A stunning #torc from the Erstfeld Treasure, showing animals that merge into each other to form fanciful creatures. The treasure was deposited in a rock crevice in a valley leading to the Gotthard Pass, probably as votive offerings of a group of travellers. It consists of four golden #torcs and three golden arm rings. Found in Erstfeld, Switzerland, dating around 390 BC. On display at Landesmuseum Zurich.

#archaeology

Oooh, PRETTY!

#torcs

https://bigbookoftorcs.com/2023/06/23/beyond-snettisham-a-reassessment-of-gold-alloy-torcs-from-iron-age-britain-and-ireland/

Something for the weekend: a recent torc talk Roll and I gave to Kilmartin Museum.

We're getting more confident in our new ideas! 😊

#Archaeology #Gold #Prehistory #Torcs

https://youtu.be/HSa2B4mnh8o

Still time to book for our talk torc tonight, 7pm: on zoom & free. We always aim to have a bit of everything in our talks - if you've seen us talk before, there will always be something new, if you know nothing about torcs, you'll find out a bit about them.

...and if all else fails, I guarantee some pretty gold photos!!! 🤣

Tonight's talk is about looking at torcs from a perspective beyond East Anglia!

Booking here:

https://www.kilmartin.org/evening-talks

#Archaeology #Prehistory #Torcs #IronAge #Scotland

Next lecture, 16th March (next Thursday), 7pm. On zoom and free (just sign up on the link) and we'll be taking a Scottish/Northern perspective on this one - did torcs *really* come from East Anglia or are we still too loaded with colonial ideas that only the South had what it takes to make pretty things?????

https://www.kilmartin.org/evening-talks

#Archaeology #Prehistory #Torcs #IronAge #Scotland

Another one I forgot I'd made...

1 x sheet of diffraction grating + a bit of melted chocolate = holographic torc!!

Yes. Really. 🤣

#Archaeology #Torcs #Chocolate

@MainlyAl Mi plan es intentar NO jugar a #SpeedDreams ni #TORCS. Ya con eso lo doy por bien aprovechado.

Next lecture from us - Thursday 16th March, 7pm. FREE and online!

https://www.digitscotland.com/events/talking-torcs-south-to-north-or-north-to-south-online-event/

#Archaeology #Prehistory #Lecture #Torcs #Gold #Scotland

Sue Barnish
@suebarnish_exTw1tter

A bus pass using fugitive from Twitter post Musk I'm a #socialist with a healthy dislike of Torydom and its corrupt operatives. No desire to vere Right or to settle for the lesser of two evils. My #grandchildren deserve better, so do my# family, friends and neighbours. #NHS forever. Love my #Garden & #Gardening #Cakes #Baking
#Greece Has just found #Mosstodon #torcs #Archeology
#follow #following #boost #followfriday #altext

A new notebook has been started... and it's suitably glittery for the blingiest, most in your face, bit of piratical research we've done yet!!

Really looking forward to this one. ❤️

#Archaeology #Torcs #Gold #Prehistory #Pirates #Vikings

Screwed my courage to the sticking place: paper is submitted!

"Beyond Snettisham: a reassessment of gold alloy torcs from Iron Age Britain and Ireland" by Tess Machling & Roland Williamson

Gulp! 😁

#Archaeology #Torcs #Gold #Prehistory #IronAge

After a truly lovely day in #Newark talking #torcs and a few days with Roll, getting the paper tidy, I'm now at the point of submitting it...

...I hate this moment. You know it's there, you know that peer-review and editing will sort any glaring omissions and yet - and yet - you just can't resist a final read, re-read, tweak, fiddle, check etc etc etc....

Arrrggghhh!! 🤣🤣🤣

#Archaeology #Writing #Prehistory

Me again sticking bits of one torc onto another torc, this time #Newark roundels onto the #Netherurd terminal.

Compare the tooled lines....

#Archaeology #Torcs #Gold #IronAge #Prehistory

Been thinking about #torcs and #2023: we've got several big things on the go.

Dating paper just about ready to submit, idea for the next chunk of stuff in train, *really* exciting bit of collaborative work coming up in the next few months, several more torc talks - and the hugely delayed British Museum Snettisham volume is due out in April [....actually that'll teach me, just checked and they've bumped it to June...FFS!]

Going to be busy.

Onwards ❤️

#Archaeology #Gold #Prehistory #Vikings

Back to #torcs ..... I'm really enjoying creating images for this next paper.

You reduce stuff to greyscale and it makes it soooo much easier to see the links between things that often get lost in the shiny-blingness...

#Archaeology #Prehistory #Gold

Using the quiet to prep illustrations for the next paper - it's rather nice just listening to music and fiddling with pics....

#Betwixtmas #Drawing #Archaeology #Torcs

As it's #ChristmasEve, I thought I'd share one of my favourite #torcs with you - not glitzy & #silver rich alloy, rather than #gold, but masterpiece in understated skill. It's from #Snettisham & made from two hammered rods twisted together.

One of those objects that looks easy - then you realise that there's an immense amount of experience & knowledge goes into a piece like this!! ❤️

BTW I'll be about for #JoinIn tomorrow if you fancy a chat. It's good to torc!

#Archaeology

📷 #BritishMuseum

Ok, so it might be Christmas Eve Eve, but.....a new notebook has been started - which can only mean the next bit of Project Torc Lunacy is go!!!

This one's been troubling us for a very long time, but now we've got the dates a bit clearer, we can get on with it.

Does it look like it'll upset the apple cart again?

Oh, you betcha... 😊

*excited*

#Archaeology #Gold #Torcs #ItsGoodToTorc

Yesterday, I told you the #IronAge was weird.... well, here's the categorical proof!

Yes, a #Torc with a knot in it! Yes, it would appear it's an Iron Age knot. We have absolutely no idea why someone would tie a knot in a torc (there aren't other known examples), but my suspicion is it was done because they could - this is not easy thing to do & my gut feeling is this is a goldsmith showing off their skill set.

But whatever it is, I love it! ❤️

#Archaeology #Gold #Torcs

📷 British Museum

Ok, those of you who followed me on twitter will know about this, but for those of you who didn't:

I want you to think about when you're idling with a piece of foil - you know, like the little cases you get on #MincePies - that you kind of fold & refold & they still won't go flat, & so...

... you bite it!

Well, there's a distinct possibility that, for whatever bonkers reason, someone was doing this with #Snettisham #torcs 2300 yrs ago!!

The #IronAge: it's weird!! 🤣

#Archaeology #Prehistory