Nina Willburger
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drnwillburger.bsky.social
Nina Willburger
@drnwillburger.bsky.social
18K followers 3.4K following 3K posts
Archaeologist | Permanent Representative of the Director, Archäologisches Landesmuseum Baden-Württemberg | Adjunct lecturer State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart | Private account, views are mine 🖖
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drnwillburger.bsky.social
Nina Willburger @drnwillburger.bsky.social · Nov 9
Hello new followers and welcome! My focus is on #archaeology, you can expect posts from me covering a wide range of topics, e.g. objects, exhibitions, and latest discoveries, primarily from the European Paleolithic to the early medieval period.
I may also share posts about nature and Star Trek.

🏺
drnwillburger.bsky.social
Like a time capsule: a #Roman tile marked with #finger lines, hobnail #shoe prints, #dog's paw prints, and a #stamp of the LEG(io) XIIII G(emina). Tiles with imprints are very common, since tiles were laid out to dry in the open air ahead of firing, where...🧵1/2

#TilesOnTuesday 🏺
A tile with well-preserved surface impressions: three distinct outline of shoes with hobnail patterns in the center, a animal paw prints nearby, and a rectangular maker's stamp with worn lettering and an imprint of a foot. And finger lines. The tile surface shows additional small impressions and chips.
November 11, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
drtobydriver.bsky.social
#TombTuesday A fitting place for the dead 💀: an early Bronze Age cairn- possibly the furthest west on the British mainland - sited close to the sea on Mayon Cliff above Sennen, West Penwith, Cornwall

Built of massive boulders, the central cist has long been disturbed & exposed

📷 My own, last week
A round barrow with boulders in a coastal setting
November 11, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
ideasroadshow.bsky.social
"Vast numbers of people are very interested in learning more about some of history’s most beautiful works of art, as any quick visit to the Met or the Uffizi Gallery will make abundantly clear."

🗃️ #arthistory #skystorians #art #filmsky #museum

ideasroadshow.substack.com/p/identity-c...
Identity Crisis
What's in a name?
ideasroadshow.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
drnwillburger.bsky.social
For #MosaicMonday a charming duck.
Found in Trier, dating 4th century AD

📷 me

On display at Museum am Dom, Trier

🏺 #archaeology
A mosaic depicting a duck
November 10, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
drnwillburger.bsky.social
I totally agree
Illustration of Snoopy sitting cross-legged in a meditative pose wearing a blue patterned hoodie. The text beside him reads, “Inner peace begins with four words: not my fucking problem."
November 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
stoneclub.bsky.social
Chûn Quoit
photographed by @matthewmshaw.bsky.social
#StandingStoneSunday
Chûn Quoit in Penwith
November 9, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
chapps.bsky.social
I regret to inform you that I’ll be staying in this utter hellhole for the next six days (please don’t hate me). #vacay #Mexico #Compostela
View from our deck high above the rain forest on the coast of Compostela, Mexico. The view takes in the forest, the beach, and the ocean, along with the golden sun low in the sky, casting everything in a golden haze. Same location as before, but now the sun is sinking below the ocean, a riot of red, orange, and yellow, with the blue sky above and wispy clouds providing drama. The rain forest below is darkening …
November 10, 2025 at 3:19 AM
drnwillburger.bsky.social
I totally agree
Illustration of Snoopy sitting cross-legged in a meditative pose wearing a blue patterned hoodie. The text beside him reads, “Inner peace begins with four words: not my fucking problem."
November 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
alisonfisk.bsky.social
Delightful detail from the Roman “unswept floor” mosaic by Heraclitus, showing a mouse nibbling a walnut.

Superb use of darker tiles for subtle shadow effect!

2nd century AD. Vatican Museums www.museivaticani.va/content/muse...

#MosaicMonday
#Archaeology
The image shows detail from a floor mosaic of a brown mouse on a pale background facing left with its nose close to half a walnut in its shell. The mouse has a long thin tail stretched out behind. The mosaicist has used a mix of lighter and darker brown tiles for the mouse’s body to hint at fur. The walnut is created with warmer light and dark brown tiles. Slightly darker background tiles have been used beneath the mouse and walnut to create subtle shadows
November 10, 2025 at 1:07 PM
drnwillburger.bsky.social
For #MosaicMonday a charming duck.
Found in Trier, dating 4th century AD

📷 me

On display at Museum am Dom, Trier

🏺 #archaeology
A mosaic depicting a duck
November 10, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
kpw1453.bsky.social
The central panel from the ‘Geometric Mosaic’ which decorated one of the rooms at Rudston Roman Villa in East Yorkshire. The mosaic is now part of the collections at the Hull and East Riding Museum. 📸 My own. #MosaicMonday #RomanBritain #RudstonRomanVilla
November 10, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
durotrigesdig.bsky.social
A rather angry sea gryphon chases a cheeky dolphin across a 2nd century #Roman mosaic

Found at #Cirencester in 1849, the entirety of this decorated floor (featuring hunting dogs) can now be seen in the excellent @coriniummuseum.bsky.social

📷 Aug 2022

Don't play with your food this #MosaicMonday !
Detail from a Roman mosaic floor depicting a sea gryphon with claws outstretched chasing a dolphin
November 10, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
wittspat.bsky.social
There's been a request for elephants in mosaic, and we always like to oblige! To start with, here is the splendid beast from the Horkstow Orpheus mosaic. 1/2
#MosaicMonday
#AncientBlueSky 🏺
@classicalalan.bsky.social
Part of a coloured engraving of a Roman mosaic showing a radial design with the 'spokes' drawn in simple guilloche. In the main compartment in this photo, a dark-coloured elephant is shown in profile walking to the right. The animal is depicted against the backdrop of a tree. In the smaller compartment above are two birds in profile, facing one another but with their heads turned away to look behind them. Between them is a triangular object with a vertical line above it, probably a stylised bunch of grapes on a stem.
November 10, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
drnwillburger.bsky.social
A catoon image offering satirical advice about how to become a better conversationalist. The top text suggests: "Ask people questions that give them an opportunity to talk about themselves." The cartoon shows one character asking, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
November 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
jensnotroff.com
Passenderweise sehe ich gerade, dass mein Beitrag über "Arier, Aliens & Atlantis: Archäologische #Wissenschaftskommunikation zwischen Popkultur & #Ideologie" inzwischen auch bei @lisa.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de online nachgeschaut & -gehört werden kann:

lisa.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de/antike_im_ze...
Arier, Aliens und Atlantis: Archäologische Wissenschaftskommunikation zwischen Popkultur und Ideologie | L.I.S.A. WISSENSCHAFTSPORTAL GERDA HENKEL STIFTUNG
Wie oft denken Sie an das Römische Reich? Warum hat Mark Zuckerberg eine Skulptur seiner Ehefrau im Garten aufgestellt? Was war das für ein vermeintlich „römischer Gruß“, mit dem Elon Musk für Aufregu...
lisa.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de
November 9, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
auschwitzmemorial.bsky.social
9 November 1930 | A Dutch Jewish girl, Betsij Kaatje van Geldere, was born in Tilburg.

In October 1942 she was deported to #Auschwitz and murdered in a gas chamber after the selection.
---

A short video about gas chambers and crematoria of the Auschwitz camp: https://youtu.be/-A05i25j9Ck
Vintage black and white portrait of a smiling woman wearing a pearl necklace.
November 9, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
drnwillburger.bsky.social
For #AncientSiteSunday the #Hellenistic theatre at Pergamon, #Türkiye, built in the 3rd century BC, alterations were made in the #Roman period. It's one of the steepest known ancient theatres. The capacity was about 10,000 spectators.

📷 C. Bredfeldt

🏺 AncientBluesky #archaeology
A full shot of the ruins of an ancient theatre, located on a hillside. The theatre's steep tiered seating structure is clearly visible, constructed of light gray stone blocks, weathering evident in various tones. The hillside surrounding the theatre s covered with grass, creating a contrast between the man-made stone structures and the natural landscape. Sections of crumbling stone walls and foundations are scattered throughout the grassy slopes.
November 9, 2025 at 8:06 AM
drnwillburger.bsky.social
A catoon image offering satirical advice about how to become a better conversationalist. The top text suggests: "Ask people questions that give them an opportunity to talk about themselves." The cartoon shows one character asking, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
November 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
chapps.bsky.social
An idea for your Christmas tree this year - stacks of Celtic gold torcs! Known as the Ipswitch Torcs after the location where their hoard was found, the terminals are decorated in the swirly La Tène style (Tène II), save the top one which is unadorned. 🎄🏺 1/

150-50 BCE. 📸 me
#BritishMuseum
A stack of five gold torcs against a green background. All were made from two twisted solid bars, with loop terminals cast on. Four (1969,0103.2-5) have cast terminals ornamented in high relief with Tène II style curvilinear motifs of bosses and scrolls, within a border of two corded bands lying slightly apart; they can be paired but their patterns are not identical. The fifth - at top (1969,0103.1) - has plain terminals. These torcs were probably deposited together as a hoard around 75 BCE.
November 8, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
kpw1453.bsky.social
A lone standing stone at Milton of Clava - a Bronze Age cemetery close to the more famous Clava Cairns in the Scottish Highlands. The stone may have been part of a larger stone circle. 📸 My own. #StandingStoneSunday #ClavaCairns #Archaeology #Prehistory
November 9, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
kpw1453.bsky.social
A decorative mount from Roman Norfolk that once formed part of a crown worn by priests during Roman religious ceremonies. Now part of the collections at Norwich Castle. 📸 My own. #RomanBritain #RomanReligion #NorwichCastle
November 9, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
alisonfisk.bsky.social
Happy Sunday! 🦛 💙

Adorable ancient Egyptian blue faience hippos made by artisans some 4,000 years ago!

📷 by me

#Archaeology
My photo collage shows four hippo statuettes made of Egytian blue faience, a ceramic material made of ground quartz. Their bright-blue shiny bodies are decorated in black with depictions of Nile river plants such as water weed and lotus flowers. This decoration depicts their marsh habitat as well as having various layers of symbolism associated with regeneration. For example lotus flowers open in the morning and close at night, symbolising rebirth. Blue faience hippos have been found in Middle Kingdom tombs of high ranking officials. It’s thought they were placed in the tombs to aid the rebirth of the deceased. Hippo top left - Walking hippo shown in profile facing right. Height 11.5 cm, Length 21 cm. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Top right - Roaring hippo (looks like the hippo is smiling), seated, with head at left and turned inwards to front. Height 7.5 cm, length 12.5 cm. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. Bottom left - Standing hippo in profile facing right. This hippo is part of the Met Museum’s collections and is popularly known as ‘William’. Height 11.2 cm, Length 20 cm Bottom Right - Reclining hippo with head on the right, facing front, and tilted down. Egyptian Museum, Cairo
November 9, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
drnwillburger.bsky.social
It's time for #Caturday and a timeline cleanse!

A terracotta figurine of a #cat playing the harp.

From #Egypt, #Roman period, late 1st century AD.

On display at Museum August Kestner, Hannover.

Have a lovely #weekend!

📷 me

🏺
Fragment of a yellowish-brown clay figurine depicting a cat playing a harp. The cat is upright, with detailed facial features and textured fur, holding the harp to its side. The surface shows signs of wear and age, and the piece is displayed on a clear stand.
November 8, 2025 at 8:20 AM
drnwillburger.bsky.social
For #AncientSiteSunday the #Hellenistic theatre at Pergamon, #Türkiye, built in the 3rd century BC, alterations were made in the #Roman period. It's one of the steepest known ancient theatres. The capacity was about 10,000 spectators.

📷 C. Bredfeldt

🏺 AncientBluesky #archaeology
A full shot of the ruins of an ancient theatre, located on a hillside. The theatre's steep tiered seating structure is clearly visible, constructed of light gray stone blocks, weathering evident in various tones. The hillside surrounding the theatre s covered with grass, creating a contrast between the man-made stone structures and the natural landscape. Sections of crumbling stone walls and foundations are scattered throughout the grassy slopes.
November 9, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Reposted by Nina Willburger
kpw1453.bsky.social
Stanydale Temple - a Neolithic structure located 3 miles east of Walls on the west mainland of Shetland. Referred to as a ‘temple’ by Charles Calder who excavated the site in the 1940s, its purpose is unknown, though possibly ceremonial. 📸 My own. #Archaeology #Shetland
November 8, 2025 at 7:43 AM