Dr Philip Boyes
@philipjboyes.bsky.social
Archaeologist and linguist working on the Bronze and Iron Age Levant. Research Associate with the VIEWS Project at the University of Cambridge. Formerly with the CREWS Project. Geek.
Reposted by Dr Philip Boyes
'The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.'
December 9, 2025 at 3:09 PM
'The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.'
Rule 34 meets Season 6.
December 9, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Rule 34 meets Season 6.
'The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.'
December 9, 2025 at 3:09 PM
'The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.'
Some editor's gone out of control with their Oxford commas. Further evidence that it is an abomination.
December 9, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Some editor's gone out of control with their Oxford commas. Further evidence that it is an abomination.
I've had a couple of days off work (admittedly due to being ill), the Christmas tree's up and I have a Lego castle to build. Feeling pretty Christmassy now. Shame there's another 2 and a half weeks to go...
December 8, 2025 at 8:17 PM
I've had a couple of days off work (admittedly due to being ill), the Christmas tree's up and I have a Lego castle to build. Feeling pretty Christmassy now. Shame there's another 2 and a half weeks to go...
Reposted by Dr Philip Boyes
People of a certain age will tell you estate agents don't get any better than this, but I prefer Turner & Cartmel.
December 8, 2025 at 4:56 PM
People of a certain age will tell you estate agents don't get any better than this, but I prefer Turner & Cartmel.
There have been a lot of sizeable pre-Christmas discounts lately and I've been collecting sets for this modular pseudo-Lego castle. Today the base set arrived and I've finally been able to start! Bag 1* done!
*There were 12 Bag 1s.
*There were 12 Bag 1s.
December 8, 2025 at 6:18 PM
There have been a lot of sizeable pre-Christmas discounts lately and I've been collecting sets for this modular pseudo-Lego castle. Today the base set arrived and I've finally been able to start! Bag 1* done!
*There were 12 Bag 1s.
*There were 12 Bag 1s.
Reposted by Dr Philip Boyes
So love wobbegongs. Everything is good about the wobbegong. Its name. Its flattened Oscar the Grouch face. Its frondy bits. Its lazy life as a hungry rug. And it’s a shark. Outstanding animal 10/10
The Tasselled Wobbegong is a master of disguise that can eat a fish almost as big as itself in one gulp. It's classified as a shark, but when it lays on the sea floor it looks like a harmless rug if you manage to see it. But with powerful jaws and sharp teeth they are no fish to mess with.
December 8, 2025 at 9:49 AM
So love wobbegongs. Everything is good about the wobbegong. Its name. Its flattened Oscar the Grouch face. Its frondy bits. Its lazy life as a hungry rug. And it’s a shark. Outstanding animal 10/10
OK, seeing more now. And mostly positive. That's good. Maybe I'll catch up on this at some point when baby life actually allows us to watch anything at all.
I was expecting to wake up this morning and see my timeline awash with reactions to that Sea Devil thing. Not one. I suspect that tells me everything I need to know.
(I was in bed at 6pm last night. Still not well.)
(I was in bed at 6pm last night. Still not well.)
December 8, 2025 at 9:59 AM
OK, seeing more now. And mostly positive. That's good. Maybe I'll catch up on this at some point when baby life actually allows us to watch anything at all.
I was expecting to wake up this morning and see my timeline awash with reactions to that Sea Devil thing. Not one. I suspect that tells me everything I need to know.
(I was in bed at 6pm last night. Still not well.)
(I was in bed at 6pm last night. Still not well.)
December 7, 2025 at 10:02 AM
I was expecting to wake up this morning and see my timeline awash with reactions to that Sea Devil thing. Not one. I suspect that tells me everything I need to know.
(I was in bed at 6pm last night. Still not well.)
(I was in bed at 6pm last night. Still not well.)
The baby isn't quite old enough for real food and has no teeth, but that doesn't mean she won't stare intently at you while you eat, making chewing motions with her mouth and with big puppy-dog eyes because you're not sharing.
December 6, 2025 at 5:51 PM
The baby isn't quite old enough for real food and has no teeth, but that doesn't mean she won't stare intently at you while you eat, making chewing motions with her mouth and with big puppy-dog eyes because you're not sharing.
Strepsils for breakfast. Urrrrrgh.
Feel like I'm getting my second cold of the season. I blame the baby event we went to at the museum on Wednesday.
December 6, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Strepsils for breakfast. Urrrrrgh.
Doctor Who: The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
December 5, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Doctor Who: The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
Feel like I'm getting my second cold of the season. I blame the baby event we went to at the museum on Wednesday.
December 5, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Feel like I'm getting my second cold of the season. I blame the baby event we went to at the museum on Wednesday.
Reposted by Dr Philip Boyes
Obviously this is impossible because Alan Moore looks like he's genetically a wizard, it's simply impossible to imagine what he would look like as a schoolboy oh there he is.
Spot Alan Moore in his 6th form Northampton Grammar School photo, taken two days before he was expelled
December 2, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Obviously this is impossible because Alan Moore looks like he's genetically a wizard, it's simply impossible to imagine what he would look like as a schoolboy oh there he is.
Reposted by Dr Philip Boyes
I like that the Royal Mail parcel tracking says 'Item leaving Overseas'. That's only one step up from 'Item leaving Foreign'.
I don't like that there's no way to pre-pay the customs fee you know you're going to get and avoid the £12 handling fee.
I don't like that there's no way to pre-pay the customs fee you know you're going to get and avoid the £12 handling fee.
December 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
I like that the Royal Mail parcel tracking says 'Item leaving Overseas'. That's only one step up from 'Item leaving Foreign'.
I don't like that there's no way to pre-pay the customs fee you know you're going to get and avoid the £12 handling fee.
I don't like that there's no way to pre-pay the customs fee you know you're going to get and avoid the £12 handling fee.
Pseudo-Lego advent calendar day 4. We've had 2 Black Falcons and one griffin knight. The Falcons were identical but I swapped out a few parts on the second one for a different look. The new shield is a sticker I made myself.
December 4, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Pseudo-Lego advent calendar day 4. We've had 2 Black Falcons and one griffin knight. The Falcons were identical but I swapped out a few parts on the second one for a different look. The new shield is a sticker I made myself.
I'm torn about that new Doctor Who season 21 box set. On the one hand, the extras look fantastic; on the other, even in the trailer the AI overuse is really offputting. Everyone looks like they're made of wax. Don't make me buy it and keep the old DVDs too!
December 4, 2025 at 1:15 PM
I'm torn about that new Doctor Who season 21 box set. On the one hand, the extras look fantastic; on the other, even in the trailer the AI overuse is really offputting. Everyone looks like they're made of wax. Don't make me buy it and keep the old DVDs too!
Reposted by Dr Philip Boyes
james cameron every couple of years for some reason:
December 2, 2025 at 7:05 AM
james cameron every couple of years for some reason:
I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole of looking at mediaeval hats yesterday, and I think it's a great shame there wasn't an early Troughton Doctor Who set in the 15th century. I should like a hat like that, indeed.
December 2, 2025 at 5:52 AM
I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole of looking at mediaeval hats yesterday, and I think it's a great shame there wasn't an early Troughton Doctor Who set in the 15th century. I should like a hat like that, indeed.
Pseudo-Lego minifigure advent calendar day 1. Surprisingly nice! An original design as far as I can tell, not a knock-off. The quality is good, there's more printing than I expected and the general style and level of detail is on par with a Lego one. It came with a skeleton head but I swapped it out
December 1, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Pseudo-Lego minifigure advent calendar day 1. Surprisingly nice! An original design as far as I can tell, not a knock-off. The quality is good, there's more printing than I expected and the general style and level of detail is on par with a Lego one. It came with a skeleton head but I swapped it out
Come to think of it, we're well on our way to a one-baby D&D party.
December 1, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Come to think of it, we're well on our way to a one-baby D&D party.
The baby's now just about big enough for my old baby poncho. She wears it better, it has to be said. Embracing her Chilean heritage!
December 1, 2025 at 5:13 PM
The baby's now just about big enough for my old baby poncho. She wears it better, it has to be said. Embracing her Chilean heritage!
I'm featured in this month's Blocks magazine! With a Lego model I made over a decade ago. They spelt my name wrong but I got a free contributor's copy so I'll forgive them. Incidentally my last Lego build featured in a magazine was also a ship - in Stingray comic about 35 years ago.
December 1, 2025 at 4:40 PM
I'm featured in this month's Blocks magazine! With a Lego model I made over a decade ago. They spelt my name wrong but I got a free contributor's copy so I'll forgive them. Incidentally my last Lego build featured in a magazine was also a ship - in Stingray comic about 35 years ago.