knapped was refined silicon from an ingot that are typically used for microchips. Though it flakes, it’s quite unlike flint or glass, but can be used to make a Palaeolithic handaxe!

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

What’s under this flake? While I was working on this flint I discovered this little fellow who had been trapped in flint for 90 million years. Fossils like this can make flintknapping tricky as they can divert or stop the plane of fracture which forms a flake. But what did I make in the end?

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Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Lars S. Sørensen @handansken.eurosky.social · 14/11/2024

Just a dose of #Archaeology Zen. Sealed agricultural layers by the coast of Southwestern Norway. Black and brown layers are the old agricultural fields. The bottom one is both field and the initial forrest clearance in the Bronze Age. Fields were regularly covered by sand over time.

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

How were handaxes made in the Stone Age? They were made & used by several different hominin species in the Palaeolithic from just under 2 million years ago up until the last Neanderthal ~ 40,000 yrs ago. I make these for our prehistoric replicas shop (link in bio) 🎥 @emmalouwynjones.bsky.social

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Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Emma Jones @emlouwynjones.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

My replica of the Iron Age armlet fragment from Dunadd is off to @kilmartinmuseum. A great opportunity to work with one of the cannel coal samples I collected from the Fife coastline earlier in the year. I think it's safe to say this Scottish 'jet' lookalike stood up to the test!

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

Our replica Bronze Age Basal looped spears are back in stock! 3300-3125 years ago, these spears would have been the primary weapon of a warrior while swords were still developing. They were effective for slashing & thrusting. www.ancientcraft.co.uk/product-page... 🎥 @emmalouwynjones.bsky.social

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Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Graham Taylor @pottedhistory.bsky.social · 11/11/2024

Our online shop potted-history.co.uk is definitely worth a look.

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 23/11/2023

Made in their hundreds to fell thousands... A tool that changed the British landscape above and below ground was the Neolithic axe. From around 6000 years ago they were produced in huge to fell the Mesolithic forest. www.ancientcraft.co.uk/product-page... 📸: @emmalouwynjones.bsky.social

Two flint axes laying on top of Autumn leaves. Both axes are fully flaked and ready to ground and polished.

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 21/11/2023

From the time of Stonehenge (and many more monuments) - The Bronze Age flanged axe. We now offer large and small axes on the replicas shop in a freshly cast, polished, decorated and even full hafted state! www.ancientcraft.co.uk/product-page... 📸: @emmalouwynjones.bsky.social

Bronze Age flanged axes with broad, flaring blades. One unpolished while the other is hafted in a wooden handle and bound with rawhide.

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 07/11/2023

We have some Palstave axes back in stock! From the middle Bronze Age, we currently have the earlier shield pattern type, associated with copper production at the @greatormemines, and the later shelf type based on examples found in the Salcombe Wreck: www.ancientcraft.co.uk/prehistoric-...

Later middle Bronze Age shelf type palstave axe

Earlier midddle Bronze Age shield pattern type 1 axe

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 06/11/2023

We've been a bit quiet online as behind the scenes, our Christmas shop restocking is under way... If you've put a back in stock request in we'll be aiming to make these available to purchase as a priority. There will also be new workshop dates soon! 🏺⚒️🧪 ancientcraft.co.uk/prehistoric-re…

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 20/10/2023

Another successful set of casting workshops and flintknapping at the Weald & Downland museum last weekend. Sword casting remains incredibly popular with our own workshops in Norfolk fully sold out next month! more dates to be added soon 🏺⚒️ www.ancientcraft.co.uk/calendar

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 18/10/2023

We were delighted to showcase the result of one of our recent projects with Usborne books at New Scientist Live -“24 hours in the Stone Age”. I loved stories like this as a kid, as the Stone Age is often devoid of colours and characters, so helping to create some new ones was very special.🏺⚒️

24 Hours in the Stone Age book displayed among stone tools at New Scientist Live.

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Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Kristina Killgrove @killgrove.bsky.social · 17/10/2023

Human violence has ebbed and flowed since 12000 B.C., with spikes in the Copper and Iron Ages and a lull in the Bronze Age, new research finds. 🧪🏺 www.livescience.com/archaeology/...

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 16/10/2023

London before London, a city built on flint- Beneath the bustling streets of England's capital are train tunnels, Tudor cellars and Medieval plague pits. But long before London was even a settlement, people had lived along the city's famous river for hundreds of thousands of years.

A selection of flint tools displayed in the Museum London's prehistory gallery. From left two flint cores, one large teardrop shaped handaxes and four smaller teardrop shaped handaxes on the right.

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Reposted by Dr. James Dilley

Alice Roberts @profaliceroberts.bsky.social · 11/10/2023

This is a photo of me last Sunday, at #NewScientistLive, with brilliant experimental archaeologist Emma Jones of AncientCraft - and I’m wearing something very special indeed… Emma’s painstaking reproduction of the 4000 year old Dunragit jet necklace! guard-archaeology.co.uk/DunragitBlog...

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 10/10/2023

We were delighted to be at New Scientist Live again this year with Chris Wakefield from Cambridge Archaeological Unit showcasing the stunning finds from Must Farm. We had over 180 people having a go at Flintknapping and learning about experimental archaeology with Em. 🧪🏺⚒️

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 10/10/2023

Hey @bossett.bsky.social, can I be added to the science feed please? Hoping to bring some prehistoric archaeological goodness to the table - thank you!

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 10/10/2023

Hey @earth-science.bsky.social, can I contribute to the Earth Science feed please?

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Dr. James Dilley @ancientcraftuk.bsky.social · 02/10/2023

Finally on Bluesky after some gentle encouragement (thanks @pottedhistory.bsky.social) looking forward to posting some the exciting upcoming projects! Here’s a nice middle Bronze Age basal looped spear based on an example found in Swansea Bay a few years ago for your enjoyment.

Long bronze spear head on wooden shaft in front of standing stone. Spear head has triangular blade with small loops either side of the socket below the widest part of the blade.

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