Duncan Mackay
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theduncanmackay.bsky.social
Duncan Mackay
@theduncanmackay.bsky.social
Writer, archaeologist, wild swimmer, wild gardener. New book Echolands, A Journey in Search of Boudica out now from @Hodderbooks.bsky.social https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/duncan-mackay/echolands/9781399714143/ Rep. Jim Gill at Felicity Bryan Associates
Pinned
Reposted by Duncan Mackay
#FindsFriday looking down on a mighty spearhead, chariot fittings & tools 🥰 from the Iron Age votive lake deposit at Llyn Cerrig Bach on Ynys Môn/Anglesey - now on display in St Fagans Museum

Hear about new discoveries on 4 December at the Cambrians Xmas lecture🥳

cambrians.org.uk/cambrians-ch...
November 21, 2025 at 6:41 AM
Reposted by Duncan Mackay
The base of a 2,000 year old, Late Iron Age Durotrigian style Black Burnished Ware bowl from Winterborne Kingston #Dorset

A series of squiggles were scored into the fabric prior to firing - decoration, doodle or pot-makers mark?

📷 during cleaning in June 2013

#FindsFriday
November 21, 2025 at 7:40 AM
I saw a mouse!
Where?
There on the stair!
Where on the stair?
Right there!

For #FindsFriday this lovely little Roman toy or joke mouse made from a scrap of leather at marvellous @vindolandatrust.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Reposted by Duncan Mackay
Brrrrrrrrrr 🥶
#RomanFortThursday
(John Kenney 1959)
November 20, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Reposted by Duncan Mackay
And for anyone who enjoyed basking in the warmth of the golden Vindolanda cavalry horse chamfron video yesterday, guess what? They’ve got a red one at @trimontiumtrust.bsky.social in Melrose!!🤩
#RomanFortThursday
November 20, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Reposted by Duncan Mackay
On a chilly morning such as this, let’s imagine ourselves as a Hadrian’s Wall soldier starting his shift in one of the turrets, checking his section of wall, & then upwards on watch duty.
Filmed Tuesday morning, at fabulous @vindolandatrust.bsky.social before the snow!
#RomanFortThursday
November 20, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Brrrrrrrrrr 🥶
#RomanFortThursday
(John Kenney 1959)
November 20, 2025 at 5:20 PM
And for anyone who enjoyed basking in the warmth of the golden Vindolanda cavalry horse chamfron video yesterday, guess what? They’ve got a red one at @trimontiumtrust.bsky.social in Melrose!!🤩
#RomanFortThursday
November 20, 2025 at 3:43 PM
On a chilly morning such as this, let’s imagine ourselves as a Hadrian’s Wall soldier starting his shift in one of the turrets, checking his section of wall, & then upwards on watch duty.
Filmed Tuesday morning, at fabulous @vindolandatrust.bsky.social before the snow!
#RomanFortThursday
November 20, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Reposted by Duncan Mackay
Always enjoy getting home from a long research trip & unpacking. Relieved to say I resisted the cynical sales drive of northern museum shops to tempt weak & foolish middle aged archaeologists into buying unnecessary Asterix Playmobil sets.
Far too long in the tooth for that 🙄

#PlaymobilInfestation
November 19, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by Duncan Mackay
It’s horrid & cold & barely light out there - so warm yourselves around the glow of this Roman cavalry horse chamfron at @vindolandatrust.bsky.social based on one found in the excavations. Bronze dazzling as gilt & leather smooth as caramel, this is the accessory every little pony wants this Xmas.🎄
November 19, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Reposted by Duncan Mackay
A walk through the stone defences of Mither Tap, Bennachie in Aberdeenshire for #HillfortsWednesday
I believe occupied in the early Middle Ages, don’t know how far it goes back? Whenever it was, I hope it was less windy than now.
November 19, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Reposted by Duncan Mackay
ROMAN WALL BLUES

“Over the heather the wet wind blows,
I’ve lice in my tunic and a cold in my nose.
The rain comes pattering out of the sky,
I’m a Wall soldier, I don’t know why.”

W. H. Auden.
#PlaymobilInfestation
#HadriansWall
November 18, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Reposted by Duncan Mackay
Current location:
Stonehenge gift shop

Current status:
Sorely tempted

#ItsBeginingToLookALotLikeChristmas
November 19, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Always enjoy getting home from a long research trip & unpacking. Relieved to say I resisted the cynical sales drive of northern museum shops to tempt weak & foolish middle aged archaeologists into buying unnecessary Asterix Playmobil sets.
Far too long in the tooth for that 🙄

#PlaymobilInfestation
November 19, 2025 at 5:02 PM
It’s horrid & cold & barely light out there - so warm yourselves around the glow of this Roman cavalry horse chamfron at @vindolandatrust.bsky.social based on one found in the excavations. Bronze dazzling as gilt & leather smooth as caramel, this is the accessory every little pony wants this Xmas.🎄
November 19, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Reposted by Duncan Mackay
It's true 💯 - we're all only here for #HillfortsWednesday 🥳🛖

The remarkable Pentre Camp near Llanfair Caereinion in north Powys is highly concentric with 3 lines of defence: perhaps for prestige or to mark it as a special locale..? 🤔

📷 Mobile phone during #RCAHMW aerial photography, May 2025
November 19, 2025 at 6:21 AM
Reposted by Duncan Mackay
It's #HillfortsWednesday !!

Here's the Iron Age enclosure of Belsar’s Hill #Cambridgeshire, remodelled as a Norman fortress in the early 1070s, before being incorporated into a field system and overlain by a road

It's still impressive however, especially from the air 🤩

📷 Bill Blake CC BY-SA 4.0
November 19, 2025 at 6:49 AM
A walk through the stone defences of Mither Tap, Bennachie in Aberdeenshire for #HillfortsWednesday
I believe occupied in the early Middle Ages, don’t know how far it goes back? Whenever it was, I hope it was less windy than now.
November 19, 2025 at 10:16 AM
ROMAN WALL BLUES

“Over the heather the wet wind blows,
I’ve lice in my tunic and a cold in my nose.
The rain comes pattering out of the sky,
I’m a Wall soldier, I don’t know why.”

W. H. Auden.
#PlaymobilInfestation
#HadriansWall
November 18, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Well…never expected to see the Rescript of Honorius honoured in a road sign, but wonders never cease.
😏
#EndOfRomanBritain
#AD410
#LookToYourOwnDefence
November 18, 2025 at 10:42 PM
And in the last assessment of museum shops in the north (bravos all round, to be fair), @vindolandatrust.bsky.social score another set of high pitched rapid bravos, not only for a good selection of Roman/Asterix Playmobil sets, but also the go-with books! Bravo!👏 👏👏
#PlaymobilInfestation
November 18, 2025 at 10:26 PM
We’re very impressed that @vindolandatrust.bsky.social has built a perfectly Playmobil scale section of turf and timber wall rampart 😉
#PlaymobilInfestation
November 18, 2025 at 9:48 PM
On Active Service.
Somewhere in Britannia.

“Dear mum, send socks.”

#HadriansWall
#PlaymobilInfestation
November 18, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Good company at breakfast.
#TwiceBrewed
#HadriansWall
November 18, 2025 at 8:18 AM