De-Lurk : Aardvarchaeology

Profile

Dr. Martin Rundkvist is a Swedish archaeologist, journal editor, public speaker, chairman of the Swedish Skeptics Society, atheist, lefty liberal, bookworm, and father of two.

Search

De-Lurk

Category: Blogging
Posted on: February 10, 2010 2:05 PM, by Martin R

It's de-lurking time again! If you're a regular Aard reader who never comments, or if you do comment but have an inkling that I may not know who you are, then please comment on this entry and tell us a few words about yourself. Also, questions and suggestions for blog entries are much appreciated.

Comments

Any new developments on the sword you dug up?

Posted by: Avenel | February 10, 2010 2:45 PM

No, it's sitting in the typical Indiana Jones ending-scene store house and waiting for someone to exhibit it. )-:

Posted by: Martin R | February 10, 2010 2:48 PM

Hi Martin, I have you on my anthro pages.

I scan your posts almost everyday.

I enjoy the pictures you post, as I am in the United States and have not had the opportunity to see your country in person.

I really enjoyed the link to your friends site, the one that photographs the old buildings as well as just the topics you choose to comment on.

Elena

Posted by: Elena | February 10, 2010 3:08 PM

Hi,

Not sure if I've de-lurked here before but I'm just a general reader from New Zealand who pops in every day or so to see what you're up to. :)

Posted by: Andrew. | February 10, 2010 4:17 PM

New Zealand! You guys have Swedish weather, only trailing ours by six months! When things start to look grim here in late September, spring arrives in NZ! I want to live half of the year there.

Posted by: Martin R | February 10, 2010 4:21 PM

I'm an intermittent lurker, but I've always had a passing interest in archaeology ever since I worked on some digs here in the UK after university a few decades ago.

I'm tempted to visit Sweden sometime to see what it's like, but I get put off by the depressing Wallander books.

Oh, and thanks for spelling archaeology in the British way!

Posted by: Ian | February 10, 2010 4:38 PM

I'm a daily reader, but never comment.

I graduated last spring from Wheaton College, Illinois with a double major in archaeology and ancient languages. I'm currently an intern with the National Park Service, working as a museum technician in Death Valley, California.

Though my degree is in near-eastern archaeology, I'm very interested Scandinavian culture and history (I know a wee bit of Swedish).

I LOVE this blog - keep up the good work!

Posted by: Caleb | February 10, 2010 4:44 PM

Thanks guys, you make me very happy!

Sweden isn't depressing at all in May through August. But October through December sucks.

Posted by: Martin R | February 10, 2010 4:49 PM

Alright :) I'm an archaeologist from Portugal married with a Swedish sound engineer. I follow this blog because it's about archaeology, Sweden and everything else!I specially like the posts about "archaeological practice in Sweden" and everything about swedish traditions and odd habits... Thanks for keeping the blog running. Obrigada!

Posted by: Rita | February 10, 2010 5:02 PM

Another Lurker from New Zealand. Geologist, mainly hardrock phd and then mining industry background, but now slumming it in the engineering geology industry. Amateur experimental archaelogy is my thing, particularly replicating iron age metal and woodworking for my medieval re-enactment hobby addiction.

Posted by: Zane | February 10, 2010 5:26 PM

More pictures of cool artefacts I can try and make, mainly.

Posted by: Zane | February 10, 2010 5:34 PM

Hard rock PhD! Like Queen's Brian May! (-;

Posted by: Martin R | February 10, 2010 5:42 PM

I'm not an archaeologist but I do read a fair bit and enjoy not-quite-understanding and having to look things up :)

Posted by: Josh M | February 10, 2010 5:57 PM

I am a lurker in Wisconsin who really enjoys checking up with you daily. I also love getting to share the nuggets of Sweden with my Swedish speaking boyfriend.

Posted by: Kate | February 10, 2010 6:12 PM

I may have commented once or twice...
I'm an archaeology grad student and follow a number of blogs on the subject, one of which no doubt led me to your site :)

Posted by: Brian J. | February 10, 2010 6:47 PM

Andrew, or Arthwollipot. Co-host of the Nonsense Podcast, skeptic, medievalist, gamer. I semiregularly mail your posts to the Living History yahoogroup.

Posted by: Andrew Gould | February 10, 2010 6:58 PM

Retired chemist in eastern Ontario who spends far too much time following most of the science blogs here... never dull, always something cool. When I'm not frittering away hours on science blogs, I run the local science fair and guest lecture to the senior chemistry class at the local high school. Occasional writer of a science column in the local paper.

Posted by: Rod | February 10, 2010 7:15 PM

I subscribe to the Sb combined feed. Some blogs I merely glance at disdainfully, for some I enjoy the ongoing soap opera of Sb personality conflicts, but some I make a point to read. Yours, I read.

I always enjoy the archaeology posts (hoards -- hoards! oh, to live in such a place where hoards might be found), I envy your tales of the Socialist Hell that is Modern Scandinavia, and, as a chronic depressive, your Weekend Fun posts fill me with a mixture of hope and longing.

Technical writer, lower Ohio Valley (where our archeological heritage -- mostly Woodland, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient cultures -- is always a great hook for promoting your golf course or gated community), USA.

Posted by: HP | February 10, 2010 8:01 PM

Long time lurker. I'm a former physics guy that now does computer programming and data mining for evil Pharma companies. Live in eastern Pennsylvania.

I love English history and archaeology and read/watch it whenever I can. Thanks to you, I'm also learning to love Scandinavian history and archaeology as well.

I'd like to know your opinion of BBC's Time Team series, and whether you think it could (or should) work in other countries. I've seen a few episodes of Time Team America - very well done, although we definitely lack the depth of history to make it as interesting as the British original.

Thanks for blogging!
Eric Johnson

Posted by: Eric Johnson | February 10, 2010 8:29 PM

Definitely a lurker here. I'm a PhD chemist who did archaeological survey for the forest service in the summers. Currently working on developing batteries for hybrid cars.

Posted by: Bill | February 11, 2010 12:09 AM

I'm in Australia and mostly lurk. Archaeology is one of my passions and I love reading about it and watching programmes. I check this site http://www.archaeology.org/news/ every day for news and this week they have an interesting feature article on 'Should we clone Neanderthals".

I would be interested in hearing about any other great archaeology sites.

Posted by: yolande | February 11, 2010 12:29 AM

Hey, you guys all sound awesome, wish I could invite you over for board games!

HP, it would surprise me if Ohio archaeology included no hoards/caches. Most are found by non-archaeologists. Fieldwalking after ploughing/harrowing is a good method. Being in the US, you might want to make sure that the land owner isn't gonna shoot you, though.

Eric, one of my best gaming buddies is a young Big Pharma statistician! As for Time Team, I don't really have an opinion as I have only watched one episode. My basic attitude though is that anything with real archaeology/history in it that gets people's attention is a Very Good Thing. As is anything with Baldrick in it.

Posted by: Martin R | February 11, 2010 3:15 AM

Hi Martin

I guess it's time to delurk. I have been reading your blog for a while and particularly like to combination of archaeology and real life. You seem like the type of chap who would make excellent dinner company. I live with my family in a suburb north of Tel Aviv, Israel. I am a high techie by trade, but am doing an MA in Archaeology by distance learning. There is so much to learn and I am loving it. Thanks for the great blog. I'll keep reading.

peter

Posted by: blackpetero | February 11, 2010 3:51 AM

Shalom, Pete! I spent a happy month digging in Israel during a lull in the hostilities in 1990.

It makes me particularly happy to know that the semi-low percentage of actual science on this blog works for you. I would never be able to keep it up if archaeology was the only thing I was allowed to write about.

Posted by: Martin R | February 11, 2010 3:59 AM

Hello,

I am a PhD student in medieval studies at the University of Leeds. My thesis is on the cult of saints in late antique Britain. I have a bachelor's and master's degree in archaeology. I have done some professional archaeology in between my master's and PhD. I am interested in interdisciplinarity and the difficulties and benefits of getting historical (textual) evidence and archaeological evidence into discourse with each other.

Cheers,
Michael

Posted by: Michael Garcia | February 11, 2010 5:10 AM

Delurking from the central U.S. I have an anthro background (paleopathology) but am working outside academia due to not enough jobs to go around. Love the blog!

Posted by: Michelle S. | February 11, 2010 10:50 AM

Another Swede here, lurking around at least a couple of times a week. I'm a Ph.D. teaching and researching on steel production and process engineering. Over the last five years I've been involved in old-fashioned steelmaking with bloomery furnaces from time to time, for example this event at the national museum of science and technology in Stockholm: http://www.manufacturology.com/projects/svardens-mastare. Don't have any formal education in the field though.

Posted by: Joakim S. | February 11, 2010 1:11 PM

Delurked! I'm an archaeology PhD student at UCL, London. I have my own blog, and yours is one of the ones I check on a semi-regular basis. I'm a technologist, with a background in British and Roman archaeology. I seem to be specialising in metals :) I imagine I'm more drawn to your blog than others because we seem to share a similar political and personal outlook!

Posted by: Ruth FT | February 11, 2010 2:52 PM

I'm an unemployed archaeologist/victim of the stimulus plan. I have posted occasionally but rarely have all that much to say. I enjoy hearing about Swedish and european Archaeology. Where I work 1810 is considered very old for a historic white/African American site, and I understand this is not so seen in your neck of the woods.

Posted by: tenine | February 11, 2010 2:52 PM

I'm an architecture student living in northern Sweden who have been mostly lurking for maybe two years, occasionally posting a comment. I have big interest in archeology and history. I took some courses in history before I realised that architecture suits me better and is more fun (better job market also...).

I like all posts about bronze and iron age archeology. Pictures of finds are especially interesting. I also think that you write posts about whatever catches your interest makes the blog better, even when the subject isn't directly related to archeology.

/Björn

Posted by: Björn | February 11, 2010 3:11 PM

Tenine, are you saying that you lost your job to the stimulus plan, not to the recession that occasioned it? Please explain!

Posted by: Martin R | February 11, 2010 3:19 PM

A de-lurking amateur archaeologist, living in Surrey, England. I subscribe to our blog because of my archaeo interests but stay for the variety of posts. I check most days. Lovin' your work!

Gazman

Posted by: Gazman | February 11, 2010 3:21 PM

A college web-support geek from Illinois. Follow your posts on RSS and enjoy them very much.

Posted by: george.w | February 13, 2010 7:40 PM

Hello Martin.

Me - Australian born and trained civil engineer, but I have lived and worked more than half my life in east Asia. Married to a very amusing Chinese woman who teaches me bits of Chinese history and culture when she feels like it. Our daughter teaches me more consistently, out of a Confucian sense of duty to her poor illiterate barbarian father.

I lurk here now and again because I find archaeology interesting and I like the way you present it.

I also have a soft spot for Swedes because when I was a kid growing up in Australia, one of my neighbours was a very good hearted and interesting Swedish guy who was a bit of a role model for me. So I extrapolated from my sample of one and decided that all Swedes must be Good People, and you have done nothing to tarnish that image.

Posted by: Sandgroper | February 13, 2010 10:50 PM

Thanks guys, warms my heart!

Posted by: Martin R | February 14, 2010 4:20 AM

I'm an American journalist living in Berlin, covering archaeology for Archaeology and other magazines. Interested in bringing some more European stories to the typical Egypt/Maya/Bible mix.

Posted by: Andrew C | February 14, 2010 10:09 AM

Excellent Andrew, as you may know that's my main complaint about Archaeology Mag. Us Scandies would appreciate it if you included the southern coast of the Baltic in your beat.

Posted by: Martin R | February 15, 2010 5:08 AM

I discovered your blog quite recently, and it immediately got a place on my favourites list. I studied archaeology at Lancaster University in the early 1980s, worked in archaeology for a few years ( I was on the team that dug the Castle Mall site in Norwich, and I also did an 18thC ironworks in North Wales, a Welsh castle, and various rather grim sites around London).
Now I work as a bookseller in Hay-on-Wye, in charge of the department of our shop that includes archaeology (the previous person in charge had put the Vikings in Prehistory!!).
It's nice to come online and pretend that I'm still involved in archaeology, and I like the mix of the science and your private life that you write about.

Posted by: Lesley | February 15, 2010 3:45 PM

Ah, Hay-on-Wye, that's a name whose reputation has reached readers in Sweden as well.

Posted by: Martin R | February 15, 2010 5:05 PM

A long delayed post due to my being away from the internet as I was at my computerless cabin in chancy weather. I am perhaps exaggerating, but there was an unfortunate problem for archaeology in some U.S. states. I have from a classmate and former colleague, a report that the Georgia DOT stopped all other work in favor of the "pour ready" (or whatever the projects that made up the stimulus were called), and this led to a huge drop off in work for his environmental firm as all projects needing archaeology were suspended. I'm not sure this was much related to a decline in work for my employer, which may be due to the reduction in military base work as most survays are completed on the bases.

Posted by: tenine | February 16, 2010 12:52 PM

DOT = Department of Transport? Highway projects? In Sweden there's a tendency for roadworks to boom during recessions because of government stimulus spending.

Posted by: Martin R | February 16, 2010 1:19 PM

I forgot that other nationalities would be unfamiliar with the U.S. (state) Department of Transportation acronym. As for spending the states are all in severe budget crises due to the recession and balanced budget amendments at the state level. As I tried to say above the Federal spending is now biased towards projects that were ready to start construction but unfunded. Therefore most projects financed by the stimulus plan were projects for which archaeological work had already been completed.

Posted by: tenine | February 18, 2010 12:24 PM

I really enjoy reading AARD because it is one of the few places where I can read intelligent posts without the bashing that is seen everywhere. I took a course in archeology 20 yrs ago and have lived in southwestern colorado so I have an interest in all archeology.

Posted by: Tom W | February 19, 2010 12:23 PM

Thank you, Tom!

ongoing soap opera of Sb personality conflicts

posts without the bashing that is seen everywhere

I must admit that I read the other Sb blogs only very sporadically. Is there a lot of in-fighting going on? (Tom W, is that the bashing you refer to?) I know a lot of people were unhappy about the book Unscientific America, which I don't feel like reading. I mean, I don't target a US readership specifically even though most Dear Readers are based there.

Even if I did get into some intra-Sb conflict I wouldn't like to blog about that, because I think it makes for uninteresting reading and scares the readers off. It's as I mentioned about book reviews, let's not waste your time and mine on crap.

Posted by: Martin R | February 19, 2010 3:53 PM

Hello,
I am a geology student in the USA. I have always found archaeology fascinating and like Martin's take in things, whether mundane or arcane.

Posted by: Dominion R | February 19, 2010 9:56 PM

David, currently ESL teacher-extraordinaire in Korea, soon to be an archaeology MA student at KULeuven in Belgium. Interested in archaeozoology and food anthropology.

Posted by: David | February 26, 2010 7:33 PM

Welcome guys! I visited Belgium last year. Search for it on the blog.

Posted by: Martin R | February 27, 2010 1:30 AM

Jag finns också här.

Posted by: Mörkerman | March 4, 2010 12:00 PM