Dr Susan Greaney

@suegreaney

Archaeologist | Neolithic Britain & Ireland | Heritage interpretation | Lecturer at University of Exeter | Editor of Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society

1.304 Folgt7.079 Follower3.524 Posts

Bluesky

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Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· 6h

It is so dry and super hot here in Bristol today. Again. We desperately need rain.

View of the horseshoe bend of the River Avon from a high viewpoint. The normally green fields are parched brown. Hazy blue skies.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· 20d

I can haz blackberries

Very large and very black blackberries in a plastic pot held out in my hand. You can see my sandaled feet out of focus below.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· 25d

Had a fantastic time at this year's #FestivalOfArchaeology @archaeologyuk.bsky.social launch at Westonbirt Arboretum, bumping into lots of familiar faces, talking about my Stonehenge book and even finding some rock art! Find events close to you: www.archaeologyuk.org/festival/fes...

James Dilley holds a group of children and adults spellbound as he explains why a polished stone axe was much better than a flaked one. He is dressed in prehistoric clothing, surrounded by knapping debris and tools, inside an open-sided tent

A bearded re-enactor dressed in a medieval style smock explains to a group of small children how a wooden cart fits together.

A display of medieval writing tools, quill pens and a half-finished manuscript

A lump of rock with a series of straight lines cut into it, forming a lattice-like pattern. From Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· 29d

Here's another photo towards the end of the day. Conservator Sarah Klopf (pictured here) from @rammuseum.bsky.social is advising and leading the team doing the work:

A photo of a partly surviving mosaic, with the terracotta sections of a geometric pattern standing out in contrast. Someone in a blue hat is carefully cleaning.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Jul 12

Open day for the SHARE project yesterday was a huge success, despite 35 degree temps, thanks to my amazing volunteers and students. At least 400 people came to see our Roman villa, with 14 guided tours of the site. Lots would have visited the village hall to see finds and displays too.

The first tour group sets off with James at 10am. A group of about 20 people are gathered near an excavation trench listening to someone in orange high-vis vest.

Me (in purple high-vis) showing visitors our mosaic

More of my tour - a group of 25 adults and children stand in an excavation trench listening to me talk about an oven/hearth.

Me again (sorry) showing visitors the tank in our bath house. Bright blue skies, everyone wearing hats.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Jul 9

I had to empty my brain onto a whiteboard 😭

Office whiteboard with three lists of equipment, tools etc - one is headed Open Day (Friday) and the other Mosaic Lift (Monday)

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Jul 3

A clue:

A Roman mosaic being excavated by archaeologists

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Jul 3

Archaeology is a job that uses a varied skillset! Yesterday I led a group tour of our Roman villa, bought a big ol' pipe and then a load of stuff from Wickes and had a PhD supervision with a student. And two other meetings as well! Anyone want to guess what the pipe is for?

Two people are holding a large corrugated pipe, sticking out the back of a Bedford van, next to a warehouse. One of them is sawing it to create smaller sections, in bright sunshine.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Jun 30

Musings on Stone 66, a bluestone at Stonehenge, prompted by an enquiry from @timdaw.bsky.social. This photo shows it during excavations in 1952 by R. S. Newall. It has a distinct projection along one flat face but had become severely eroded and worn (at an angle?) before the fall of Stone 55.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Jun 29

More of our villa mosaic being uncovered today, at Halberton, Devon #MosaicMonday

Looking down onto a Roman mosaic in red soil. One section of border has been clearly uncovered and dampened to show the colours - red, grey and white in a twisted pattern. Nearby is a finds tray with large and small tesserae.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Jun 29

Morning all. Week two of the fight back:

'EXETER UCU: OUR SIX KEY MESSAGES

1. EXETER UNI'S FINANCES ARE STRONG. WE'VE LARGE CASH RESERVES (£200M IN 24/25). NEVER HAD A BUDGET DEFICIT. THIS 'CRISIS' IS MANUFACTURED.
2. EXECUTIVE PAY AT EXETER IS OUT OF CONTROL. IF JUST THE 16 HIGHEST-PAID EXECS CAPPED THEIR SALARY AT £120K, WE'D SAVE MORE MONEY THAN ALL THE CUTS TO ARCHAEOLOGY & HISTORY!
3. NO MEANINGFUL CONSULTATION, BUT A CONFUSED MESS: FAULTY AND INSUFFICIENT DATA, NO REAL DISCUSSION, AND AN IMPOSSIBLE, INSULTING AND UNREASONABLE TIMETABLE TO PUSH THIS THROUGH OVER THE SUMMER.
4. AN ALL-STAFF MEETING OF 600 STAFF RESOUNDINGLY VOTED NO CONFIDENCE IN VICE CHANCELLOR LISA ROBERTS (WHOSE PAY IS PUSHING £400K). WE BELIEVE THIS IS THE BIGGEST SINGLE VOTE BY ANY UNI STAFF IN THE HISTORY OF UK HE.
5. REDUNDANCIES ARE A MANAGEMENT CHOICE, NOT A FINANCIAL NECESSITY. THEY EVEN HAVE ALTERNATIVE COSTED PLANS WITH NO CUTS, BUT THINK IT'S EASIER TO GO FOR JOB LOSSES.
6. EXETER IS A FANTASTIC UNI, WITH WORLD CLASS RESEARCH, CREATIVE AND INSPIRING TEACHING, THOUGHTFUL AND IMAGINATIVE COMMUNITY OF STAFF AND STUDENTS. LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY.'

At the bottom of the poster:
#DefendExeterUni
Instagram handle @uniexeterucu
QR link to sign the petition

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Jun 22

For #MosaicMonday, an unexpected trip to Caerleon yesterday where these examples are on display in the museum and bath house.

Mosaic floor with linear geometric decoration and swirling leaves/fronds around the edge. On display at National Museum Wales, Caerleon

A fragment of mosaic hanging on a wall above some stone ruins. The pattern depicts a standard, although I'm not sure, perhaps someone can inform me what it is supposed to depict.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Jun 15

Oh it's #MosaicMonday? Well here is the one being uncovered at Halberton, Devon as part of our SHARE fieldschool and community excavation project. Next open day, when the mosaic will be fully uncovered, is 11 July!

Vertical view of an excavation trench where rubble walls define a small square room. In the centre are the partial remains of a mosaic - large chunky corridor tessarae around the edge, and a detailed pattern in the centre. Scale bars and a levelling staff show the room (and mosaic) to be c.4 metres across

Closer view of the best preserved part of the detailed mosaic. A central roundel with flower type pattern is almost all preserved, as well as part of the border. All geometric patterns. Several large roofing slates still cover parts of the mosaic.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Jun 8

I actually had time to take two photos on site today(!) - one is a large Roman storage jar, half sectioned, and the other a classic in the 'providing shade for photos category'.

An excavation trench with a large grey pottery jar lying on its side. The soil in the interior has been half excavated to get a section across it.

Three people hold up a large blue tarp over the head of a photographer who is taking a photo into an excavation trench.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Jun 2

Ach so Roman excavations aren't so bad! Look at this fab little lion face spout that turned up this afternoon at our villa excavations:

Someone holding a sherd of orange pottery, part of a vertical sided pot, with a little lion face with a hole, forming a spout.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· May 29

Knowlton henge. With cuckoo soundtrack 💚

Photo of a ruined small church standing within a grassy earthwork, a bank and ditch, the henge, encircling it. The sky is partly blue but also some dramatic grey clouds.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· May 23

Met not one but two slow worms yesterday, one near my house (pictured) and one on the other side of the village in a friend's garden.

Slow worm on a worn earth path. It has a nice gentle wriggle shape and looks shiny.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· May 7

I have been singing copies at Stonehenge today! Not sure it quite warrants a whole tour though.

Stack of books, with one open. Under the title and author name is my signature.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· May 4

Also, he might enjoy Oakham Treasures, just outside Bristol near Portbury. It's a huge collection of agricultural, transport and retail items, all accessible and indoors if the weather isn't good.

Old AA box, motorbike, side car and various AA signs

A series of old postboxes, displayed inside a warehouse type building

A selection of old fashioned black and white road signs - eg. School, narrow bridge

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Apr 29

I seem to have drunk a pint of green beer. At least it was on brand.

Photo of a hand pump in a pub. The label reads Stonehenge Ales, Beer of Monumental Taste, Sign of Spring.

Photo of a lurid green pint in a Green King Glass. It looks fluorescent and not that appetising!

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Apr 27

I'm very lucky to have been on holiday for a week and now I really don't want to open my million work emails.

Photo of a rocky bay, with dark volcanic rocks, looking across to some white buildings and palm trees. Blue sea and blue sky.

View (from our terrace) of Los Gigantos cliffs, huge high volcanic cliffs.

Sunset view over the sea and rocks, with a couple of people silhouetted.

Looking across a sea pool towards a very blue sea and a traditional white sailing boat. Bright blue sky.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Apr 14

Spent today teaching my PhD student Adele how to recognise and record earthworks! These are hollows created by her Tamworth/wild boar cross pigs in their enclosure. They leave behind distinct archaeology!

Two people in a grassy field, one holding GNSS survey kit, the other using her foot to work out where the edge of an earthworks slope is. Behind are hazel wattle fences and a pig shelter, and an oak tree.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Apr 4

National Museums Liverpool is 40! The World Museum has a special exhibition, which opened today, of 40 objects from the stores, chosen by curators and staff to represent the collections. Well worth a visit! My faves included Fido the Lion, casts of the Formby footprints and a dazzleship ferry model.

Fido the Lion - a handmade toy lion looking up out of a packing crate. His mane is soft and fluffy and his feet are inturned. He has a 'help me' expression. He belonged to, and provided much comfort to, a young girl who in 1916 had to cross the Atlantic due to the war.

Two plaster casts of the Formby prehistoric footprints

A model of a ferry boat painted in multi-coloured patches with stripes and patterns - created to honour the wartime dazzleships. It is displayed inside a packing crate with labels and storage mounts still attached.

General view of the exhibition, where visitors are looking at objects displayed in or on packing crates.

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Apr 2

My station platform is full of birdsong this morning. Goldfinch also just turned up.

Screen shot of Merlin birdsong app with Great Tit, Long-Tailed Tit, Blackcap, Wren, Robin and Blue Tit identified

Dr Susan Greaney@suegreaney· Apr 1

Hooray I actually have some content for #HillfortsWednesday this week. At the weekend we walked the Malverns, including the spectacular contour hillfort of British Camp. Only small-scale excavations have taken place, in 1879, but 118 hut platforms have been identified by survey.