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Kathryn Murphy

@kmurphster.bsky.social

1K followers 360 following 42 posts

Archaeologist. GIS, databases & survey. Mostly Romans, but now straying into the Early Medieval. She/Her. 🇨🇦 in 🇬🇧. Wear a mask! 😷 Views my own. Currently Data Scientist on @remade-uor.bsky.social

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Nov 14

Lots of new folks joining the last few days - hi! I'm an archaeologist focused on data & GIS, with some digging too. Mostly Romans, but some early medieval as well. Currently working on @remade-uor.bsky.social - check out what I've been up to: research.reading.ac.uk/remade/progr...

🏺 #archaeology

Progress Update October 2024 – Kathryn Murphy, Data Scientist - REMADE

Since joining the REMADE team a year ago, I have been busy working on all things data within the project. My biggest task of the last year was developing and...Read More >

research.reading.ac.uk

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · 3d

Saw some remains of Traiectum Roman fort in Utrecht. It sits under the Dom Square & was built over by different layers of religious buildings. You can see some of the remains on an underground tour & the line of the walls is marked by metal panels showing the line of the frontiers
#RomanFortThursday

A short section of Roman stone wall, dramatically lit. In the background, a red and black image of a reconstructed Roman building

A pile of Roman roof tiles. Two of the pieces of tile have cat or drop paw prints on them

A dramatically lit Roman copper alloy brooch, with inlaid enamel decoration

A metal panel in the pavement. The line of the British frontier (Hadrian's Wall) is carved into the panel. The panel marks the location of the fort walls, which still survive below ground.

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Reposted by Kathryn Murphy

Dr. Jeroen W.P. Wijnendaele @drdragases.bsky.social · Sep 18

Nothing screams "First day back on the job", like urging colleagues everywhere to delete their Academia Dot Edu pages.

Which I'm about to do myself as soon as I got coffee in me.

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Reposted by Kathryn Murphy

REMADE - Roman & Early Medieval Alloys Defined @remade-uor.bsky.social · Sep 12

In case you missed it earlier this week, read the lastest @uor-research.bsky.social blog to learn all about how REMADE is tracing rebellion during the Crisis of the 3rd century in the chemistry of Roman radiate coins! 🪙 rdg.ac/4notWE9

#FindsFriday #Archaeology #AncientSky

Tracing rebellion in the chemistry of Roman coins - Connecting Research

rdg.ac

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Sep 12

Canadian in the UK - people get very annoyed when I say math instead of maths

Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Sep 9

I've written up some of @remade-uor.bsky.social's latest results for @uor-research.bsky.social! Check out the blog post to learn how the chemistry of the Cunetio Hoard coins is revealing details of the rebellions during the 3rd c. Crisis.
#archaeology #AncientSky 🏺

Research at Reading @uor-research.bsky.social · Sep 9

Britannia, 274 AD. A rogue general has defied Rome to form a splinter state and, somewhere in Wiltshire, 55,000 coins are buried in the dirt.

Now, analysis of their alloys is letting archaeologist @kmurphster.bsky.social track an empire's rise & fall

Read our blog 🔗 rdg.ac/4notWE9
#AncientSky

Tracing rebellion in the chemistry of Roman coins - Connecting Research

rdg.ac

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Reposted by Kathryn Murphy

CAA UK @caa-uk.bsky.social · Sep 1

⏳ 2 weeks left to submit for #CAAUK2025!

📝 Abstracts ≤300 words in digital & quantitative archaeology welcome.

£100 Masters Award 🏆 for outstanding dissertations!

🗓️ 9–10 Dec | 📍 @Cambridge_Uni
Due 15 Sept, 12pm |📧 [email protected]

#DigitalArchaeology #ECR

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Sep 3

Visited St Catherine's Hill hillfort, outside Winchester, a few weeks ago. The univallate fort encloses about 9ha. It was partially excavated in the 1920s, finding a IA settlement spanning 550-50 BC, Roman occupation & a mid 12th c Norman style chapel & earthworks on the summit. #HillfortsWednesday

Looking across the landscape at St Catherine's Hill hillfort. There are small shrubs and bushes in the foreground. On the hill, you can see the line of the hillfort defenses cutting across the side of the hill. There is a big cluster of trees right on the summit.

Looking down the tree shaded rampart ditch of the hillfort, with the bank rising up on the left. The ditch is now one of the walking paths on the hill

Looking out across the landscape from the top of the defensive hillfort bank. The line of the bank stretches out in front of you, with a steep drop into the ditch on the left. The top of the bank is marked by a white chalk path where the vegetation has been worn away by many footsteps.

A plan drawing of the hillfort from an interpretive board on the site. It shows the oblong line of the defensive ramparts and ditch outlining the top of the hill, as well as the location of the Norman chapel on the summit.

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Reposted by Kathryn Murphy

Dr Alex Fitzpatrick @animalarchaeology.com · Sep 2

@blacktrowel.bsky.social has posted some actions that members of EAA can do in protest of this despicable act, both in-person at #EAA2025 and online.

Text which reads:

“If you are an EAA member or generally a concerned member of the archaeological community you can take many forms of action this week:

• Cancel your membership with immediate effect and boycott the conference.
• Attend the conference and speak up in your session (and other sessions to attend).
• Go to the ABMB on Friday and speak up. We expect considerable discussion on this topic, be a loud voice against the genocide. Urge members of the executive and officers who forced a revote to step
down
• If you are not a member, please circulate this widely, make public statements”

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Reposted by Kathryn Murphy

The Black Trowel Collective @blacktrowel.bsky.social · Sep 2

BTC Call for Action - EAA

EAA reversed its decision to exclude Israeli institutions complicit in the genocide of Palestinians after intimidation campaigns.

Read & share the full statement: blacktrowelcollective.wordpress.com/2025/09/02/b...

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Aug 27

I can see it! (If I squint 😂)

Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Aug 27

I biked out to Caesar's Camp hillfort a couple weeks ago. It covers about 17.2 acres & is one of the largest in southern England. It isn't the best land for farming, so it's thought to have been more of a marketplace under the Catuvellanuni. I found the bank & ditch in the trees! #HillfortsWednesday

Looking across the steep slopes and defensive ramparts on the north side of the hillfort. The slopes are covered in ferns and purple blooming heathers. There are trees in the distance.

A sea of purple blooming heather in the interior of the hillfort. The field of heather is ringed by trees that are growing on the banks of the hillfort.

Looking along the defensive ditch with the steep bank on the right hand side of the photo.

Plan drawing of the hillfort. It is shaped like an oak leaf, with a ditch and two banks surrounding the entire site.

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Jul 29

My great-great-great-grandfather was the harbour master in Cobh when it was sunk and ended up organising much of the rescue/recovery efforts. He received an MBE for his work, and there's a display about him in the Cobh museum.

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Jul 15

I'll be @romanpalace.bsky.social next week with the @remade-uor.bsky.social team for the Meet the Experts event. We'll be showing off some of the amazing artefacts we've analysed, discussing results & striking some replica #Roman coins! Should be a great #FestivalOfArchaeology event!

REMADE - Roman & Early Medieval Alloys Defined @remade-uor.bsky.social · Jul 15

Want to learn more about REMADE? See some objects that we've analysed? Make a replica #Roman coin? If you answered yes to any of those questions, come see us at the #FestivalOfArchaeology Meet the Experts event at Fishbourne @romanpalace.bsky.social on July 25!
sussexpast.co.uk/event/festiv...

Festival of Archaeology: Meet the Experts! - Sussex Past

For one day only, go behind the scenes, meet archaeology experts, explore recent discoveries, and get hands-on with real artefacts and crafts.

sussexpast.co.uk

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Jun 11

Currently on holiday in Scotland and of course I found myself at a hillfort! Here's Craig Phadrig, west of Inverness. 1st photo - worn path is the top of the ramparts, 2nd photo - the outer slope of the ramparts. Parts of it were vitrified! #HillfortsWednesday

A worn path along the top of the ramparts of Craig Phadrig hillfort. The center of the enclosure is overgrown with ferns and there are trees encircling the enclosure.

Lush, green overgrown slope of the outer bank of the hillfort ramparts

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · May 15

If you don't find anyone on here, definitely get in touch with Rob Webley on the Medieval Ritual Landscapes project at Reading! research.reading.ac.uk/medieval-rit...

MeRit: Medieval Ritual Landscape

research.reading.ac.uk

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · May 9

Perfect, just in time for my visit in a few weeks!

Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · May 2

A great activity for a Friday!

REMADE - Roman & Early Medieval Alloys Defined @remade-uor.bsky.social · May 2

We've been busy with some experimental #Archaeology & have been striking our own coins! We had some custom dies made - official & barbarous portraits of Tetricus, the project & the @uniofreading.bsky.social logo. We've got enough for a hoard now! #FindsFriday

Reposted by Kathryn Murphy

REMADE - Roman & Early Medieval Alloys Defined @remade-uor.bsky.social · Apr 18

A very hoppy #FindsFriday - an adorable little crouched hare plate brooch (only 2cm long!). It has a tinned surface with bands of niello inlay and a hinged pin. It was found in the Forum Basilica excavations at Silchester #Roman Town. #Easter #Archaeology

A Roman plate brooch in the form of a crouched hare sits on a white backdrop. It is silvery coloured, which comes from.the surface being tinned. There are bands of black niello inlay, and the eye is a turquoise colour

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Reposted by Kathryn Murphy

Community Archaeology North CIC @cancic.bsky.social · Apr 15

We’re back! Our traditional ‘We Three’ photo at the end of fieldwork. Best. Team. Ever. Jane Harrison @kmurphster.bsky.social @sarahmiles.bsky.social

Three smiling archaeologists in a sunny garden

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Apr 12

Not a bad spot for a test pit & lunch break! #Archaeology @cancic.bsky.social

A view of the back of an old stone house with a garden plot in the foreground. There are big trees around the edge of the garden and blue skies overhead

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Reposted by Kathryn Murphy

Community Archaeology North CIC @cancic.bsky.social · Mar 29

Have you seen our new community archaeology website? cancic.com

Community Archaeology North CIC

Community-based heritage projects for people of all ages

cancic.com

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Jan 9

Excellent! I'm really interested to see how people use all the data, for both academic research and non-academic stuff

Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Jan 9

Did you know that every fort along Hadrian's Wall has a record (& associated GIS shapefiles) in the WallCAP WallGIS available on @ads-update.bsky.social? Search the database & explore the map here archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/col... for #RomanFortThursday
#AncientSky #Archaeology 🏺

WallCAP: The Hadrian's Wall Community Archaeology Project Collections and Map

WallCAP, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, combined the ethos of community archaeology to meet key aims relating to the archaeological research and conservation and management of the Hadri...

archaeologydataservice.ac.uk

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Reposted by Kathryn Murphy

Internet Archaeology @intarcheditor.bsky.social · Dec 10

New in IA67: WallGIS: A Database and GIS for Hadrian's Wall (Data paper)' doi.org/10.11141/ia....
The WallGIS digital archive hosted by @ads-update.bsky.social is a geodatabase capturing the characteristics of the features of Hadrian's Wall

Screen shot of map interface of digital archive

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Kathryn Murphy @kmurphster.bsky.social · Dec 10

Thank you! So glad it's out for everyone to use 😊