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James Harland

@jmharland

Late Roman & Early Medieval History & Archaeology @dependencybonn.de, Exploring what happens when empires die. Book available at http://t.ly/LfaV https://jmharland.hcommons.org/publications

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Latest posts by James Harland @jmharland

1. Are you currently using an AI tool for work-related tasks or projects? 

* Yes
* No, but I would like to (PLEASE SKIP TO QUESTION 7)

1. Are you currently using an AI tool for work-related tasks or projects? * Yes * No, but I would like to (PLEASE SKIP TO QUESTION 7)

My employer asks me to complete a survey on AI usage for which this is the first question (required):

10.03.2026 02:00 ๐Ÿ‘ 2271 ๐Ÿ” 482 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 128 ๐Ÿ“Œ 125

It seems that the BL are slowly starting to get back on their feet.

09.03.2026 10:18 ๐Ÿ‘ 15 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Two Working LEGO Printing Presses | LEGOยฎ Ideas The development of mechanical printing changed how ideas move through the world. Once text and images could be printed rather than copied by hand, knowledge wasโ€ฆ

Hi #EarlyModern Bluesky - did you know that someone brilliant has built working printing presses using Lego and they are trying to get enough supporters so that Lego will release it as a kit?

They look so cool!

beta.ideas.lego.com/product-idea...

08.03.2026 17:02 ๐Ÿ‘ 747 ๐Ÿ” 346 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 18 ๐Ÿ“Œ 42
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07.03.2026 14:55 ๐Ÿ‘ 784 ๐Ÿ” 90 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 7 ๐Ÿ“Œ 5

Strategy is fundamentally all about developing a sophisticated theory of the mind of oneโ€™s opponent.

With MAGAโ€™s Iran Adventure, guess weโ€™re going to see what a modern war almost totally devoid of anything weโ€™d call โ€œstrategyโ€ looks like.

06.03.2026 14:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 1379 ๐Ÿ” 146 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 25 ๐Ÿ“Œ 4

โ€œMAGAโ€™s fundamental shared quality is a total lack of theory of mind for other peopleโ€ is a theory that keeps getting validated by reality - look at almost every decision theyโ€™ve made in the war with Iran, and how they seem constantly surprised by the unanticipated actions of other parties.

06.03.2026 14:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 2999 ๐Ÿ” 625 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 61 ๐Ÿ“Œ 69

And no it wasnโ€™t Labour Party related (though I did once also have dinner with Jeremy Corbyn)

05.03.2026 14:25 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I was once at a private event presided over by Gordon Brown.

05.03.2026 14:25 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Slide that demonstrates that mental models suffer when an archaeologist just uses photogrammetry. The slide text says: Model of mental model creation during photogrammetry
Relatively little interaction with complex mental processes that are key to interpretation in archaeology

Slide that demonstrates that mental models suffer when an archaeologist just uses photogrammetry. The slide text says: Model of mental model creation during photogrammetry Relatively little interaction with complex mental processes that are key to interpretation in archaeology

Teaching Fieldwork & Digital Recording in our special topics module today. I'm still forever salty that one of the reviewers made us take this figure demonstrating the failings of photogrammetry for the creation of mental models out of our Aide Memoire paper. ๐Ÿบ

05.03.2026 13:12 ๐Ÿ‘ 18 ๐Ÿ” 8 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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The popularity of โ€œnew antiquarianismโ€ challenges how we understand research impact - LSE Impact Research in the humanities is not confined to academic institutions. Particularly in history & archaeology where "new antiquarianism" creates public research.

๐Ÿ’ฅNew | The popularity of โ€œnew antiquarianismโ€ challenges how we understand research impact

โœ๏ธ Ben Earley (@hugheshall.bsky.social)

#Skystorians #ResearchImpact #REF2029

02.03.2026 11:10 ๐Ÿ‘ 11 ๐Ÿ” 7 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 4

Reminds me of our conversation about the respective strengths and faults of 19th century scholars last week.

03.03.2026 06:01 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Updated:

28.02.2026 13:28 ๐Ÿ‘ 9036 ๐Ÿ” 2780 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 80 ๐Ÿ“Œ 75

There it is. Blew up a school. Claude Code at work.

01.03.2026 06:06 ๐Ÿ‘ 280 ๐Ÿ” 80 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 10 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

Matt Goodwin, a man so personally repellant he reversed the creeping wave of fascism sweeping the globe.

27.02.2026 07:23 ๐Ÿ‘ 355 ๐Ÿ” 61 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 7 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

Nominative determinism dealt another fatal blow with Matt Goodwin's spectacular crash-out in Manchester Gorton.

28.02.2026 08:10 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Iโ€™ve spoken in more mundane rooms than this before, Iโ€™ll grant you.

28.02.2026 06:49 ๐Ÿ‘ 11 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

LLM-generated text not only canโ€™t evaluate the real-world truth of a claim, but its existence makes it way harder for any of us humans to do that evaluation, because the ratio of text that accurately describes the real world as observed by humans to text that doesnโ€™t is shifting rapidly.

27.02.2026 16:57 ๐Ÿ‘ 100 ๐Ÿ” 27 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Chat, is it bad when one tech dude having a modicum of a conscience is the only thing hindering the plans of the worst people in the world to use hallucinatory robots to automate crimes against humanity?

27.02.2026 15:28 ๐Ÿ‘ 1979 ๐Ÿ” 430 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 6 ๐Ÿ“Œ 16
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I had thought that the first two days of the HistoGenes wrap up conference had a fancy venue in the Natural History museum, but the Festsaal of the ร–AW shows that one should never underestimate Viennaโ€™s capacity to deliver on baroque grandeur.

27.02.2026 11:16 ๐Ÿ‘ 9 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Classic meme of grumpy Pakistan fan

Classic meme of grumpy Pakistan fan

I, from Yorkshire, very reluctantly agreeing that, just this once, I gotta hand it to the Mancunians.

27.02.2026 11:06 ๐Ÿ‘ 12 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Nobody here needs to be told that Reform's claims of cheating are utterly absurd but it's worth noting that the anti-Reform vote was so large that even if the Greens and Labour had split it 50/50 Reform would still have lost โ€” in fact they would have come third. They only value democracy if they win

27.02.2026 10:54 ๐Ÿ‘ 426 ๐Ÿ” 98 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 10 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

Reform's 'policies' are wall-to-wall reinforcement of the beliefs of their little sect, but of course it's only a bad thing when you're losing, isn't it?

27.02.2026 09:52 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Absurd. The very definition of arbitrariness.

24.02.2026 15:56 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Historians of Archaeology - Online Support Group Welcome to the Historians of Archaeology (HoA) Online Support Group! Please use this form to join the group and to join our mailing list. Membership to the group is free, all meetings will be hosted ...

๐Ÿบ๐Ÿ—ƒ๏ธ Historians of archaeology are always welcome to join our online support group!

Sing up here: forms.gle/7UVKDmfRhJXB...

โœ… Don't forget to tick yes on the form to receive a link to our #Discord server!

๐Ÿ‘‹the group is open to all career stages

26.04.2025 15:08 ๐Ÿ‘ 13 ๐Ÿ” 4 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

it is really bad how many people across the political spectrum on social media seem to discuss things in terms of discredited genetic pseudoscience when it comes to identity

23.02.2026 16:33 ๐Ÿ‘ 1421 ๐Ÿ” 169 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 30 ๐Ÿ“Œ 11

In conversations with academics it's coming up that student union representatives are raising concerns about AI on campus around deskilling and environmental issues...

23.02.2026 18:23 ๐Ÿ‘ 11 ๐Ÿ” 5 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Every signature counts! A petition to stop the phased closure can be found via the link below:
https://weact.campact.de/petitions/schliessung-des-instituts-fur-archaologie-an-der-hu-berlin?source=rec-wa&utm_medium=recommendation&utm_source=rec-wa&share=aed5af72-e319-42ae-89e4-a9c9d018135f

23.02.2026 18:51 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Oral exams and closed-book handwritten exams it is. Sorry folks, we've no choice. Absolutely sucks in so many ways.

23.02.2026 16:39 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
What if I want to do an assignment myself?

What if I want to do an assignment myself?

lol

23.02.2026 15:39 ๐Ÿ‘ 985 ๐Ÿ” 54 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 8 ๐Ÿ“Œ 3

Rhetorically, this is positioning all homework as "busywork." A sleight of hand that ignores how friction and process matter to learning. Do some professors actually give students busywork? I'm sure but skeptical it is as common as is often bemoaned by undergrads.

23.02.2026 16:32 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0