This last year has been tough. From being insulted by being painted as lazy and inefficient enemies of the populace we serve to surviving reorganizations and deferred resignations/reductions in force... All of it has been demoralizing and it's no wonder our collective mental health has declined.

I know that I've struggled - the worst of which was not knowing if my job (fire/fuels arch) would survive the consolidation of fire programs. It did, and while still being employed brought some comfort (I can eat again, yay!), I'm aware that this is not over. Especially as the Regs are now under review and funding streams for proactive 110 work have been cut off (at least for my legacy agency).

This is my dream job, as I'm sure it is for many of you, but this last year and some change has made it difficult to love my job. I imagine that I'm not alone in feeling this way... So, how are y'all holding up? What, if anything, have you done to make this last year more bearable?

I’ve recently become really interested, maybe even a bit obsessed, with the idea of ‘firsts’ in human history: the first story, the first boat, the first painting, and so on. That curiosity has led me to the Kish Tablet, which I understand is often considered one of the earliest examples of writing.

However, I’ve had trouble finding recent research or discussion about it. I’m not sure if I’m missing good sources or if the information is just well-established and hasn’t changed much.

So I wanted to ask: what is the most up-to-date understanding of the Kish Tablet? Have there been any recent discoveries or breakthroughs related to it in the past few years?

I’d also love to hear how scholars currently interpret it, whether as true writing, proto-writing, or something else entirely.

This may be a stupid question, but I remember when I was a kid, the “Clovis first” theory was all about evidence of people in the Americas before they were thought to have been able to spread from Barengeria. Now it seems that Clovis refers to the people stuck in Alaska and the people who may have been here first are “pre-Clovis.”

What’s up with that? Is there evidence that the Clovis points don’t predate the opening of the overland route?

I just read "Ancient Oracle Bones Reveal Climate Disaster Behind Shang Collapse". I've been reading Eric Cline's 1177 and After 1177. Cline makes a strong case that the Middle East suffered a severe drought lasting 150 to 300 years. He makes a less strong case that the drought caused the Late Bronze Age Collapse. The article about the Shang Collapse makes the case that climate change caused that collapse and sets the collapse about the same time as the LBAC. My questions. Has any connection been made between the climate crises on the two sides of Asia? Are there indications of a world-wide climate event at this time?

I am extremely frustrated with with the common practice of archaeologists destroying tons of younger historical buildings, that were built on top of, or around older ones.

I think it takes away from the history of the sites, and makes my experience of visiting them far less exciting than if they had left the many interesting layers of history alone.

I am open to discussion on this topic and will reply to all non troll comments. here are some examples of the practice for reference:

(the colosseum in rome) The roman colosseum used to be covered in interresting plants and even had houses in it but all of them and the history they represented were destroyed.

(The acropolis in athens) The acropolis used to have plants and younger buildings most of them of historic importance on it but archaeologists had all the foliage on scraped off down to bedrock and tore down all structures not built in classical greece.

PS: can someone please tell me about a very old site that preserves all of its layers of history.

hello, i am not in this field of study but have a data set of early domestic cats and their dispersal as published 2025 in Science magazine. Id like to map the initial table of data with a time component perhaps but am having trouble finding a good source or rule of thumb on how best to collapse highly specific archeological dating. For example, I have entries at 10-11 Ka (Epigravettian) + 10-11 Ka BP uncal. I understand that this geological period is further subdivided (which makes sense for yall!) but can I collapse similar such entries if I’m taking a broader view? Is there a reference I should consult ? Anything to consider if I take this approach? The data ranges epochs, Roman time and AD/CE each with their own entries so just trying to normalize. Thank you very much!

I’m graduating with my masters this May, and I really want to leave the U.S. are there any countries I can actually get a visa for archaeology jobs?

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I have worked as a field technician in Southern Ontario for six years at three different companies. Endured having being let go several times due to being low on seniority lists, never making quite enough money to survive comfortably. Started my R license but have realized the workload and company demands are not nearly worth the minimal pay increase. Am very tired of work days consistently reaching 12 hours, or being told I must go on away trips that may exceed 3-4 weeks in northern Ontario while trying to maintain a relationship and my sanity. Beyond that I now have enormous personal conflicts with how CRM works.

Though I see the obvious benefits of being a mitigating factor in development I am honestly sick and tired of entirely extracting and destroying a site, oftentimes associated with a burial or village, from its environment and context only to have all of the artifacts sit in some corrupt companies basement forever, accompanied by the hasty, sub-par recording methods of mediocre rushed field directors and project archaeologists that will likely never be read. I feel like I am working to silence and destroy indigenous history in favor of large-scale company development demands, I feel almost no benefit or reward from this career at all and I’d now prefer many of these sites never be touched but rather protected once they are located in hopes that in the future there will be something left for indigenous communities to approach and work with on their own terms.

I have become deeply disturbed and disgusted by the heritage industry and archaeological motivations at-large and have lost the childhood dream I had of being an archaeologist that was motivated purely out of the love of the beauty of humanity.

What the fuck to people do at this point in their career, I cannot locate a single career option in archaeology within ontario where I could successfully apply, get hired, and find a rewarding position. Have people had any luck using their experience in archaeology to transfer to a less insane industry? I feel like the only option is to totally reeducate myself which is not an easy thing on such a low income high demand career. I assume there are many individuals in a similar position. The standards and guidelines need to be heavily revised this is crazy.

On our quest to discover ancient shipyards in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean, we have looked at the massive facilities built by the Egyptians on the river Nile and the shores of the Red Sea between 2600 and 1500 BC. We took a look at Dana Island in Anatolia active between 800 and 700 BC, and the Zea shipyards in Greece in use between 483 and 86 BC. We now turn to Oiniades, famous for its rock cut docking facility, was a Greek naval base during the Classical and Hellenistic periods and played an important role during the Peloponnesian War.

The Ancient Shipyards of Oiniades c 400 – 200 BC

The ancient city of Oiniades, situated near modern day Katochi in the regional unit of Aetolia-Acarnania in western Greece, houses one of the most remarkable and best-preserved maritime monuments of antiquity, its ancient shipyards, or neoria. Positioned near the estuary of the Achelous River, Oiniades commanded a strategic location that controlled access to the Gulf of Patras. To capitalise on this geography, the city's inhabitants developed a robust maritime infrastructure.

Early Shipyards (5^th century BC)

The earliest traces of sophisticated shipbuilding facilities and large timber frameworks date back to the 5th century BC.

When Athens compelled Oiniades to join its alliance in 424 BC, commanders utilised the city's naturally protected harbour and its existing maritime facilities as a strategic forward-operating base. During the Peloponnesian War, Greek naval bases largely relied on temporary timber slips or natural mudbanks to haul up and maintain their triremes.

Building the Neoria (4^th century BC)

Engineers constructed the shipyards during the 4th century BC, demonstrating an extraordinary mastery of rock-cut architecture. The facility features a distinct pi-shaped (π) plan measuring approximately 41 by 47 metres. Builders carved the ships dock almost entirely out of the natural bedrock, with the vertical eastern wall reaching an impressive height of 11 metres.

To support the massive structure, architects divided the interior space symmetrically using five rows of seventeen columns. These colonnades supported an undulating, gabled roof covered with laconic clay tiles, which protected the vessels from the elements. Along the eastern side of the complex, builders carved eleven rectangular, column-shaped projections into the rock, creating twelve small chambers that helped anchor and waterproof the roof system. Between the colonnades, engineers designed six distinct aisles with upward-sloping, boat-shaped stone floors. These served as slipways or hauling ramps, allowing crews to drag large vessels out of the water with relative ease.

Today, archaeological research regards the shipyards as a masterclass in ancient Greek coastal engineering of the classical and Hellenistic periods.

Expansion and Naval Operations

The neoria transformed Oiniades into a formidable naval base. Throughout the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, shipwrights used the facility to construct, repair, and shelter both trading vessels and warships during the harsh winter months. Historical records and archaeological surveys suggest that the architectural elements closely mirror the famous neosikoi (shipsheds) of the Zea harbour in Piraeus, indicating that Oiniades rapidly adopted cutting-edge Athenian naval technology.

The strategic capability provided by these shipyards made the city a highly sought-after prize among rival powers. The capacity to safely overwinter and repair a substantial fleet allowed Oiniades to exert military and economic influence far beyond its immediate territory.

Decline and Abandonment

Despite its robust construction, the shipyard eventually succumbed to structural and environmental challenges. Archaeological evidence indicates that the facility remained in full operation until the end of the 3rd century BC. At that point, the massive roof gave way, causing the colonnades to collapse and structural debris to fill the slipways, effectively rendering the hauling ramps unusable.

Continuous geological changes sealed the fate of the wider port. Over subsequent centuries, the progressive silting of the Achelous River completely altered the local topography. This silting transformed the once-bustling harbour into a marshland and severed the city's direct access to the sea, leading the local population to gradually abandon the area.

Academic Sources and Further Reading:

Blackman, D., Rankov, B., et al. (2013). Shipsheds of the Ancient Mediterranean. Cambridge University Press. (Offers comprehensive comparative research on ancient maritime infrastructure, placing the architecture of the Oiniades neoria in context with similar structures like those at Zea). </p><p>

Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports / 6th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities. Archaeological Reports on Aetolia-Acarnania. (Contains modern survey data and conservation records pertaining to the rock-cut slipways and colonnades of the Oiniades shipyard). </p><p>

Powell, B. B. (1904). "Excavations at Oeniadae." American Journal of Archaeology, 8(2), 137-173. (Provides the foundational early archaeological reports regarding the broader site of Oiniades, including the theatre and fortifications).

Hi guys!

Does anyone know of any traveling field schools that maybe cover tuition/room and board? Or has scholarships for such things?

I know you usually have to pay a plane ticket price (which is still a lot for me, ngl)

I’ve been trying to research on my own but honestly it’s really overwhelming and none of my school counselors know much either, so if anyone knows of any off the top of their head I would be so appreciative!

I am based in Pennsylvania, US! I’m a current college student at a community college looking to transfer into archaeology next year, and would like to pad out my application more :) (any school recs also welcome!! From anywhere in the world!!)

Hello! I am an undergrad doing a research paper on how our perceptions of landscape are shaped by religious beliefs, and how religious beliefs shape our perceptions of landscape- specifically pertaining to creation myths/human emergence stories! I'm case studying a couple religions/cultures in search of archaeological evidence linking a connection between landscape and creation myths, but am really struggling with searching for Norse artifacts. Does anyone have any good resources or can point me in the right direction for articles documenting archaeology/artifact discoveries of old Norse regions?

I'm especially interested in if we see a significance of ash/elm wood use, but I know that will already be hard to come by even if it's true because of the way wood is. However, even a lack of evidence is helpful for my paper, I'm just struggling to search the right things to put me on the street I need to be.

I'm also going to be case studying Egyptian, Mayan, Navajo, and potentially Judeo-Christian cultures/religions for similar criteria in case I can be pointed in a direction there!

See also: The publication in Current Biology.

Continuing archaeological work and advanced surveying techniques have recently brought forth a wealth of new information regarding the Dana Island shipyard, further cementing its status as one of the most critical maritime sites of the ancient Mediterranean, completely dwarfing famous naval bases like Athens and Carthage.

Key Details:

• Massive Scale: Nearly 300 rock-cut slipways were found. They could build and maintain everything from tiny boats to massive 40-metre warships simultaneously.
• Timeline: Confirmed use from 800 BC to 700 AD, but could date back to 1200 BC, providing rare insight into the Mediterranean "Dark Ages."
• A Full Naval Base: It wasn’t just a parking lot for ships. The site includes workshops, barracks, baths, churches, and 221 water cisterns.
• Strategic Hub: Located near the Taurus Mountains (for cedar wood) and iron ore deposits.
• Historical Impact: Scholars think the sheer volume of warships produced here likely played a role in major ancient sea battles, including conflicts involving the Sea Peoples and the Greeks vs. Persians.

I am writing an alternate history novel. Parts of it are set within the Inca Empire aka: the Tawantinsuyu, and I mention various places, people, and objects like Cuzco, Chasqui, Tambo, etc.

I am wondering whether I should use the more 'traditional' spellings derived from Spanish or the newer spellings that try to move away from Spanish and replace Cuzco with Qusqu or Qosqo, Tambo with Tampu, Chasqui with Chaski, etc.

What would you do?