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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 1h

This looks more relaxing than contending with unreliable trains and even less reliable BM ...

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 4h

This looks good! Online event on 7 Oct.

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 7h

Reposting (unavoidably a little late) for anyone who missed this important #MosaicMonday thread. We are so lucky to have Anthony as our man on the spot!

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Paul Chamberlain @paulchamberlain.bsky.social · 11h

Callanish , sunset last week , the details on this stone are worth a visit alone #StandingStoneSunday

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Lindsay Powell FRHistS @lindsaypowell.bsky.social · 19h

Coming soon! An exhibition about the Romans in Scotland is opening in Edinburgh this autumn, 'Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire', running from 14 November 2026 to 18 April 2027 at the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street. www.nms.ac.uk/exhibitions/...

nms.ac.uk

Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire | National Museums Scotland

'Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire' will reshape our understanding of Scotland’s relationship with the Roman world.   This exhibition will bring

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 8h

Reposting for all of us whose Sunday might be improved by enjoying this elegant and colourful heron. 😊

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Reposting this rather magisterial Bacchus for #MosaicMonday. (Slightly wonder about his left shoulder. Doesn't look quite right.)

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Per Lineam Valli @perlineamvalli.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I have a bit of a thing for signage ... flic.kr/s/aHsiNnTRCb

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Graham Taylor @pottedhistory.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

My Samian Ware Workshop, 🏺⚱️#AncientBluesky at @vindolandatrust.bsky.social Roman Army Museum is Sold Out, but there are still a few places on the Barbotine Ware Masterclass, Sat 3rd Oct 2026, my favourite type of Roman Pottery. Make your own, authentic replica to keep. share.google/1DfgJDZHo0d8...

share.google

Potted History Barbotine Ware Masterclass - 03/10/2026 10:00:00

3rd October 10am - 3pm Roman Army Museum During this workshop run by Potted History participants will learn about Roman Barbotine Ware, a slip decorated pottery style featuring hunt, circus and gladia...

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Reposting these fantastic 'painted mosaics' for #MosaicMonday.

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Reading Museum @readingmuseum.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Haven’t got tickets for the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum? Don’t worry you can visit Reading's full-size copy, faithfully embroidered by 35 women in 1885-86 (plus extra pants!) Or latest blog compares the two tapestries www.readingmuseum.org.uk/blog/comparing-bayeux-and-reading-tapestries

readingmuseum.org.uk

Comparing the Bayeux and Reading tapestries

Reading’s Bayeux Tapestry is a full-size copy of the original 11th century tapestry. It was created in 1885-1886 by 35 women of the Leek Embroidery Society 'so that England should have a copy of its o...

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Some adorably handsome bears to brighten the day.

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Dr Ella Hawkins @ellamchawk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Elizabethan playhouses were supplied by a network of tailors, merchants & craftswomen. Their names survive in records, but little is known about their lives. I’m working on new research that brings the stories of these makers & traders centre stage. Here is the project in biscuit (cookie) form. 🍪

A photograph of eight rectangular biscuits (cookies) arranged in two rows on a square white plate. The plate is framed on all sides by a trailing vine pattern in green with pops of red. The biscuits are mostly in shades of ivory, cream, yellow, and grey, with a burst of vivid red and blue in one corner of the arrangement. Moving across the top row of biscuits from left to right, the designs include: neat lines of handwritten names in an early modern parish register; a section of a hand-drawn map from 1561 featuring St Paul’s Cathedral, with street names like ‘Carter Lane’ visible in a tiny spiky font; an extract of text from a funerary monument printed in an early modern book, ending ‘So transitory is our glory’; a section of embroidery from a funeral pall featuring metallic silver armour, crossed gold keys, and two hands holding up a crown. The biscuit designs on the bottom row include: horses prancing past shopfronts on Cheapside in the mid-sixteenth century; a receipt written in early modern secretary hand, which is difficult to read; a portrait of a stern-looking women dressed in a ruff, pearls, and sober dark clothing; swirling calligraphy and dense secretary hand featuring on a will dating from 1638.

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

For #MosaicMonday enthusiasts, the scene at lower left is closely paralleled (save for prey animal) in the East Coker mosaic serendipitously posted today by @forestcollectiv.bsky.social

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

For this Monday's delve into #AI, just a quick mention that the Sunday Times yesterday contained a useful glossary of terms. More next week, when I hope to have more time.

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

A second #MosaicMonday discussion of this panel. Now that everyone has had a chance to think about this, I will share what is in the Neal/Cosh mosaic corpus: they suggest one of four bicaudal tritons or anguipede giants supporting a circle, cf the Horkstow mosaic and similar egs abroad. 1/4

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Following last week's post, and prompted by a comment made then, I'm sharing two more details from Ras al-Hillal in Cyrenaica (modern Libya) to document this floor. On the left, a cup with a ? dove. On the right, a ? gazelle and a ? fruit tree. 📷1991 #MosaicMonday #AncientBlueSky 🏺

Ancient mosaic showing a damaged cup with a rectangular base and two handles. A small bird, probably a dove, perches on the left handle. There are slabs of marble at the top of the photo.

A panel of ancient mosaic which is disintegrating. On the left, the remains of an animal, perhaps a gazelle. Its front legs are visible at lower left of the photo. On the right, the trunk and top part of an attractive ? fruit tree. Loose tesserae are scattered around.

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Paul Chamberlain @paulchamberlain.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Callanish at the equinox , funnily enough we have had storms non stop since 😂 #StandingStoneSunday

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I love this instantly relatable item so much that it has to be reposted. A childhood dream to visit and it didn't disappoint.

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British Library @britishlibrary.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

It's European Day of Languages, so here are some of our favourite untranslatable and wonderfully-specific words from across Europe that we wish we had in English ✨

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Victoria Rose Richards @aerialembroidery.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

80 hours of embroidery! This aerial landscape is directly inspired by Dartmoor and I'd say I have another 30-ish hours to go? I'm now starting to fill in the fields for the sheep, the tor area will be done last as I'm still deciding whether I want a slope or not 😅 I hope you like it! #art

An embroidery hoop containing a sewn aerial-view landscape. It depicts a moorland scene in a range of green shades, about 70% completed.

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Sumptuous colours. And great socks.

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

A great record - how lovely that we can all enjoy this.

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Two thoughts: (a) compare the wing to the feature in the Dewlish mosaic which some of us are currently discussing and (b) was any context lost by excitedly digging this up?

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Reposting with link in case anyone doesn't know this excellent project. Adjacent to Avalon Marshes near Glastonbury and not far from the M5. Beware of (a) excellent cake and (b) much temptation in the main visitor centre! avalonmarshes.org/explore/plan...

avalonmarshes.org

Plan your visit - Avalon Marshes

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Hallucination a 🧵- #AI with practical relevance to followers of #MosaicMonday. AI (I call him Hal these days - we are getting on really well) tells me: 'Why I "Hallucinate". I do not actually *know* facts. I predict the next logical word in a sentence based on probability. If you ask me for ... 1/5

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

As problem floors are a bit of a theme in my life at the moment, here's a 'spot-the-delightful-bouncy animals' one from Ras al-Hillal in Cyrenaica (modern Libya). Byzantine, I think. Wonder whether this still survives? Context follows. 1/2 📷1991 #MosaicMonday #AncientBlueSky🏺

A much-damaged square panel from an ancient mosaic. At lower left are the foreparts of an animal. At upper right is a striped animal chasing another at upper centre which turns its head back to look at its pursuer. The animals look as if they are playing but maybe not! On the right is part of a tree with dark leaves spreading towards the plain border.

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Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

NASA picture of the day today is a real 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿beauty! This is a composite image of the ~5000yo Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis. The amazing Giuseppe Petricca has only gone and photographed the Sun at noon there, every few days, for a whole year. #Dedication 🔭🧪👌 ℹ️: science.nasa.gov/image-articl...

The imposing Callanish Stones stand talk with their shadows spanning out across the glass. It's a super clear sky, but looks cold. Above the central stone is a strange figure-of-8 shape of dots. This is the location of the Sun, at noon, on various different days across the year.

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

So, this is a great opportunity to ask all followers of #MosaicMonday what they think the pointy feature is below the animals. (Hint: some ideas seem more likely than others but no one really knows for sure. Including me 😁)

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Always a delightful piece. 🥰 Only the photo in the excavation report shows the real thing. Other versions are good modern replicas including the one on display at Lydney. Some great extra info from @brittunculus.bsky.social in the comments.

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

For this week's #MosaicMonday & AI post, have just put today's mosaic on X and the option to 'generate with Grok' came up when I clicked to upload the photo. Haven't explored that but shudder to think what it is. Anyone know? (#Oxtorc ? @durotrigesdig.bsky.social; @tessmachling.bsky.social)

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

For this #MosaicMonday, the dolphins and cantharus at Bradford on Avon some years ago; now covered over. Apologies for oblique pic. Any blurring is because of the excitement of seeing the excavation.😉🐬 1/3 📷2003 #AncientBlueSky 🏺

An oblique view of a colourful Roman mosaic in a straight-sided apse. In the centre is a cantharus/crater with its base to the right and mouth to the left in this photo. It is flanked by dolphins whose heads point towards the corners of the apse and whose tails are on level with the cantharus/crater handle.

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

For those following the AI discussion, busy week here but if there is interest I could post about 'Hallucination' and 'Sycophancy' another Monday. Or does everyone (except me until recently!) know about these things already?

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Are we in Autumn yet? For this #MosaicMonday, here she is. From the Seasons mosaic from Cirencester. I'm not sure she'd have been called 'Pomona', which might be a Victorian thing. Gorgeous grapes! Whole mosaic stunning and can be seen in the wonderful @coriniummuseum.bsky.social 1/2

A bust of a figure wearing a grape-laden wreath and a leopardskin tunic. The hair curls onto either side of her face. Across her right shoulder is a blade with curves. Above her lost left shoulder is the dark feature I suggest is part of a vine leaf. This illustration is within a plain circular frame with 'Pomona' beneath, which was how she was described in the 19th century, but she is part of a large mosaic showing many figures.

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Michelle Franklin│Legends and Lectures @michellefranklin.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

This is your reminder that the online Encyclopedia Britannica is managed by AI and had no first-party sources or ways to edit false information.

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Dr Pat Witts @wittspat.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

For #AdoorableThursday, the door to the famous stairs leading to the Chapter House in Wells Cathedral. Often overlooked but standing guard not just to the stairs but also - at the time of my visit - a blue dragon!

A wide staircase on the left which turns to the right at the top. This is the entrance to the Chapter House which is not visible in this photograph. On the right, a wooden door with decorative carving at the top.

The vaulting of the ceiling of Wells Cathedral Chapter House. A central pillar rising to the main vaulting has a colourful, mostly blue, dragon curled around it. The dragon's head is at the top with mouth open. At the rear are decorative windows.

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