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Reposted by Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann

Chapps @chapps.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

These fragments from a Roman villa in Spain are not from a mosaic but from a fresco. If you look closely you’ll see a grid of lines, many following the contour of the figures, much as tesserae do on mosaics. This trompe-l’oeil technique simulates mosaics. 1/ 🏺 1st-2nd c. Museo de Málaga 📸 me

Fragment of a fresco depicting part of a human face, mostly the eyes. Thin lines form a grid pattern, simulating the edges of tesserae.

Fresco fragment showing a naked torso of a woman, her legs and pubic area covered in a red himation (cloak). Her right hand carries a basket laden with fruit, which look like giant globes of grapes. Grapevine leaves appear in the background. A Dionysian scene. The faux tesserae grid lines follow the curves of the body.

Fresco fragment depicting some sort of half-human creature with wild hair and bare torso, gesturing upwards with his right hand and holding a branched stick with his left. The faux tesserae grid lines follow the curves of his garment and body.

Fresco fragment with the torso of perhaps a god with golden skin, a red himation flowing outwards and partially covering his or her legs. Perhaps Dionysos?

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

And now the news we all have been waiting for....it is officially autumn....hail the Fat Bear.

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Reposted by Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann

Jens Notroff @jensnotroff.com · 29/12/2024

Sure you've seen the famous #BayeuxTapestry, but have you seen it in all its sensational high-res thread-glory? Breathtaking online resource, a joint effort of the City of Bayeux, DRAC Normandie, Fabrique de patrimoines en Normandie, University of Caen, & CNRS: www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/the-bayeu...

bayeuxmuseum.com

Explore the Bayeux Tapestry online - Bayeux Museum

For the first time, you will be able to freely explore the entire Bayeux Tapestry scene by scene with a never seen quality of images !

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Clément Salviani @clementsalviani.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Les fouilles de Corent dépassent les espérances permises par la découverte d'une première officine monétaire celtique ! Un grand bâtiment dédié à la production monétaire y a été découvert, avec 5 à 6 unités de production monétaire. www.lemonde.fr/sciences/art...

lemonde.fr

Découverte d’un vaste atelier de monnaies gauloises dans le Puy-de-Dôme

Des fouilles conduites cet été dans la cité arverne de Corent ont mis au jour un bâtiment où pourraient avoir été battues des pièces d’or et d’argent avant la conquête romaine.

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Ian Boudreau @ianboudreau.com · 15/09/2026

Starting to think Kash might not know what bestiality is

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

To everyone who helped: The police just rang, they found #missing Amelia Mason following someone ringing in. You are all amazing. Thank you so much! #Blueskyrocks

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Dr Toby Driver @drtobydriver.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Happy #FindsFriday 🥳 This medieval cross-slab at the side of the historic embarkation point of Martin's Haven slipway, Pembrokeshire, was unearthed by chance during rebuilding of a Victorian wall in 1984. It shows the deep antiquity of the maritime crossing point here. 📷 My own, yesterday

An old boulder set into a wall niche with a feint cross carved on it

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Kevin Wilbraham @kpw1453.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The ‘Winfarthing Pendant’ - a 7th century Anglo-Saxon disc brooch that was discovered by a metal detectorist in 2015 at Winfarthing, near Diss in South Norfolk. Now part of the collections at Norwich Castle. 📸 My own. #FindsFriday #Winfarthing #NorwichCastle

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Dr Toby Driver @drtobydriver.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

One of the largest coastal promontory forts in Cymru/Wales for #HillfortsWednesday 🤩🌊 The epic Deer Park fort at Martin's Haven, south-west Pembrokeshire - a centuries-old embarkation point for the islands, Ireland & beyond Did Pytheas the Greek ever stop here? 🤔🛶 📷 My own, yesterday

A huge coastal headland seen from a boat across the sea, with wide blue skies above

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Thanks for that and good luck for tomorrow to everyone in Germany.

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Reposted by Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann

Alison Fisk @alisonfisk.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

This ancient Egyptian bronze of a mother cat nursing her kittens is a scene which feels instantly familiar thousands of years later! 🐈‍⬛ 🐾😍 The cat represents the ancient Egyptian goddess Bastet in her role as protector of mothers and children. 📷 Brooklyn Museum #Caturday #Archaeology

This Brooklyn Musem image shows a small bronze group of a mother cat and four kittens set on bronze base, which is in turn set on a wooden base. The mother cat is reclining on her left side with legs outstretched and her head at right. Her left fore and hind legs lie forward while her right fore and hind legs are drawn back. Her tail is draped over her right hind leg. Her head is upright perhaps tilted back slightly as one of the kittens, set between her forelegs, playfully climbs toward her neck. The next three kittens are being nursed by the mother cat. Two are between her fore and hind legs, the last is between the cat's tail and left foreleg. Mother cat wears a necklace which is indicated by an incised line running around her neck. On the front of the bronze base toward the right side (below the cat's left paw) is an inscription ‘Bastet, given life’, showing that the cat represents the goddess fulfilling one of her roles as protector of women and children. Dated circa 664-30 BC, Dynasty 26 or later. Said to come from Saqqara. The museum gives the dimensions as 6.1 x 8.8 x 5 cm.

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Ulla Rajala @ullamr.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

There are Roman forts even out of Spain mainland. The Late Roman fort of Can Blai is in Formentera. It located almost in the center of the island. It housed a garrison of between 80 and 150 soldiers. Its excavation started in 1979. Aerial photograph by Gourguen Davtian. #RomanFortThursday

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Archaeologist: what he said, but in past tense.(And the pot is probably broken) :-)

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

So that's what it was, I thought the phone was blowing up. So now we have a debate on the street if that cancels the food festival on the weekend, on whether our significant others now need to smoke indoors and whether lenses, reading glasses and convex (wine) glasses and tumblers are included

Issued by UK government. There is a high risk of wildfires nationally. Residents, landowners and visitors should not undertake any activity that could start a fire, including disposable BBQs, fire pits,garden incinerators or fireworks. even a small flame can rapidly develop into a major wildfire placing lives,homes, businesses and emergency responders at risk.

Follow official updates and report signs of fire immediately by calling 999. Search gov.uk/alerts for more information.

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Reposted by Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann

852dude @852dude.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Bro. People are cool as fuck.

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Anthony Majanlahti @anthonymajanlahti.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

For #MosaicMonday, a brand-new discovery from just days ago at the #VillaCelimontana. This shows a beautiful #Antonine black and white floral #mosaic overlaid and cut by later #Severan modifications. Was this a domus, or the barracks for the 5th Cohort of Vigiles? #AncientBluesky 🏺

BLACK AND WHITE ANTONINE MOSAIC, C. 150 CE. VILLA CELIMONTANA

This is a newly-excavated Roman black and white Antonine floor mosaic revealed only a few days ago, when archaeologists digging behind a C16 retaining wall in the old Villa Mattei found a series of eight ancient rooms. The main section features a delicate floral design with large dark leaves and blossoms on a white background, bordered by a geometric guilloche pattern that has been cropped by the edge of the excavation. This mosaic section is interrupted on both sides by a successive floor base of significant thickness. This successive floor has a much larger upper mosaic from the early C3, illustrating the typical Roman habit of laying a new floor directly over an old one in a building that had a long life. This upper layer, which is barely visible in the photo, is coarser but still stylish, featuring a grid of black roundels and a central emblema of a kantharos surrounded by fish, suggesting the space may have served as a triclinium during the C3.

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Nina Willburger @drnwillburger.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Exceptionally low water levels on the Danube have exposed parts of the foundations of the ancient Constantine Bridge, giving archaeologists a rare opportunity ‌to document what they describe as one of the Roman Empire's most impressive engineering achievements. www.reuters.com/business/env...

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Prof Katherine Schofield 🇬🇧🇦🇺🇪🇺 @katherineschof8.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

This is extraordinarily bad, as even the UK copyright libraries (e.g. Cambridge) have moved over to frequently only acquiring the ebook version of new publications. If you don't own the hard copy, you're just renting and you are at the mercy of the publisher.

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Dr Katharine Jewitt (She/Her) @drkatharinejewitt.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Incredible sight: Brioc, a replica high medieval leather boat, has sailed from Brittany all the way round England, Wales and now Scotland. The crew navigate, dress and cook exactly as their medieval counterparts would have⛵️ bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0n259yx7no

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

This is the Rhine at Mayence yesterday. It is not supposed to be a puddle. #drought #climatecrisis

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Andy Scollick @andyscollick.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

The Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex at Robledo de Chavela municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain on fire. Burgohondo wildfire. 📷 via Infues Avila

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Candela en la Luna (biónica-nitinol en mi ❤️) @candelaenlaluna.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Los incendios arrasan con TODO. Por supuesto, para según qué partidos ni proteger la biodiversidad, ni el medio ambiente ni la ciencia son asuntos prioritarios. Recordemos que la competencia es autonómica. Gracias, IDA por tu INcompetencia.

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

I guess we will now find out how many Madrilenos fit into the Puerta del Sol. :-) Congratulations and who needs to work tomorrow. :-) 😀 ⚽⚽⚽⚽

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Reposted by Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann

Dr Will Wyeth @willwyeth.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

V happy this is now out in the world. TLDR: there’s a new big bit of Chester Castle which still survives! Inner Gatehouse was thought entirely demolished, but a pier for the drawbridge remains, deep in the foundations of a later building. www.chester.ac.uk/about/news/a... New gatehouse recon ⬇️

Reconstruction of the Inner Ward at Chester Castle by me and Martin Moss of Dextra Visual. The large gatehouse on the left was demolished in the 19th century, but a pier of its drawbridge has recently been identified.

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

I am not modelling that on my model railway! I hope somebody pays these guys danger money.

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Ulla Rajala @ullamr.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Bronze plate from Demlfeld, near Ampass (Innsbruck, Austria) written in Sanzeno script in Rhaetian. From the turn of the fifth century BC. #EpigraphyTuesday

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Reposted by Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann

Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

#MosaicMonday has come early.

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Am I the only one who thinks Erdogan has a wicked sense of humour by casting the NATO leaders in his personal remake of 'The Magnificent Seven'(plus a few extras). Turkey's Erdogan gives NATO leaders revolver conundrum after summit - www.reuters.com/lifestyle/tu...

reuters.com

Turkey's Erdogan gives NATO leaders revolver conundrum after summit

Belgium's prime minister was a little surprised on landing back home from Wednesday's NATO summit in Turkey to find that he had a handgun and ammunition in his luggage.

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Finally! I am so glad this is back!

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

As every game I watch gives #FIFA more money, I have decided to switch the World Cup off in protest. I want to watch football a game of 90 minutes with rules and referee decisions that may be at timed weird (even wacky) but not negotiable. I wish Belgium good luck, but that's it.

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Rosa Parks Edna St.Vincent Millay Creola Katherine Johnson Harriet Tubman Isabel leGuin Louisa Alcott Emily Dickinson Alice Walker Pearl S Buck Jigonhsasee Sacagawea Rosalyn LaPier. 14th Amendment Oh well that whole constitution is the one huge achievement.

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Dear American friend, Just in case something goes wrong with the fireworks on #4July....it appears your friends in the UK still have a backup. :-) enjoy the day and stay cool. BBC News - Rare copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archives www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Rare copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archives

The newly discovered copy is one of only 11 of its kind in the world.

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Hello Europe. Look at that: beautiful, water laden clouds. WWE just sampled them, but now we send them to you...the temperature has dropped 13 degrees since yesterday. #heatwave

A sky above suburban house full of beautiful water laden clouds heading east from Manchester

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Ornithological fact....if you are far enough north to enjoy the gloaming, you are far enough north to enjoy a dawn chorus of sea gulls at 2.30 am! Argh...

Gloaming (residual light in the sky between sunset and sunrise) over Carlisle - now bloody birds would you please shut up, while it is still cool enough to sleep, and before the cathedral bells go ballistic AGAIN

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

I never thought I would say this, but I think yellow and green may be my new favourite colours.

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Women of 1000 || Meg Hyland @womenof1000.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

What a stunning reconstruction, engagingly presented!! My fave images are this rather sapphic Mary and Elizabeth, the lost pilgrims with their hats, and the Miracle of the Dyer!

Surviving medieval painting on stone showing Mary and Elizabeth embracing. Mary has Elizabeth's chin in her hand and leans in.

Reconstructed painting of two English pilgrims meeting an old man who is actually St John in the Holy Land. They are wearing wide-brimmed hats and cloaks.

Reconstructed painting of the Miracle of the Dyer. Mary looks on as Jesus miraculously removes the black dye from the textiles. The dyer looks like he is concentrating and maybe in awe.

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Digital Brain @yourdigitalbrain.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

🔥 Green heron using a piece of bread to lure fish

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The Fake History Hunter @fakehistoryhunter.net · 16/06/2026

Largest ever Roman bathhouse found in the Netherlands! With streets & houses next to it! And lots of stuff, glorious stuff! nltimes.nl/2026/06/16/l...

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Not often that I like sport journalism, but Tom English on yesterday's Scotland Vs Haiti is a beautiful piece of writing in any category. BBC News - Why Haiti v Scotland was antidote to the ills of world football www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

bbc.co.uk

Fifa World Cup: Why Haiti v Scotland was an antidote to the ills of world football

It might have been nervy. It might not have been pretty. But Scotland are here. And Scotland have won. Tom English reports from Boston.

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

To all my friends in New York. Congraaaaaaaaaaaaaaatulations! Also don't worry, it is Sunday, there is Advil for days like this and your voice will come back eventually. This is something to tell your grandchildren about.

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Ceinwen Langley @ceinwenlangley.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

I know Calvin’s dad is already having a moment, but every terrible “outsource precious and fleeting moments with your children to tech so that you can spend more time on your work” pitch makes me think of that one strip I never really cared about as a kid, but care a lot about as an adult.

The Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin asks his dad to come play in the snow with him. His dad initially says no, because he has to work. Then, angry at himself, his Dad goes out to build a snowman with Calvin. As the Dad works into the night to make up for it, we see Calvin’s mum lifting him up to give one of the few, if only, kisses he ever gives his dad in the Calvin and Hobbes run. His dad is content. It’s a textless comic, and it’s lovely.

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Nina Willburger @drnwillburger.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

A remarkable discovery has been made near Bad Camberg in the Taunus Mountains, Hesse: a rare Celtic "princely grave" containing extraordinary finds, including a gold torque and components of a chariot. 👉 www.hessenschau.de/kultur/archa...

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Dr. Birgitta Hoffmann @mancent.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

And two things we could have lived without on our survey. #glenesk #archaeology .

Image of heavy rain in the valley luckily as seen through a picture window

A two foot long adder in the high grass. Looking somewhat bemused after somebody nearly standing on it. It is unclear who was more shocked.

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