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JT Lewis

@jtlewis.bsky.social
1.6K followers 62 following 96 posts

MA, RPA, and PhD candidate at OU. My focus is on hunter-gatherers and lithic technologies from the Late Archaic and Early Woodland Periods in southeast North America. YT: youtube.com/@actualarchaeology?si=6…

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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
I was invited to give a presentation on my research at the Arkansas Training Program held at Plum Bayou Mounds yesterday. It was great to see members of the public being able to take part of an excavation and learn skills used by archaeologists.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
I've had an excellent weekend at the Caddo/Louisiana Archaeological conference. Saw some amazing archaeology, watched two of my students present, began setting up an internship, collaborated and danced with Caddo Nation, and got to catch up with friends.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Apologies I haven't been on this platform much. I have been busy finishing my dissertation (defense is next month) and my 2nd semester of being a professor. Will share my research soon. I will also be attending the Caddo/LAS meeting but won't be presenting. Decided to help students so they can.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 19/10/2025
Johns Valley Chert. Still trying to figure out the best way to visualize it for publication. So, I welcome any feedback. A) 0x, B) 40x, C) 200x, D) 40x Infrared, E) 200x Infrared, F) 40x UV, G) 200x UV
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
As part of my new position at ATU, I am directing the Center for Heritage and Culture. The webpage will be for the public. I want to include info about research projects (broader topics) & highlight student projects (conference presentations, etc.). What else can I share on there?
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
This was found during one of my stone sourcing field studies. It's a mix of Potato Hills Chert & quartzite/silicified sandstone. Examining artifacts as part of my diss, I have found one biface with a mix of chert & quartzite. The stem was quartzite while the blade was chert.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
1/ These pics may not seem like a big deal but it is in my research area. XRF results of two different raw material (stone) types that have been difficult to distinguish. These results were repeated on different specimens each examined 3 times. This can be repeated to address-
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Taking photos of different lithic raw materials, followed by more pXRF tonight and tomorrow.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
Working on a chapter of my diss. An extensive part of it is about stone sourcing - including pXRF and tracing fluvial deposits to see where & how cobbles are being transported. This goes in distinguishing between if some were traded or locally available.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Now that it's official, I want to share that I have accepted an Assistant Professor position at Arkansas Tech University. I'm looking forward to preparing students for careers in CRM and directing the Center for Heritage and Culture to continue my research in the southeast.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
The field school excavations at Spiro have come to an end. I wasn't able to excavate this year, but was able to visit several times and do some artifact identification. These are some photos from the field school but you can check out more at: www.facebook.com/share/16QWWF...
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
There is a bird nest on the porch. This little one fell and was hiding behind a box that got delivered today. They are fine and back in the nest now.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
Wood charcoal (and matrix) from the site I excavated as part of my dissertation. Unfortunately, due to the situation with federal grants, I won't be able to get it dated.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 01/06/2025
Conducted some fieldwork today. Goal was to determine the level of disturbance (from looting) at the boundaries of the site. Recovered a lot of debitage and a biface fragment - based on fracture it was damaged during biface reduction.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
Using pXRF today to look at stone sourcing and lithic acquisition strategies.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
Here is an example of Potato Hills Chert. This high-quality material with vibrant colors has a very limited source range. This material isn't highly traded, but instead seems restricted to groups in a particular river valley. My dissertation looks into why this might be.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
I am doing Bayesian statistics this weekend. It's been said that there was a 150-200 yr gap where FM people stopped using a site type and then returned with pottery. Have ~200 C14 dates from 13 sites to see if that holds up. #ChangingtheNarrative
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
Really exciting news from the Ozarks! A bag of seeds dating to the Pre-Contact Period in North America was found and donated to the University of Arkansas museum. Absolutely amazing find and you can read more about it here: www.reddit.com/r/missouri/c...
reddit.com
UPDATE: The Ancient Ozark Mountain Seed Bag
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
Watch the Zahi episode while I am doing Bayesian statistics this weekend. It's been said that there was a 150-200 yr gap where FM people stopped using a site type and then returned with pottery. Have ~200 C14 dates from 13 sites to see if that holds up. #ChangingtheNarrative
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
Chase Earles is a Caddo potter. He makes traditional Caddo pottery, but he also makes some amazing pieces that mix traditional Native American themes with modern pop culture. Here are a few pieces he did. You can follow his page at: facebook.com/caddopottery
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
Will have a YT short out this week (~3min video). Its just some of the archaeological process. The hope is to demonstrate some of the process & allow people to ask questions along the way. In the future, I am making a full series on an excavation of my family's site (historic).
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Went to visit local landowners and survey areas for sites on their property. Located petroglyphs and black earth. Can't share photos of sites or artifacts but here selfie from me hanging sideways from a tree to get a photo of some erosion occurring.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Excited for this tonight. The event is open to anyone interested in attending!
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
All moved into the new house. Still have a lot to unpack. Hoping to get back to working on my dissertation research soon.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
The SAC will be hosting the first of our speaker series on March 10th at 5pm central/6pm eastern with Dr. Andrew Johnson! He is the lead historian for the new Civilization game! Register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/097f5a...
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James Green @archeaids.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
We'd informed a few people, such as the State Archaeologist, about the specific point type (Evans) of which we were initiating a morphological study but kept it quite so nobody could rush in & do a quick study ahead of us. That was why formally making an announcement at the meeting was important.
Color illustrations of 10 Evans points with 5 different stem designs.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
1/ As promised, key topics from the paper I gave this past weekend. I examined settlement patterns in the Pine Hills of Mississippi. Cluster analysis identified 5 distinct groups from the Late Archaic to Late Woodland Period. In this, I did initial density, ecological, and social
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Process of using ArcGIS for archaeological research: 1-3 hours of data clean-up 8-12 hours of troubleshooting why the geoprocessing tools won't work 2 minutes to run analysis
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
Have a few YT shorts coming. I talk/show some of the objects found during the fieldwork and & how it relates to my research. Will hopefully have those out soon. Still plan on doing my other video about common alt history questions & my opinions but in the process of moving.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Had a great talk yesterday with one of the guys about my new ISP. Guy liked Ed Barnhart and we had an amazing talk about the archaeology of the Americas. Guy was super excited to ask questions. Love that kind of enthusiasm. Keeps me wanting to do public engagement.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
Fieldwork went well this weekend and we identified features. Was able to include private landowners, university faculty, OAS archaeologists, tribal members, and locals into the fieldwork and helping highlight the importance of the work being done.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
Signed a new lease today. Not quite the small town I was hoping for in OK but it's a good place to be the next year and I get to live with my wife, so that's a plus.
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Matthew T. Boulanger @mtbarchaeology.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Tim Perttula long-time North Texas archaeologist, consultant for the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, uncompromising perfectionist, and good friend, died this week. Can't think of a better tribute to him than to say: This is a reminder to all you archaeologists out there to FINISH YOUR DAMNED REPORTS!
Photograph of Tim Perttula and Jim Bruseth walking back to their truck at the end of a project.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
The last few days archaeology and Native American studies lost some champions in the field. RIP Lance Foster and Tim Perttula.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
SAA is currently looking for a DEI Specialist. If you are interested, you can apply at: careerhq.asaecenter.org/jobs/2091556...
careerhq.asaecenter.org
DEI specialist in , DC for Society for American Archaeology
Exciting opportunity in , DC for Society for American Archaeology as a DEI specialist
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
One of the stupidest things is that I am getting auto-disqualified from renting properties because my dog is a German Shepherd.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
Beau has been enjoying the snow.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
It's gonna be cold but some fieldwork for my dissertation still planned for this weekend. Don't have signal, so will update everyone after I get back.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
Excavations planned for next weekend. Putting in some test units to look at stratigraphy, raw material variability, and potentially features. These are some bifaces found by the property owner in the past.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 27/12/2024
Next video (talking about the big topics in Alt history) will be up in the beginning of January. May not have a video in February because I will be moving.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
Archaeology today: Lithic analysis (if you haven't noticed yet, I do it daily), excavation planning, and sample prep for XRF.
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Dr Matt Pope @mattpope.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
And ready to bake! Replicating Gravettian iconography in cookie dough. 🦣🏺
Six Cookies in the shape of the Venus of Willendotf lined up.on a baking tray
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David @archaeomather.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Thinking about catfish in Minnesota archaeology- rock art image from a cave and an effigy mound likely depicting catfish, both from southeastern Minnesota near the Mississippi River where catfish are still common.
Rock art image of a catfish recorded by T.H. Lewis in the late 19th century, showing its large head and fins, long body and forked tail, with details of the gills and one eyeMap of a group of burial mounds above the edge of a steep slope. Most are round but one in the center is long with protuberances that seem like a catfish’s fins. A road and railroad line are also shown on the map.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 10/12/2024
Archaeology work today: lithic analysis and developing methodology for testing hypotheses about what lack of trade of goods but still social interactions would look like in the material record.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
My next video on YT will be me talking about the common questions that show up with fans of alt history topics. Such as the study of the Pre-dynastic vases, excavations at Gobekli Tepe, Flood myths, and astronomical alignment of sites.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Anyone know of an episode of Ancient Aliens that focuses on eastern NA? Since most students are more familiar with that show than Hancock, I want to review the show's episodes on the region. I cover the show's arguments about the Maya but not sure what they say about eastern NA.
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
1/ I believe I realize now why UnchartedX keeps saying the results of the chemical analysis of the vase pieces aren't oxides. When he shows the results of the analysis he says "With very little oxygen" and talks about the peak with the Titanium. It seems like he thinks that
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JT Lewis @jtlewis.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
Less than 50 subs away from hitting 500! Thanks everyone that has subbed already!
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Bill Farley @archaeologytube.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
I have a new video up on YouTube discussing archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, and prebunking a coming "criticism" that misunderstands how archaeologists study food remains. Give it a watch and a share! 🧪🏺🐡 youtu.be/OhHIajRbqiI
youtu.be
Prebunking the Dedunker: Studying Seeds and Bones in Archaeology
YouTube video by Archaeology Tube
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