Welwyn Archaeological Society
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welwynarchsoc.bsky.social
Welwyn Archaeological Society
@welwynarchsoc.bsky.social
780 followers 250 following 780 posts
The Society's Blue Sky feed run by the Director with an interest in all things archaeological especially archaeological method, geophysics and fieldwork. Have been known to publish a few things on coins and stats too. Always looking for speakers!
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welwynarchsoc.bsky.social
Day 8 of #31DaysOfGraves has the theme of animal. This chappie is in the local churchyard in #Hertfordshire. The grave is surrounded by a very low ornamental wall with an entrance in one corner and a path across the gravel to this #dog and the book. Quite an unusual design but one I quite like.
A black and white photograph showing a statue of a small bulldog sitting on the grave next to an open book with text on it. The focus is on the dog so the book is slightly out of focus and impossible to read from the photo.
October 8, 2026 at 7:18 AM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
friendlesschurches.bsky.social
After years of work, St Lawrence's, Gumfreston has reopened and we have been delighted by the wonderful comments left by visitors.

1/6
October 7, 2026 at 4:05 PM
welwynarchsoc.bsky.social
Cromer Windmill in Hertfordshire is in need of repairs and is trying to raise funds for them. Donate if you can.

youtu.be/F0mv2OBDjzM?...
Cromer Mill requires restoration. Latest News: August 2026! Hertfordshire Preservation Trust
YouTube video by Mike howarth
youtu.be
October 7, 2026 at 9:09 AM
welwynarchsoc.bsky.social
Today's #31daysofgraves theme is "home". This was a really hard one and the best I could do was this monument in #Hampstead cemetery, #London. The top plaque says that Walter Arthur Rider was "suddenly called home". He was only 19 when he died. The three metal plaques date between 1901 and 1925. 1/2
A tall memorial which although flat is built to look like the facade of a classical temple with two columns either side and a pediment. The central panel has three bronze plaques with inscriptions and one carved directly into the stone. Along the bottom on the stone in relief is the inscription "The family grave of Mr. & Mrs. W.R.Rider, of Hampstead".
October 7, 2026 at 7:45 AM
welwynarchsoc.bsky.social
Day 6's theme for #31daysofgraves is weather. This grave is in #WestNorwood cemetery in London. The panel shows the sinking of the ship London in a storm. The other side of this monument featured in someone else's post yesterday for transport as it has a ship on the top and and on the other panel.
The side panel of a chest tomb. The centre of the panel shows a ship floundering in a storm. It is framed by four columns, two either side, holding up a flat horizontal entablature with an inscription. It says "Ship London off Gangan 6th October 1832". The tomb is to Captain John Wimble. More details can be found in the official listing https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1065020?section=official-list-entry
October 6, 2026 at 5:49 AM
welwynarchsoc.bsky.social
The first WAS meeting of the 2026/2027 season is this Friday, 9th October, at 7.45pm. Aaron Hunter will be talking about #Geology in #Hertfordshire. UR Church Hall (opposite Sainsbury's) Welwyn Garden City. All welcome, visitors £3. No need to book, just turn up. @ehasarch.bsky.social
October 5, 2026 at 8:08 PM
welwynarchsoc.bsky.social
Once upon a time one submitted a paper and the forgot about it until the referees comments came back. Now one submits it and checks the online tracking system endlessly. I'm not certain that is actually an improvement!
October 5, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
friendlesschurches.bsky.social
For St Tyfi's, Llandyfeisant the past 65 years has been chequered, with some highs, but a lot of lows. Now, in 2026, this church is officially designated as ‘At Risk’, however, we are determined to save it.

1/10
October 5, 2026 at 7:30 AM
welwynarchsoc.bsky.social
Today's #31daysofgraves' theme is "vehicle". I'm going with a #ship on a monument in the #Camperdown cemetery in #Perth, #Australia.
Black and white photograph of the triangular "gable end" of a monument. With the triangle is a relief carving of a tall ship in full sail on a stylised sea. The ship has three masts.
October 5, 2026 at 7:41 AM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
bambooshooti.bsky.social
#ResistanceRoots

Henrietta Lacks died on this day in 1951 in Baltimore, Md. She only became well-known for what she contributed after her death. However, she deserves to be remembered as a beautiful young mother who was much more than her immortalized human cell line used in medical research. /1
Henrietta Lacks, ca. late 1940s. Lacks is the unwitting mother of modern medical research whose exploitation forced the world to reinvent medical ethics. As the source of the HeLa cell line, she unknowingly gave humanity its first “immortal” human cells, enabling medical advances that have touched millions of lives worldwide. The dark side of these medical breakthroughs is the stark reality of paternalistic, Jim Crow-era medicine, where a poor Black woman’s body could be harvested without her knowledge or informed consent. For decades, Henrietta was reduced to an anonymous laboratory code. Today, her descendants, artists and global communities have fought to ensure she is remembered as a person. Her final resting place is marked with a granite headstone honoring her not just as a medical miracle, but as a mother who loved to cook, wear bright red lipstick, and take care of her family.
October 4, 2026 at 11:21 PM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
martynjb.bsky.social
A while ago I said I might post about modern Stonehenge myths, some of which pop up frequently in all manner of places, including stuff written by actual archaeologists. So – to begin with, the old chestnut about (allegedly) being able to hire a hammer when visiting Stonehenge. #StandingStoneSunday
A colour photo showing two of the trilithons at Stonehenge, with a few other stones visible. In the foreground is a sign saying "No Admittance", while in between the two upright sarsens of one trilithon is an orange and white traffic cone.
October 4, 2026 at 10:41 AM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
pighill.bsky.social
OH NO!
A throwaway comment by someone on the radio, has just revealed to me that Denby Pottery is no more! Sunk into administration over the summer (An apology if you knew this, I'm behind the news it seems)

A long standing stalwart of british ceramics, and makers of some of my favourite ranges.
A hand holding a blue glazed ceramic bowl, signed in black marker pen on the base with a date, a signature, and the message "The very last piece"
October 4, 2026 at 11:40 AM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
scotchurchestrust.bsky.social
Day 4 of #31DaysOfGraves - Entrance

This remarkable Victorian memorial, depicting the entrance to the Egyptian Land of the Dead, behind an incredible carved sandstone palm tree, is located in the Grange Cemetery, next to Marchmont St Giles Church, Edinburgh

It was carved by sculptor Robert Thomson
October 4, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
chriswoodyard.bsky.social
#31DaysofGraves #2 Urn Weeping willows bend over a large and tiny urn for Mrs Loina Day and infant. She died on 20 January, 1813, aged 31 years, just 11 days after her child.
www.jstor.org/stable/commu...
#TheVictorianBookoftheDead
Brownish tombstone with a large and small arch on the top carved with urns overshadowed by weeping willows. The text reads: In Memory of Mrs. Loina Day, Consort of Mr. Joseph Day, who died Jan. 20th 1813, Aged 31 years. Also Her infant Child died Jan. 9 1813. Great God I own thy sentence just And nature must decay; I yield her body to the dust [? the stone is very worn] And wipe my weeping eyes. [? the grass hides some of the inscription.]
October 2, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
profliztingle.bsky.social
A splendid day of AGM and talks at @churchmonuments.bsky.social at Carshalton All Saints. On the macro scale, impressive gold work (Comper) and on the micro, a most exquisite enamelled late 15C brass of Margaret Gaynesford. What an outfit!
Church interior facing east to the high altar showing large gilded Christ above the chancel arch and a large Victorian gothic roof screen and reredos, both gilded. Inside of a church looking west to a large organ with many pipes situated on a high gallery supported by pillars, all painted blue and gold. A medieval lady with a red dress and gold butterfly headdress kneeling at a reading desk. Made of brass or copper and coloured with enamel.
October 3, 2026 at 7:32 PM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
westminsterabbey.bsky.social
This is the tomb of Henry III, who lies buried in the Chapel of St Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey

The Purbeck marble tomb is decorated with slabs of purple and green antique porphyry and is inlaid with gilded Cosmati mosaic and pieces of coloured marble and glass

#31DaysOfTombs #Glass
The marble tomb of Henry III sits framed between two large, cylindrical stone columns inside Westminster Abbey. Atop the tomb lies a golden effigy of a reclining figure, facing right with arms folded. The front panel of the tomb is inlaid with a large piece of porphyry, framed by intricate gold mosaic patterns. Below this, a stone base features geometric patterns in gold mosaic alongside dark diamond and circular stone inlays. Directly above the tomb, a dark, heavy wooden beam structure arches between the two main stone columns. In the background, tiers of arched stone niches and Abbey windows rise behind the tomb. An extreme close-up shows a corner of an ornate Cosmatesque mosaic set into a light brown stone frame. The frame has a stepped-in design with a smooth, polished finish, showing slight signs of age and wear. A border of geometric mosaic pattern lines the inside of the frame. This pattern consists of alternating gold, dark blue, and red triangles that form star-like shapes. The gold triangles are gilded, while the blue and red ones are made of glass tesserae. Below the top border and to the left of the right border is a large spiral shape made of the same mosaic materials. The spiral is composed of alternating gold and red triangles. In the center of the spiral is a round, raised stone element. To the left of the spiral is a dark red porphyry stone panel, partially visible. The entire mosaic is set into a mortar bed, which is visible in the gaps between the tesserae. An extreme close-up of a mosaic. Triangles of gold leaf, red, and blue tiles form two adjacent diamond patterns outlined in thick, rough grey mortar. A strip of textured brown stone bounds the mosaic on the right side.
October 3, 2026 at 12:17 PM
welwynarchsoc.bsky.social
Day for of #31daysofgraves theme is "entrance". The door into the Wesselman #mausoleum in Green Wood #GreenWood cemetery, #Brooklyn, #NewYork is stunningly elegant.
Entrance to the mausoleum. On either side of the photograph are two classical columns holding up an flat horizontal entablature inscribed with the name "Wesselman". The door is metal with a figure of a woman leaning up against it. The woman is seen from the back, wearing a loose draped dress with a bare shoulder. One arm is held-up framing her head as if she is leaning on the door. The other appears to be holding her dress. Her hair is in a bun. The door she is "leaning" against is openwork, consisting of a series of vertical stylised plants and flowers. The inside of the door has a glass panel which fills in the gaps created by the openwork.
October 4, 2026 at 8:41 AM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
iampeacefulbean.bsky.social
#31DaysOfGraves Day 2: Urn
A large (about 2 ft tall) granite urn with decorative motifs and "CRALL" engraved around it. It sits in a cemetery between two bronze ground markers.
October 3, 2026 at 12:11 AM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
kpw1453.bsky.social
The Roman bridge at Pont-Saint-Martin in the Aosta Valley, northwest Italy. Dating to the 1st century BC, the bridge is one of many impressive Roman monuments in the area. 📸 My own. #RomanSiteSaturday #AostaValley
October 3, 2026 at 5:55 AM
welwynarchsoc.bsky.social
Day 3 of #31daysofgraves' theme is "glass". This unusual glass monument is in the Powązki Cemetery in #Warsaw, #Poland.
Detail of a grave marker consisting of a curved piece of glass with the deceased's name etched on it. The support, seen through the glass, consists of a series of thin horizontal slats which form the shape of a cross. There are lots of trees in leaf in the background. View of the whole monument from the side showing the slats mentioned in the previous picture being set on a curved stone base forming an arc with the glass fixed to the top of it. There are lots of other monuments in the background as well as many trees.
October 3, 2026 at 5:30 AM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
worldbollardassoc.bsky.social
It takes years of training to perfect this manoeuvre.
#WorldBollardAssociation
An NYPD police car balances its rear wheel in a black bollard leaving the car stranded in the air.
October 1, 2026 at 8:08 PM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
fotc.au
🪦 #31DaysOfGraves — Day 2: Urn

Private Eric Priddle - wounded at Gallipoli, died in Brisbane 21 Nov 1915, aged 22.

He rose responsive to his Country's call, and gave for her his best, his life, his all.

📍 Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 🦘 fotc.au
Urn atop the headstone of Private Eric Priddle in Toowong Cemetery. Wounded at Gallipoli. Died at Brisbane..
October 1, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
forestcollectiv.bsky.social
#FindsFriday with the West Bagborough hoard, a mixture of 681 silver coins & other pieces of hack silver
AD365

We caught this at the Somerset Museum on our way to North Devon & Cornwall, see more of the journey >>>
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiGX...
October 2, 2026 at 8:09 AM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
sblandfo.bsky.social
#31DaysOfGraves Day 2: Urn.

Double memorial at Corby Glen, #Grantham, with an elegant classical urn carved above the inscriptions.
Dark grey gravestone with crisp cursive inscriptions to Thomas Brewster and his wife Mary who died within a few months of each other in 1846. The memorial stands in a grassy sunlit churchyard.
October 2, 2026 at 8:05 PM
Reposted by Welwyn Archaeological Society
minibubbly.bsky.social
Did you know?

The very first female aeronautical engineer in the world was Elsie MacGill from British Columbia #Canada

She attended the University of British Columbia in 1921 - 2 years applied sciences (more details in link below)

/1 thread
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/e...
Elsie MacGill
Elizabeth (Elsie) Muriel Gregory MacGill, OC, aeronautical engineer, feminist (born 27 March 1905 in Vancouver, BC; died 4 November 1980 in Cambridge, Massach...
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
October 2, 2026 at 2:31 PM