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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

A beautiful long weekend of excavating with @nts-archaeology.bsky.social at Fyvie Castle.

Exterior of Fyvie Castle with towers and turrets.

Two people dig a long excavation pit and one metal detects in the background.

A small test pit trench with a pile 9f stones next to it

Fyvie Castle behind a tree and some bushes.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

That's a wrap from this year's Sachsensymposion which focused on conflict and defence in late Roman / Early Med Europe. Lots of things learnt, new connections made and Pictish stones visited - thank you @scarf-scot.bsky.social for the bursary to attend and for hosting @uoa-archaeology.bsky.social.

Sueno's stone standing in a glass case surrounded my members of the Sachsensymposion

Dr Andy Seaman sharing about his latest project in Wales.

3 Pictish stones with carvings, one with a horse on it!

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Learning all about the Bayeux Tapestry with British Museum curator Sue Brunning at this year's Sachsensymposion. 🏹

Curator Sue Brüning stands behind a lectern, behind her is a screen showing a closeup of the Bayeux Tapestry depicting Haeild and the arrow through his eye.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

It's the detail I can't get over, the nipples on the chest one and the toenails.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Feeling very lucky to excavate at the promontory Pictish fort at Burghead with @uoa-archaeology.bsky.social this week. Lots of test pit digging in a local's garden to see if there were Pictish buildings. And some small finds. #smallfindsfriday

My first test pit, with stone rubble appearing on one side.

Half a stone tool found in the metal working area (the other half appeared 5 mins later).

A slice of slate, sometimes they have Pictish designs on them. Sadly this did not.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

At Burghead and I'm really starting to see why the Picts built a promontory fort here. It is BEAUTIFUL. You can see across the whole Moray Firth on a clear day. So yes I would also build my 4-9th century domain here.

Rocky beach with sun poking through a cloudy sky

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Ousdale Broch in Caithness. It is surrounded by trees and can only be reached by a rickety wooden bridge. Officially fae territory I think.

Two layers of stone wall making up the broch with a small dark opening leading to a chamber beyond.

Trees surrounding the broch, with a stone wall and gate beyond.

The wooden plank bridge leading to the broch.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

May I recommend the Carn Liath Broch for all your roadside picnic needs? Also this broch has outbuildings, which was a whole new idea for me. Every other broch I've seen stands in grand isolation.

View out to sea from the broch wall, also visible in the picture, two feet and a Tupperware container holding a couscous salad.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

The Unstan Burial Cairn. It's quite small and sits behind a very normal looking house off the main road to Stromness. The owner was mowing the lawn as we wandered in. One would never suspect this tomb gave its name to unstan pottery. #TombTuesday

The tiny narrow doorway into the burial cairn

19th century graffiti on the internal orthostat

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

The beauty that is Skara Brae. These Neolithic houses seem quite cosy?

Stone built Neolithic house with it's furniture intact, including a dresser and two box beds

View of the sunken Neolithic workshop at Skara Brae

View of the two oldest houses at Skara Brain, one is shaped more like a clover with the rooms bulging out.

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Mike Pitts @pittsmike.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

My tribute to Olga Soffer “Olga Soffer, who has died aged 83, brought a revolutionary idea into the conversation about prehistoric ice age people: women mattered.” www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

theguardian.com

Olga Soffer obituary

Professor of anthropology whose approach to archaeology centred on crafts executed by women 40,000 years ago

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

That's a wrap for this year at Spurness on Sanday. Neolithic hall uncovered with a Bronze age house cut into it. Thank you for having me @uhiarchaeology.bsky.social, lots of learning from the wisdom of Jane Downes and Colin Richards.

Interior of a Neolithic house with views of the sea behind.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

One of the best bits about digging in Orkney is the hamebakes. These are from Heather who visited the sight for a tour.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Work continues on the #BronzeAge house at Spurness. It's cut into an imposing Neolithic house, which is the wall you can see near the scale bar. Lots of flint, a Skaill knife and hammerstone in my quadrant, plus some burnt bone.

Quadrants of an archaeological dig with a Neolithic wall in the background with a scale bar

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

The incredible stonework of Quoyness, a Chambered burial Cairn on the island of Sanday. It has one tall interior chamber and six little ones that come off it. And yes, you have to crawl to enter the tomb. #TombTuesday

Tiny chambers coming off the main interior.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Week 2 on the Spurness excavation with @uhiarchaeology.bsky.social on the island of Sanday. We're working on a Neolithic house that had bronze age houses cut into it.

Rocks outlining a Neolithic house with 6 people in the background.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I'll be working here on Saturday! Finds washing and sorting today as the weather was beyond Orkney level bad. But hopefully the sun returns by our open day.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Nicola is my tutor at @uhihistory.bsky.social, this would be an amazing PhD to do!

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

And just finished up some volunteer days on an excellent community dig run by AOC. It was at Sprouston, so many different things going on for one site. But I was on what is hopefully a Neolithic ditch 🤞

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

A visit to the now empty field of Trimontium, where one of the largest Roman forts in Scotland was built. Fascinating to see how the site was loomed over by Eildon Hill North, a local hillfort. The farm track up was also very, very straight

A rough grassy track leading to Trimontium

Site of Trimontium Roman Fort, open field with a row of trees at the far edge.

Eildon North hillfort, a large flat topped hill

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

We've been working on a likely medieval chapel site all week with @historicdunkeld.bsky.social and today was flagstone lifting day. And charcoal has been found! 🙏

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

I just love this. Essentially they're stratigraphy socks.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Test pit adventures really escalated in Dunkeld! We found the edge of a rampart that burnt so hot the stone looks like it started to vitrify. The little colourful markers you can see mark the charred wood beams.

Colourful markers indicating beams of charred wood

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NPicts @northernpicts.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Day 3 #KingsSeat2026: A huge day! The rampart was far more complex than expected, with multiple charred timbers, intense burning and vitrified stone showing extremely high temperatures during its destruction. Dating samples taken, and finally evidence of occupation inside! 🔥🏺⛏️

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

That's me with my charred rampart remains and muddy knees looking delighted 😌

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Unplanned visit to Chatsworth after I realised it was the Jane Austen weekend...

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

And that's a wrap with the dig at Fonmon Castle with Cardiff University. Here's muddy me with the soil sample bags. Very very pleased I got to join this team it's been a lot of fun ❤️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Womanin waterproof clothes sitting on the edge of a trailer with lots of blue bags in it.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Fragments of the early medieval bone tooth comb I excavated this week at Fonmon Castle. If you look closely you can see the tiny dot detail.

Fragments of a bone comb held in the palm of an excavators hand.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

I visited Castell Henllys on the weekend. It's a hillfort in Wales that has been reconstructed based on excavations. The roundhouse diameters are based on post holes and the roof is supported by 40m oak trees, likely 'forested' to grow straight enough to be roof timbers. #HillfortsWednesday

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

So this is Pentre Ifan burial chamber but no bones have been found so this might just count as #StandingStoneSunday with bonus balancing act.

Pentre Ifan, standing stones with one balanced in top

Stone balancing on another standing stone

Stone balancing on 3 other standing atones

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Excavating with Cardiff University at Fonmon Castle this week. It's an an incredibly rocky site with early medieval graves cut into bedrock. Lots of osteology learning for me on this one. Feeling very lucky to have been able to join!

People excavating a rocky site wearing high vis jackets, one an in the foreground uses a handheld Lidar machine abs several people sift loose soil in the background.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

@taylsa.bsky.social we do follow each other! Lovely to meet you in real life at NMS 😊

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

I've taken my laptop to the field next door to get the last rays of sun and join @cifaosteoarch.bsky.social's session. An idyllic spot to learn about ancient DNA, mouth microbiomes and dental calculus sampling with @lauraweyrich.bsky.social.

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Museums Association @museumsassociation.org · 21/04/2026

Last chance to apply to join our Anti-racism and Decolonisation Steering Group ⏰ We're recruiting for two new members to join this steering group, which meets to consider and advocate for how to take anti-racism and decolonisation forward in the UK museum sector. Apply by 11.59pm tomorrow 👇

museumsassociation.org

Opportunity | Join our Anti-racism and Decolonisation Steering Group - Museums Association

Help support and develop the museum sector's anti-racism and decolonisation work

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Adventures in Shetland! So lucky to be part of this group

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Everyone crowded into the bronze age smiddy

Group of students at Jarlshof in Shetland

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Enroute to Shetland for @uhiarchaeology.bsky.social's field trip.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

First day volunteering with @ntlmuseumsscot.bsky.social! I'm helping Curator of Osteoarchaeology, Dr Jess Thompson with her work to help make collections more accessible to research.

Image on a work ID for Hannah Wickes for the National Museums of Scotland

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Tom Booth @boothicus.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Important if unnerving article finding that 10s of 1000s of archaeological human remains excavated in Britain over the last c.150 years are unaccounted for. Shouldn’t be used as a stick to beat current curators - this is an inherited problem caused by a complexity of historic systematic issues.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

"We are living through a period in which the scaffolding underpinning entire bodies of knowledge is no longer secure..." Brilliant article on how environmental science needs to pivot it's research tactics and learn from humanities - where money has been scare for a long time.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

It is giving strongly competitive Easter hat parade energy.

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Hannah Wickes @hannahwickes.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

"These were just women like me and you..." - @annacaig.bsky.social Talking witchcraft trials and the women persecuted in Scotland. Ironically Topping's event is in a kirk.

Photo of the interior of the LARCH Leith Wark church and three authors on a panel.

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