Megan Olshefski

Day 1 - We’re back for our final year of #archaeology at Bishop Auckland! Follow along or come visit us on site!

@arcdurham.bsky.social

Starting Monday, we welcome the 2025 (& final) cohort of @arcdurham.bsky.social / @durham-university.bsky.social 1st years to their 1st field training in #archaeology @aucklandproject!

🧵- An overview of last seasons (2018-2024).

Visit/follow for daily updates!

Landscapes of Indenture: the Scots of York’s Scotland District and the Piscataqua Region – York Land Trust This talk discusses the history of the former Scots Prisoners that settled York's Scotland District, and particularly current efforts by a team of international

Chris Gerrard of @arcdurham.bsky.social and I will be speaking on "Landscapes of Indenture: the Scots of York Maine’s Scotland District and the Piscataqua Region" on May 30 at 6pm, at the York Land Trust yorklandtrust.org/event/landsc...

We welcomed colleagues from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to #Durham this week.

Our collaboration supports research, exchange and training.

We're shaping conferences in Washington (2026) & Tokyo (2028), themed: ‘Revolution, Revelation, Reconciliation’.

tinyurl.com/bdfa299t

Welcome to the new Bluesky page for the @arcdurham.bsky.social / Auckland Project #archaeology excavations! Preparations are underway for the 2025 season - (primarily stocking-up the coffee!). Be sure to follow along for what will be our -Final- season at Auckland Castle!

How about multi-tasking by relaxing with a coffee while drawing the #archaeology, @antiquityj.bsky.social? As Chris Gerrard @arcdurham.bsky.social expertly shows from the last season at Auckland Castle.

Durham University Global Research Brochure 2024 Research to empower and inspire. A selection of Durham University's research contribution to society.

If you haven't seen it yet, why not check out the #DurhamUniversity Global Research Brochure (link below)?

The brochure features work from our @ArcDurham Professor Robin Coningham and his team (p.29) - check it out in the full brochure here 👉 issuu.com/communicatio...

#DUresearch #HeritageScience

L-R Keith Emerick, Emily Williams, Sophia Adams and Tom Moore. Sophia holds one of the metalwork finds.

Delighted to be able to share this after 4 years in prep. An exciting collaboration between @arcdurham.bsky.social , Historic England. The British Museum and Yorkshire Museum More info in the links @durham-university.bsky.social
www.durham.ac.uk/departments/...

Infographic made from a photo of an excavation, with a QS World University Rankings by Subject badge for Archaeology ranked 6th place, the Durham University Archaeology Department logo, the QS world university rankings logo, and white text reading "We are delighted to share that we have been ranked 6th in the world!"

🌍 We are delighted to share that globally we are ranked 6th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 - thank you to everyone contributing to this Department! 🌍

#DurhamUni #DUresearch #DUinspire
#QSWUR #QS #ArcDurham #ArchaeologyDepartment

As we enter the Bluesky-era, the posts below were moved as an archive from my account on the 'app-formerly-known-as-Twitter'. 📜👇

✨Everything above this post will be new!✨
New adventures, 'new' (old) archaeology.

Today’s office for the day is Newcastle’s hidden gem, the @litandphil! If you haven’t been, you’re missing out.

The Professor is in - coffee in hand, sharpened pencil in the other, in his natural element amongst the #archaeology. @cmgerrard1

Any archaeologists want to get together for a bit of experimental #archaeology? Should be a short walk.

x.com/EnglishHeritag…

Office for the day for the next round of historical documentary research. Cannot recommend @TheStoryDurham enough! Beautiful facility, friendly and helpful staff, and a cafe for your caffeine fix!

#AcademicTwitter #history #archaeology #durham

2024 UK Swimming Nationals-
Qualified ✅

Here’s to an incredible team and a phenomenal coach. 🥹❤️🌊

@DurhamCityASC @asanortheast @Swim_England

Day 14 - #archaeology is: three-parts digging, two-parts stratigraphy, one-part coffee, and 100% site fashion (bonus points if matching with @cmgerrard1).

Photo credit - @JohnCastling

Day 13 - a tale of two supervisors. The look of the battle worn who faced off for three days with their trusty troops against endless #archaeology fills of rubble of large stones and solid concrete. Victory was ours.

Day 12 - we organized a small team of heavy-diggers (3 cubic meters / 70 barrows in 3 hours!) to excavate Haselrigge’s cellar. We’re hoping for a staircase (flashbacks to our 2021 season?), but so far we are only well acquainted w/some sizable pieces of rubble. Will we find it?

Day 11 - scroll through to see the site transfer from Day 1, Day 7, to Day 11! An impressive amount of #archaeology happening over at Haselrigge’s!

Day 10 -

x.com/theAliceRobert…

Day 9 - Following their careful spoil heap management, these @ArcDurham #archaeology students would like to announce their new album: “The Dark Side of the Spoil Heap”.

Day 8 - halfway! While we’ve been busy revealing walls and some lovely sections (see photos, a two day difference!), @JohnCastling has somehow found the time to write the latest blog post!

Check it out -

aucklandproject.org/discover/auckl…

Day 7 - a little side-by-side comparison of Day 1 vs Day 7 of Haselrigge’s dream house. Plenty more #archaeology to come!

Day 6 - we’ve returned to site from some much needed rest over the weekend and our resident social-media star, @JohnCastling, can hardly wait to see what #archaeology unfolds this week!

(He may sign autographs if you can get him to put down his trowel.

Day 5 - end of week one and the walls and mysteries of Haselrigge’s dream house continue to unravel…

We are off for the weekend (to visit our chiropractors), but will be back to chasing walls come Monday!

Be sure to check out our blog!

aucklandproject.org/discover/auckl…

Day 4 -

A sighting of Bishop Auckland archaeology celebrities, Caroline and @JohnCastling, on the site’s viewing platform! Perhaps a @thebishopbigdig reunion tour in the works?

(New blog coming soon! Keep your eyes out…

aucklandproject.org/discover/auckl…

Day 3 - a fine day to admire the #archaeology by climbing to the top of the spoil heap to view Haselrigge’s dream house and other post-med features.

(@EmersonWBaker - we thought you may like to see the 17th c structure coming through!

Day 2 @DUACE2024 complete! A range of #archaeology excitement including cobbles, kitchen deposits, and naturally @cmgerrard1 & Andrew Ferrara either looking ready to sign their latest album or contemplating the site…

Day 1 cont - some lovely snapshots from the day including: 1) a fitting first find in the top-soil, 2) a PhD showing off his (2019) find to his supervisor, 3) the calm site-walkover before the storm.

2024-
Follow along on social media or visit us on site!

⛏️ Excavating Sir Arthur Haselrig’s 17th c. house built following his destruction of Bishop Bek’s chapel; further excavations on the North Terrace following our 2023 discoveries.

📝 Blog:

aucklandproject.org/discover/auckl…