Why #ContextMatters (not only, but particularly) in #archaeology: An archaeological artifact without its documented find context is … like an image ripped from a book (and the rest of the pages torn into shreds): something nice to look at, but missing the actual story about it.

In this preprint, I survey data archiving in ancient genomics—I find widespread shortcomings, which hinder reproducibility and data reuse. I argue that we need to step up our collective archiving game in #aDNA genomics, with six practical recommendations: biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

...archaeologists have known for many years that Neanderthal man was not stupid. British Archaeology magazine has complained about the media’s use of neanderthal as a term of abuse" Ref an old Spoilheap column (and Bill Tidy cartoon) 2/2

The winner of Book of the Year: Discover is LESSONS FROM OUR ANCESTORS by @raksha_digs (Magic Cat Publishing). Congratulations! “It is an important book for children and for the future”, said one judge. #Nibbies #BritishBookAwards

A new study from Cambridge Geography has found that 2023 was the hottest summer since the height of the Roman Empire, exceeding the extremes of natural climate variability by half a degree Celsius. 🌳 Learn how they used tree rings to work this out 👇 cam.ac.uk/research/news/…

Meet the Cambridge CBA Young Advisors 🏛 Did you know that the Council for British Archaeology has launched a Youth Advisory Panel? 🗣 Let three of the Young Advisors tell you about their roles on the Panel and their connections with Cambridge! 👉 arch.cam.ac.uk/news/cba-youth…

We've teamed up with ArchaeologyUK to understand how archaeology can be more accessible for everyone. You can help by taking part in our new survey. You don't need any knowledge of archaeology! Scan the QR code or follow this link 👇 buff.ly/3R4SoN0

During #VolunteersWeek, we would like to share with you some of the reasons why CIfA members volunteer. Here, we shine the spotlight on CIfA Advisory Council member, Mike D'Aprix, who explains that he volunteers in order to help improve #archaeology from within.

A tiny ear bone shows a Neanderthal child 140,000+ years ago lived with #DownSyndrome for years, supported by their prehistoric kin. It's the oldest known case of the chromosomal disorder–and powerful evidence for care in the past. science.org/content/articl…

To bring a smile to your face, here’s an ancient Egyptian sketch of a tabby cat serving a mouse! The artist used a flake of limestone as a sketchpad for this humorous scene. Perhaps the artist was having some fun whilst taking a break from tomb painting more than 3,000 years

This 👇 is a theme in my book, the role of luck in evolution. Probably a much bigger factor than people realise. Why did mammals + avian dinos survive the K-Pg? Yes physiology, yes ecology, but also serendipity. (Definitely not because they were 'better') #BeastsBeforeUs

Ihini Aambreen will be co-presenting with her collaborators. Ihini is studying for an MPhil in Archaeological Science at the University of Cambridge. Her research interests include human evolution, osteology, infectious disease, and ancient genomes. 2/2

Super excited to present with my Youth Advisory Board colleagues tomorrow! 🤩 Back to the diss grind for now 🫡😵‍💫

Starting off #ECArch2024 with a paper from the ArchaeologyUK Youth Advisory Board CIfA Early Careers SIG #FestivalOfArchaeology

New Paper! Juvenile Jurassic mammaliaform from the Isle of Skye shows mammals grew more slowly in the time of dinosaurs. Our study in Nature uses synchrotron imaging of teeth to look at life history and growth. Thread 🧵 ... nature.com/articles/s4158…

Pretty cool analysis of the cultural evolution of filled pasta (link.springer.com/article/10.100…). Gotta try them all...

A heartfelt thank you to our Youth Advisory Board, placement students, and all who engaged with us on Youth Day and at the Student & Early Careers Conference! Your fresh perspectives and enthusiasm are bringing a new voice to archaeology and helping to shape its future.

Check out the ECC talk from George Ellison, Jess Hornby (she/her), jess🕺🏻, and Ihini Aambreen! They share their vision for the future of archaeology and heritage, addressing key issues and proposing solutions. Watch here 👉 youtube.com/watch?v=ShfkfM… Thanks to funders Historic England

From Vikings to Beethoven: what your #DNA says about your ancient relatives - and what it doesn't. Read more on the limitations of ancient DNA comparisons in this excellent article by Ewen Callaway. Via nature nature.com/articles/d4158…

Our Youth Advisory Board are in full flow today planning their co-created #youthengagement project funded by Historic England. We're also running a focus group on the development of our YAC Young Leaders Pathway (for 16&17 year olds) with Juma Harding-Dimmock 🎉