@Jim_Leary

Archaeologist & writer. Senior Lecturer @UniOfYork. Prehistory. Books: The Story of Silbury Hill. The Remembered Land. New book #Footmarks. Agent: J.P. Marshall

 North Yorkshire
Joined April 2010
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Announcement 📣: This is very exciting! #Footmarks will be out this June! It is a book about tracks and trackways, holloways and roads. A book about feet and shoes, wheels and boats. A book about putting one foot in front of the other, about crossing seas, pilgrims and migrants.
Icon Books@iconbooks23 Jan 2023
** NEW ON NETGALLEY ** #Footmarks @Jim_Leary : netgal.ly/k1Xk2u Coming 1 June 2023:waterstones.com/book/footmar…
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Jim Leary retweeted
Jim Leary@Jim_LearySep 9
It’s wonderful to see our research finally out. It shows that the amazing Devil’s Arrows in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire were transported 18km from Brimham Rocks (not Plumpton!) to the site. royalsocietypublishing.org/r…
A photo of two tall tapering megaliths.

ALT A photo of two tall tapering megaliths.

A massive grey megalith with blue sky behind.

ALT A massive grey megalith with blue sky behind.

One of the shorter, squat Arrows with a sunburst behind.

ALT One of the shorter, squat Arrows with a sunburst behind.

A photo of the Devil’s Arrows.

ALT A photo of the Devil’s Arrows.

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It’s wonderful to see our research finally out. It shows that the amazing Devil’s Arrows in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire were transported 18km from Brimham Rocks (not Plumpton!) to the site. royalsocietypublishing.org/r…
A photo of two tall tapering megaliths.

ALT A photo of two tall tapering megaliths.

A massive grey megalith with blue sky behind.

ALT A massive grey megalith with blue sky behind.

One of the shorter, squat Arrows with a sunburst behind.

ALT One of the shorter, squat Arrows with a sunburst behind.

A photo of the Devil’s Arrows.

ALT A photo of the Devil’s Arrows.

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As important, I think, is that we can reveal that the 15th-century Battle Cross in Aldborough is another ‘missing’ Arrow, hiding in plain sight.
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Here’s an article in The Conversation theconversation.com/taller-t…

Taller than Stonehenge: the mysterious Devil’s Arrows yield their secrets in new research

The people who put up these giant stones did not choose the nearest possible source.

theconversation.com
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It’s great to see this research out finally.
The Conversation - Australia + New Zealand
@ConversationEDUSep 8
The people who put up these giant stones did not choose the nearest possible source. @Jim_Leary @TimescalesEPS @CurtinUni theconversation.com/taller-t…

Taller than Stonehenge: the mysterious Devil’s Arrows yield their secrets in new research

The people who put up these giant stones did not choose the nearest possible source.

theconversation.com
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The people who put up these giant stones did not choose the nearest possible source. @Jim_Leary @TimescalesEPS @CurtinUni theconversation.com/taller-t…

Taller than Stonehenge: the mysterious Devil’s Arrows yield their secrets in new research

The people who put up these giant stones did not choose the nearest possible source.

theconversation.com
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Jim Leary retweeted
Tim Daw
@TimdawSep 9
A new paper on the Devil's Arrows and their neolithic sourcing. (Spoiler alert - it wasn't a glacier) sarsen.org/2026/09/the-devil…
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Jim Leary retweeted
Jim Leary@Jim_LearySep 6
For #StandingStoneSunday, I present the High and Low Bridestones on the exposed limestone pavement of Sleight's Moor, North York Moors, near the village of Grosmont. Neolithic or Bronze Age, they are a highly complex set of megalithic alignments and circles but poorly understood.
A single leaning grey megalith is surrounded by purple heather.

ALT A single leaning grey megalith is surrounded by purple heather.

An alignment of squat grey megaliths next to purple heather.

ALT An alignment of squat grey megaliths next to purple heather.

Another photo of the short, grey stones on moorland.

ALT Another photo of the short, grey stones on moorland.

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For #StandingStoneSunday, I present the High and Low Bridestones on the exposed limestone pavement of Sleight's Moor, North York Moors, near the village of Grosmont. Neolithic or Bronze Age, they are a highly complex set of megalithic alignments and circles but poorly understood.
A single leaning grey megalith is surrounded by purple heather.

ALT A single leaning grey megalith is surrounded by purple heather.

An alignment of squat grey megaliths next to purple heather.

ALT An alignment of squat grey megaliths next to purple heather.

Another photo of the short, grey stones on moorland.

ALT Another photo of the short, grey stones on moorland.

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Jim Leary retweeted
Jim Leary@Jim_LearyAug 30
The stones in Utrecht are so wild that they have to be chained to the buildings. This unnamed stone (not the famous Devil’s Stone) was probably used to prevent carts from damaging the side of building. #StandingStoneSunday
A grey boulder lying on the side of a paved road, chained to the wall.

ALT A grey boulder lying on the side of a paved road, chained to the wall.

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The stones in Utrecht are so wild that they have to be chained to the buildings. This unnamed stone (not the famous Devil’s Stone) was probably used to prevent carts from damaging the side of building. #StandingStoneSunday
A grey boulder lying on the side of a paved road, chained to the wall.

ALT A grey boulder lying on the side of a paved road, chained to the wall.

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Jim Leary retweeted
Jim Leary@Jim_LearyAug 26
Someone’s excited! An Iron Age (c.600 BC) figure carved from oak and found in 1880 in Broddenbjerg bog near Viborg, Central Jutland. Now in the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen. #WoodWednesday (literally)
A photo of a roughly hewn wooden figure, with a penis so large it looks look like a third leg being lifted up.

ALT A photo of a roughly hewn wooden figure, with a penis so large it looks look like a third leg being lifted up.

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Someone’s excited! An Iron Age (c.600 BC) figure carved from oak and found in 1880 in Broddenbjerg bog near Viborg, Central Jutland. Now in the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen. #WoodWednesday (literally)
A photo of a roughly hewn wooden figure, with a penis so large it looks look like a third leg being lifted up.

ALT A photo of a roughly hewn wooden figure, with a penis so large it looks look like a third leg being lifted up.

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Jim Leary retweeted
Jim Leary@Jim_LearyAug 21
I paid my respects to the Bronze Age Egtved Girl in Denmark this week. Around 17 years old and 160 cm tall, she was buried one summer's day in 1370 BC. I went to the National Museum in Copenhagen, and there she was. Or wasn’t, since hardly any of her remains survived.
Photo of the Egtved girl burial. A hollows log with cowskin laid in it and then the burial laid out.

ALT Photo of the Egtved girl burial. A hollows log with cowskin laid in it and then the burial laid out.

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I paid my respects to the Bronze Age Egtved Girl in Denmark this week. Around 17 years old and 160 cm tall, she was buried one summer's day in 1370 BC. I went to the National Museum in Copenhagen, and there she was. Or wasn’t, since hardly any of her remains survived.
Photo of the Egtved girl burial. A hollows log with cowskin laid in it and then the burial laid out.

ALT Photo of the Egtved girl burial. A hollows log with cowskin laid in it and then the burial laid out.

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I also travelled to the burial mound from which she was excavated, and it’s glorious. There’s an excellent, relatively new display with various reconstructions and lots of information.
A photo of the mound.

ALT A photo of the mound.

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But the greatest impression came from the children’s playground, which was archaeologically themed. If we want to get the next generation into archaeology, this is the way to do it!
A photo of the archaeological playground.

ALT A photo of the archaeological playground.

A photo of the archaeological playground.

ALT A photo of the archaeological playground.

A photo of the archaeological playground.

ALT A photo of the archaeological playground.

A photo of the archaeological playground.

ALT A photo of the archaeological playground.

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