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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

No plans yet for Halloween? Come and see me talk about the goings on at the Manton Barrow, WIltshire in 1906. A wailing banshee, a ghostly figure, blood on the walls, a visit from a medium, a missing finger, and so much more. Scroll down for the link.

Two images side by side. On the left is a photograph taken in 1906 of some of the labourers who dug the barrow standing on the site of the excavation, each holding a shovel. On the right is a contemporary sketch of the excavatd skeleton in the barrow, surrounded by grave goods.

A clip from the Daily Express in late 1906. The Headlines are "Druid Priestess' Revenge. Haunting the spoilers of her grave. Undignified pranks. The article begins "An ancient skeleton that refused to abide peacefully in any abode but her original burial place, and after upsetting a whole village, had to be taken back to her...". There the clip ends somewhat abruptly.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Timber circle with opposed portals (to where?), West Swindon.

A colour photo showing a semi circle of wooden posts of varying height, all quite short, with a large circular metal ring in the middle. I didn't climb through. In the background and directly opposite is a similar arrangement presumably representing the other side of the circle. They sit on a gently sloping patch of dry grass with trees and bushes beyond.

A closer view of the large metal ring and adjacent posts

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Dr Emily Vincent @dremilyvincent.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Register below in time for #spookyseason to hear me talk about authors who took literary inspiration from the ghostly world of séances 👻 ⬇️

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Oh dear. It's that time of year again. Anyway, I have promised in the past that I'd do a series of posts about modern Stonehenge myths. First one up in a day or two, and I will eventually get round to the fact that no, Chubb wasn't there to buy furniture, or curtains.

Screenshot of a Bluesky post by Sarah Primate which reads: 1915. British lawyer Cecil Chubb attends an auction in Salisbury, England, reportedly yo buy furniture. Instead, he buys Stonehenge...

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Brian Edwards @public-history.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Garry Gibbons and I are giving a talk on Wiltshire's White Horses to Devizes Café Scientifique at the Raven, Poulshot near Devizes, on Tuesday 6th October, bar open at 7.00 talk starts 7.30. Do come along.

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Dr Louise Ryland-Epton @lrylandepton.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

John Aubrey’s Natural History is out tomorrow!! Begun 370 years ago and never published before in full, it is remarkable (though I would say that as its editor). Just hoping that someone will a) turn up to the launch b) buy it. In the meantime a blog. 😁 www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

louiserylandepton.co.uk

John Aubrey’s Natural History, Part 14: The Royal Society Copy — Louise Ryland-Epton

The Royal Society's copy of Aubrey's Natural History is the most complete version of the text in existence and for one more week it is out of the library and on show in Chippenham, open at his chapt...

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Answered a knock on the door. Landscape gardening firm. "Just looking at your cherry tree. Do you want it chopped down?" No 10 minutes later, same bloke knocks again. Points to car on the drive. "Do you want to sell it?" Now waiting for a third knock.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Stonehenge from the BBC's One Show balloon, 4th July 2011. #StandingStoneSunday

A colour aerial photograph looking down towards Stonehenge from a balloon. Bottom left is the edge of the balloon basket plus a microphone. Stonehenge is in the centre of the photo, with the since-removed A344 just below it. Photo taken by me.

A colour photo showing the One Show balloon prior to lift off. The balloon is fully inflated, with the basket below still on the ground. Next to it, on the right, is a car and trailer, the latter open. In the right foreground is a camera on a tripod. A few people can be seen standing around the balloon basket. Photo by Helen Wickstead.

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Brian Edwards @public-history.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

A letter was written by Eric Ravilious to Christine Nash on 11 December 1939, while staying at the New Inn, in Cerne Abbas, Dorset, to paint the Cerne Abbas Giant. Extraordinary that the Giant is urinating in all directions, but wonderful he mentions Westbury where he is to paint the White Horse.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Make a band edible: Emerson, Cake and Palmer

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I think this is archaeology news. Not 100% sure.

A screenshot from today's Guardian. On the left is a photo of a skull. On the right, the headline "Indonesian foragers may have sucked on mind-altering nuts 25,000 years ago, research finds."

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Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Probably not obscure knowledge, but it was news to me that Alfred Russel Wallace's grave is adorned with a large, phallic fossil tree. Least subtle tomb since Jules Verne (check that out too). Discussed here (wallacefund.myspecies.info/fossil-tree). Photo by George W. Beccaloni, CC BY 3.0.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

The Nympsfield long barrow, Gloucestershire, for #TombTuesday. (Scroll down for a photo of the information board at the site). The trees behind the barrow conceal impressive views across the Severn valley and beyond. (1/3)

A colour photo taken from a short distance in front of the mound. The full width ot the surviving mound is visible with, in the centre, some of the entrance and forecourt stones visible. The site is covered in short grass which, at the time (a few weeks ago) was very very dry. Behind the mound are trees of varying height and species.

A colour photo taken from the top of the mound above the rearmost chamber, looking back through the entrance towards the spot where the previous photo was taken. The information board can be seen in the middle distance. Beyond are more trees. The chambers, entrance and forecourt are defined by upright stones and drystone walling. All are open to the skies and to the eyes of visitors.

A colour photo of the barrow looking southwest-ish across the chambers, with the forecourt on the left of the photograph and the innernost rear chamber towards the right. The scteen of trees behind the mound can be seen top right. Beyond the barrow the ground falls away fairly gently. In the distance, on slightly more level ground, is the car parking area.

A colour photo looking across the barrow and its chambers etc from the southeast side of the mound, with the shadow of the top of mu head visible bottom centre. This time the forecourt area is to the right and the rear chamber to the left. As wit the other photos, the grass is generally light brown in colour, and there are trees top left and, further away, top right.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

A couple of hillforts from a distance for #HillfortsWednesday - Uffington (left) and Alfred's Castle (right), both near the Ridgeway in Berkshire.

A colour photo taken from the Ridgeway looking east-ish. The path itself is bottom right, curving slightly as it heads away from the camera, with a hedge both sides. On the left is a field of stubble. In the distance on the left, the earthworks of Uffington can be seen on top of the higher ground. The blue sky indicates clearly that this was not taken this week.

A colour photo showing a view towards the earthworks of Alfred's Castle, taken from the northwest-ish. In the foreground is some rough green vegetation at the edge of a field. In the middle distance a row of trees can be seen following a field boundary left to right, beyond which the ground rises. The earthworks and interior of the hillfort appear as a light green colour in contrast to the yellow-brown stubble in the field in front of it.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Wayland's Smithy, now visible from the Ridgeway... #TombTuesday

A colour photo looking towards the site of the Neolithic mehalithic long barrow known as Wayland's Smithy. In the foreground is a fence of sorts, while in the middle distance is a clump of trees. In the centre of the photo, the sarsens of the tomb's stone facade can clearly be seen.

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Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Hey if you are at #eaa2026 make sure to say hi to this guy, whose archaeology project signed a missile sent to Gaza. 🏺 www.instagram.com/p/DcmVUnBjS7...

A screenshot from the linked Instagram post that shows a shirtless man in front of a tank with the words “few meters from Gaza, ahh finally the smell of gunpowder powder”

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Some views of and from Oldbury Hillfort and the Cherhill White Horse from yesterday's walk. #HillfortsWednesday

A colour photo looking towards the steep slopes below Oldbury hillfort. The earthworks of the hillfort are at the top of the hill in the centre of the photo. On the slopes to the left of centre is the Cherhill white horse. On top of the hill right of centre is the mid-19th century obelisk known as the Lansdowne monument, currently surrounded in scaffolding and netting.

Another view of the hillfort earthworks and the Cherhill white horse, this time from a little closer than the last. The view is from a footpath just northeast of the hill, looking at the grassy slopes etc through a wire fence which has the appearance of a slightly wonky grid.

A photo showing a general view looking north-ish from the top of the hillfort ramparts, showing extensive views of Wiltshire and beyond.

A view looking across the slopes from a position just above the White Horse, part of which can just be seen in the centre of the photograph. Towards the top right is the Lansdowne monument, with the hillfort ramparts visible between the monument and the left edge of the photo just above centre.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

No drones above the downs today. Just some these.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Some views from a visit to Uffington yesterday. Actually clouds in the sky this time. #HillfortsWednesday

A colour photo looking east along the top of the inner bank of the hillfort, showing a worn path with rough parched grass on either side. The ground slopes away quite steeply to the right and less so to the hillfort's interior on the left.

A colour photo showing the Ordnance Survey trig pillar on top of the bank of the hillfort. The surrounding ground is heavily worn and largely devoid of the rough light brown grass that otherwise covers the area.

A view looking towards the hillfort from the path leading from the main car park. Right of centre in the foreground is a large Amazon Prime lorry taking up a sizeable chunk of the smaller car park intended for disabled visitors. The lorry was there when I arrived at about 10.45 a.m. and still there when I left at about 15.45.

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Brian Edwards @public-history.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Meanwhile @clonehenge.bsky.social I am hunting for the later (1960s?) photograph of this fine example - apparently this is Eric and Connie (b.1928) at Northumberland Avenue, Whitely, Reading, mid-late 1930s. Photo from Whitely Community Museum.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

17th century Ashdown House ( @nationaltrust.org.uk ) from the ramparts of Alfred's Castle hillfort, just south of the Ridgeway. Photo taken just after I'd been buzzed and followed by a drone. #HillfortsWednesday

A colour photo taken from the ramparts of Alfred's Castle Iron Age hillfort. The earthworks occupy the foreground and are covered in short rough dry grass, light brown and green in colour. In the centre, in the distance, is Ashdown House, looking like a cross between an advent calendar and a doll's house.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

The view north from Uffington Castle yesterday. Hot, dry etc. #HillfortsWednesday

A colour photograph looking north from the rampart of Uffington Castle Iron AGe hillfort. Foreground, middle ground and more distant areas on the flat plain below the downs are uniformly light brown in colour.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Another verse from OGS Crawford. As anyone who has been following these will know, he liked to write about fellow archaeologists... Flinders Petrie Flinders Petrie, though quite good at geometry, and sixpences, also arranged sequences of lots of pots; these he composed (1/3)

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Jonathan Last @johnnythin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

On another part of the route, c 60m from the Devil's Quoit dolmen, they found a small standing stone, now recumbent, dated to the mid-4th millennium cal BC. In other words the real ritual landscape is far more interesting than the fictional one... archwilio.org.uk/her/chi3/rep...

Photo from the mitigation report of the recumbent stone in a trench with a herd of cows behind, one looking at the camera

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Jonathan Last @johnnythin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

The project manager could have saved himself some grief by saying what actually happened, which is that the standard archaeological process was followed: evaluation revealed Bronze Age features so the cable was re-routed slightly to avoid them, as confirmed by a strip, map and record exercise

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Some more OGS Crawford verse for you. This time, the "inspiration" is not a fellow archaeologist, but one of his other post-war concerns: Radiant God Let us now stand up and praise God Almighty Cosmic Rays, who created life on earth and (for what it may be worth) then evolved a Cosmic Plan (1/3)

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

The Toots long barrow, Selsey Common, Gloucestershire.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

More from OGS Crawford. This time, it's limericks rather than doggerel. The subject? Being editor of the journal @antiquity.ac.uk The staff of this journal (Antiquity) are accused of all kinds of iniquity but they hereby declare that the editor's chair is the seat of all moral obliquity (1/2)

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Another burst of OGS Crawford's doggerel for the weekend. Not clear who/what prompted this one. Obituaries After they are dead things may be said without misgiving that are best suppressed while they are living, allowing perhaps a decent lapse to pass for the growing of grass. (1/3)

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Quite sunny again. Could do with a drop of rain.

A colour photo showing the view northwest from a spot near the Ridgeway, a little northeast of Avebury. Everywhere is pretty uniformly light brown aside from a grassy spot in front of the camera. At the bottom of frame is a wooden gate featuring a sign saying Please close the gate.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I'm going to assume someone built this.

A photo of various pieces of flint piled up to resemble a rabbit or hare. The creature sits on a larger stone surrounded by very brown grass.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Silbury Hill and the West Kennett long barrow on what I can assure everyone was quite a hot day

A colour photo looking north west from the footpath known as the White Horse Trail towards the West Kennett long barrow and Silbury Hill, the zoom lens making them look closer to each other than they really are. Much of the ground between the camera and the long barrow comprises fields of crops awaiting harvest. Apart from the odd tree or bush, everything is various shades of light brown.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Another slice of OGS Crawford doggerel, once again on the subject of Mortimer Wheeler. For once we know when it was wrotten - 1955. [Untitled] (emphases as in original) The friends of SIR MORTIMER have always thought his a BAWDY OLD CROOK; but in hit latest book ("Still Digging") (1/4)

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Some scenes from a parched Avebury on Friday. #StandingStoneSunday

A colour photo showing the view east from the top of the henge bank in Avebury's northeast quadrant. The grass everywhere is parched, generally a very light brown colour. The henge ditch can be seen on the right, heading away from the camera towards the centre of frame before curving round to the right again.

Another view from inside the same section of a parched Avebury, this time standing inside the henge with the ditch on the left of the frame. On the right is a large upright sarsen stone.

Another view of the interior of a rather parched Avebury. Again, it is the northeast quadrant. The view is looking south from the top of the henge bank, with the inner ditch in the foreground. The stone featured in the last photo is centre left of frame. In the distance are the stones of The Cove and, beyond, some cottages.

A colour photo showing two sheep, sat back to back and facing in opposite directions, enjoying some shade beside a brick wall.

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Time for another slice of OGS Crawford's doggerel. This one concerns Mortimer Wheeler and a lady. Like me, you may have questions. There are some comments at the end. [Untitled] Dear Madam, I am instructed by the British Acdemy to acknowledge your letter which I had better answer in verse. (1/6)

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Time for more childe-ish verse from the archives of OGS Crawford (at some point I will post some kind of explanation for all these): Childeish Distillations The beer that's brewed by Gordon Childe is sometimes bitter, sometimes mild; but whether it be mild or bitter (1/4)

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Another prime slice of OGS Crawford's doggerel, this time concerning another of his archaeological contemporaries: Comrade's Fall Once upon a time Gordon Childe was a bit wild (red, not yellow - he's a good fellow); it just goes to show what can be done by playing cards with those die-hards (1/3

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Apparently the bird feeder is empty.

A photo of a squirrel stretched out along the top of the garden fence staring straight at me.

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Verity Holloway @verityholloway.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Astonishingly, Blackwells will ship The Others of Edenwell to readers outside the UK for FREE. This is wild. So if you've had a hankering for a WW1 ghost story set in a hydropathic hospital in the Norfolk brecks where the crows know your name, now's your chance. blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/pro...

blackwells.co.uk

The Others of Edenwell

Norfolk, 1917. Unable to join the army due to a heart condition, Freddie lives and works with his father in the grounds of the Edenwell Hydropathic, a wellness

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Martyn Barber @martynjb.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Time for another piece of OGS Crawford doggerel. This time his target isn't another archaeologist but art historians. No idea what prompted this: Artist Suarians All these books about the history of art make me fart long and loud, sending up a cloud of gas, whose stink you might think (1/3)

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Anna Orridge @anna-orridge.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Pre-orders now open for my novel PARCH MARKS 💚💛 In a future Britain, archeologist Eva Sinclair investigates the mysterious fern-like patterns left by drought around the long-dry riverbed of an ancient massacre site. Release due September 1st www.gold.ac.uk/goldsmiths-p...

gold.ac.uk

Parch Marks

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