Dr Thomas J. Derrick 🧪🌺🏛 ⛏📚

I'm feeling generous, so the best I can do is a photo of our (earlier) head flask at the Gale History Museum. It reminds me of a death mask, almost.

Solidarity. If you haven't done so, please consider pulling out of the EAA conference, revoking memberships (requesting reimbursement). If not, please consider making your voice heard at the AMBM (Fri 6.45pm CET). Also, write to express your concerns to the EAA exec. www.e-a-a.org/EAA/About/EA...

your periodic reminder that “archaeology isn’t political” is a political statement

Performing Gender Normativity and Queerness in the Roman Funeral: An Analysis of Historical Sources and Iconographic Evidence This article contributes to the emerging field of Queer Death Studies by offering a queer analysis of the gendered performances of mourners during the Roman funeral through an examination of subversio...

NEW in #TRAJ Vol. 8:

Performing Gender Normativity & Queerness in the Roman Funeral: An Analysis of Historical Sources & Iconographic Evidence by Jessica Tilley

doi.org/10.16995/tra...

#AcademicSky #RomanArchaeology

The instructions screenshotted in the BTC blog post are gross. Making students and ECRs censor academic speech for you, is unconscionable.

The email from @archaeologyeaa.bsky.social was only sent to session organisers and after the conference started. There will be presenters who are unaware of this decision - spread the word #archaeology #EAA2025 @blacktrowel.bsky.social @archagainstaparth.bsky.social

Overturning a democratic vote and implementing a moderation style (via volunteers) that severely limits academic freedoms is awful. That this happened AFTER the conference started is even more disappointing. I will be revoking my membership and boycotting the conference.

Part of a Roman stone column inscribed with Latin text

A 6th or 7th century grave marker for #StandingStoneSunday

Dedicated to Iudnne.. [Iudnnerth?] son of Qui.. [Quintus?]

Carved into a Romano British column (from a villa?)

Found during the demolition of an 8th century church in 1841

Now in Lady St Mary church Wareham #Dorset

📷 May 2025

Depiction, from a Roman mosaic, of a red crested snake sticking out its tongue

Apparently wearing a raspberry beret (the kind you find in a second hand store), this cheeky red-crested, tiny-tongued tessellated serpent features on a mid 4th century #Roman mosaic from Dorchester

Found in Durngate Street in 1905, it's now in @dorsetmuseum.bsky.social

📷 Sept 2024

#MosaicMonday

the front of the national museum of sudan, smashed windows and a broken door

front cover of glass news 55 showing blue tesserae

The glass flute form Sedeinga previously in the museum at Khartoum, it is a tall blue glass flute with golden decoration

My new article "Looting and Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Sudan and the Glass from Sedeinga" in Glass News 55, embargo-free. It can be downloaded below (or contact me (thomas.derrick@mq.edu.au) for a copy if you don't want to use the below site).

www.researchgate.net/publication/...

the front of the national museum of sudan, smashed windows and a broken door

front cover of glass news 55 showing blue tesserae

The glass flute form Sedeinga previously in the museum at Khartoum, it is a tall blue glass flute with golden decoration

My new article "Looting and Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Sudan and the Glass from Sedeinga" in Glass News 55, embargo-free. It can be downloaded below (or contact me (thomas.derrick@mq.edu.au) for a copy if you don't want to use the below site).

www.researchgate.net/publication/...

Big Roman shoes discovered near Hadrian’s Wall – but they don’t necessarily mean big Roman feet It’s up for debate what the big shoes found at Magna mean and that’s an integral part of archaeological research

'Baffled' archaeologists. An excellent article by Tim Penn, University of Reading, which not only describes the hypotheses and discussions which are part of the archaeological method but also addresses the use of 'baffled' and other clichés used some journalists.
theconversation.com/big-roman-sh...

Syria’s treasure hunting fever - podcast What can be done to stop Syria’s unprecedented scramble for antiquities? William Christou reports

Worrying podcast from @theguardian.com about the rapid rise of metal detecting in Syria lost Assad - and what it means for the preservation of the country's heritage.
www.theguardian.com/world/audio/...

How smelly was ancient Rome? Ancient Rome stank to the high heavens, according to Dr Thomas Derrick from Australia's Macquarie University.

📻 Fun interview with Jim Mora on national radio in New Zealand Aotearoa aired this morning. I was talking about what everyday life was like in ancient Rome, and a little about time travel!

How smelly was ancient Rome? Ancient Rome stank to the high heavens, according to Dr Thomas Derrick from Australia's Macquarie University.

📻 Fun interview with Jim Mora on national radio in New Zealand Aotearoa aired this morning. I was talking about what everyday life was like in ancient Rome, and a little about time travel!

A dark glass core which has evidence of little blades being removed off the surface.

The front of hyde park barracks (early 19th century) brick built building for housing convicts, in a large open courtyard with gravel.

Hammocks from the hyde park barracks, suspended off wooden frames.

Had fun filming a talking head interview about historical glass at Hyde Park Barracks, as part of a new (as yet unannounced) archaeological exhibition opening in Sydney late 2025. Sneak peek: this European glass 'core' was knapped by First Nations Australians to make small blades (First Gov. House).

A dark glass core which has evidence of little blades being removed off the surface.

The front of hyde park barracks (early 19th century) brick built building for housing convicts, in a large open courtyard with gravel.

Hammocks from the hyde park barracks, suspended off wooden frames.

Had fun filming a talking head interview about historical glass at Hyde Park Barracks, as part of a new (as yet unannounced) archaeological exhibition opening in Sydney late 2025. Sneak peek: this European glass 'core' was knapped by First Nations Australians to make small blades (First Gov. House).

Round enamelled metal flask with a curved handle and intricate floral and geometric patterns in red, blue, orange, and green enamel. The surface is richly decorated in concentric circular designs, giving it a jewel-like appearance. The flask is displayed upright in a museum case.

A close-up of the pattern of the flask

This absolutely gorgeous #Roman enamelled flask was found in a grave in Buzet (Pinguente), Istria/Croatia.
It's a product of a workshop in Britain or Gaule.
Enamelled objects were typical for the northwestern parts of the Roman Empire. 🧵 1/2

📷 taken by me

#archaeology #RomanArchaeology 🏺

Feline Feces (lib catturd) @kitttenn.bsky.social M dashes (the long dash) are a dead giveaway. LLMs love using them for some reason, while actual human beings have no idea how to type that into the computer. They also love sets of three, overtly parallel structure, and impersonal writing. July 6, 2025 at 2:16 PM 1 quote 12 likes

Stop spreading this garbage about em dashes in ACTUAL EDITED PROSE OH MY GOD.

Plenty of actual human beings know how to type em dashes! We’re called “writers” and “editors” — maybe you’ve heard of us?

Sunanda Creagh (Senior Editor) is to thank there! Cracking choice (pun intended, sorry!).

🔊I talked about this research on ABC Hobart/Northern Tasmania Radio last night with the fab Steven White. Listen from 2:27:46: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Mathura stands at the foot of a set of steps leading up to the porch of an imposing building behind her. The building is a mix of architectural styles, with columns and porch adorning the set of stairs. The brick appears to be painted in an orange-brown colour, with white details.

Is it possible to re-envision the place of Greece and Rome in the ancient world overall? In today’s new #PeoplingPodcast, we are joined by Dr. Mathura Umachandran to reimagine Classics through the lens of Critical Ancient World Studies (CAWS) /1 peoplingthepast.com/2025/07/01/p...

🔊I talked about this research on ABC Hobart/Northern Tasmania Radio last night with the fab Steven White. Listen from 2:27:46: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank We can probably safely assume Rome, in many areas, was likely pretty dirty and rank-smelling. That said, there’s evidence of perfumes, incense and even deodorants.

👃🤢 Enjoyed writing this for @theconversation.com

All credit to @theconversation.com's Editor Sunanda Creagh for that!

Thanks, Craig!

What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank We can probably safely assume Rome, in many areas, was likely pretty dirty and rank-smelling. That said, there’s evidence of perfumes, incense and even deodorants.

👃🤢 Enjoyed writing this for @theconversation.com

Living Amongst and with Trees: Botanical Agency and the Archaeology of Plant-Human Relationships The last decade has seen a significant change in the way the humanities have approached the study of botanical life. Termed ‘the plant turn’, this questions traditional views of plants as a largely...

This looks fascinating!
Living Amongst and with Trees: Botanical Agency and the Archaeology of Plant-Human Relationships, by Barry Taylor
🧪 🏺

Thumbnail for ABC Kids, an illustration of a child with blue hair and lots of scientific objects on their hair looks through binoculars with planets in the glass. The podcast title is Imagine This.

📢 I was very lucky to be asked to be an expert on ABC Kids’ Imagine This. I help answer “How is glass made” and we go back to Egypt and Jerusalem during the Roman Empire to find out! Thanks to Nij and Soumia at ABC Kids - this is the best thing I've ever done.

www.abc.net.au/kidslisten/p...

A selection of fluids, lemon juice, vinegar, and armor etch, with mica paint, and some tiny glass bottles

Glass bottles in a beaker marked NaOH being heated

A facsimile Roman glass bottle MU3999, with a columnar body, funnel rim and zig zag decoration

Experimental archaeology (of sorts) happening today at Macquarie with my student intern (and chemist) Evie. We are trying to replicate the fake patination found on Roman glass facsimiles in our museum.