The Versatile Blogger Award

Awesome! I have been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by the brilliant blogger Kelly M, author of the blog The Archaeology of Tomb Raider. It is now with great pleasure that I nominate 12 other blogs and bloggers for the award. Full details on this award can be found on its website. This is also an excellent chance to share with you some of the fabulous history, archaeology and literary blogs out there.

Here are my nominations, in no particular order:

• Nyssa Harkness – Nyssa writes some wonderful and analytic material on media and cultural studies with a focus on genre fiction, gaming and creative society. She also knows more about zombies than anyone else I know.
• Writ, Ritual, and Revelation – Pasha runs this blog providing her readers with a flashlight into the Attic of her mind. A personal venture which is psychologically and culturally interesting and full of pretty artwork and creative insight.
• Classically Inclined – Liz is the author of this fairly new blog. She writes excellent guides to help out classics students on how to write and also insightful posts into archaeology.
• Following Hadrian – This blog is a personal story of adventure by the author as they talk about their archaeological digs and various beautiful sites around the world in connection with Hadrian. It is particularly easy to read and full of enthusiasm.
• Bones Don’t Lie – Katy’s work is a wonderful and educational array of anthropology and bioarchaeology. She takes great care in appealing to the general public and academics alike.
• Digitised Diseases – This blog I recently discovered and it provides an excellent introduction to the laymen. The author is informative and shows a clinical understanding of chronic conditions affecting the skeleton using archaeological and historical exemplars.
• History Kicks Ass! – The author Nadine is an enthusiastic blogger who adds her own touch of humour with a great knowledge of the historical.
• Digging Anthropology – This blog is a record of archaeology and anthropological venture at Ferry Farm. A recent blog but doing a fantastic job at showing the public what archaeologists and anthropologists really do.
• Archaeology Fantasies – The authors of this blog do an intelligent job of showing where archaeology and realities meet. They show and transmit an understanding of concepts and themes in archaeology which is interesting and enthused.
• History of the Ancient World – this blog has won awards before and remains a classic blog for the general enthusiast of history. It is particularly good with introductory information on historic topics.
• Adventures in Archaeology, Human Palaeoecology and the Internet – Matthew writes a diverse blog which particularly promotes discussion and sharing of ideas on many topics.
• The Archaeology of the Mediterranean World – The author’s musings on archaeology, technology, teaching and history are practical and well-written. They do particularly well in remaining interesting to all but also academic.

If you’ve been nominated for the award and wish to join in the fun, you will need to:

• Thank the person who nominated you this award and include a link back to their blog.
• Select 15 awesome blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly.
• Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award (if possible, include a link to the website so that others can learn more about the award)
• Share 7 facts about yourself.
• Optional: You’re free to add the Versatile Blogger Award button to your blog if you’re one of the 15 nominees and have nominated 15 blogs of your own. Just save the image below, upload it to your blog, insert it in your blog post and/or menu, and add a link back to the Versatile Blogger Award website.

And, last but not least, here are seven facts about yours truly:

• Well as it has taken over my life it is first fair to mention that I am a PhD candidate who is in their last year of study. Hopefully will have it all completed by the end of the year, fingers crossed! My PhD is on the epigraphic evidence for healer women in ancient Greece and Anatolia and I’m fortunate in that I have incredible support and have managed to get several publications out into the world. I also teach Ancient Greek and mythology at my university where I have a great contingent of students.
• Part of that incredible support is my wonderful partner who I also work alongside in archaeology. We met on an archaeological dig in Turkey in 2012 and started a long distance relationship which has been getting stronger by the day. We are now looking into me moving to America to join him at the end of the year. He is (in his own words) the ‘pillar that holds up the earth’. 😛
• Travel and archaeology have always fascinated me. Part of this is due to having lived in four different countries by the age of 15 and having been dragged, quite willingly, all around the world by my intrepid parents. Having been born in England, we went through Scotland and New Zealand before settling in Australia. They are now secretly regretting this a little bit because it meant I had little issue with making the decision of moving to America.
• I did my first paid archaeology job when I was 17 instead of celebrating end of high school exams like everyone else. It ended up being the best thing I ever did and I haven’t stopped since. This year marks the tenth dig season I have participated in in less that 7 years. Digs I have worked on sites in Greece, Scotland, Turkey and Australia.
• Apart from history and archaeology, I have an avid love for science fiction, especially Doctor Who. I am rather a Doctor Who snob knowing more about the Classic and Current series than anyone I have ever met having watched them from when I was a baby onwards. My best geeky party trick is naming all doctors and companions in order from 1963 to 2013 without thinking about it. I am also a huge fan of Star Trek, Stargate and Battlestar Galactica.
• I have two doglets who are currently keeping my feet warm. They are the cutest things in the world and are border collies.
• My favourite form of exercise is a form of aerial acrobatics called pole fitness which I do several hours a week. People sometimes question it due to stripper connotations but it is so much fun and the best work out ever. Plus there are no boys allowed and it is part of the international Bodybuilding Federation.

You can follow my blog also on FACEBOOK and TWITTER. Please add me 🙂

PS. Visit the Versatile Blogger Award’s website if you need any more information about the award or rules and don’t forget to let me know who you’ve nominated. You can do so by leaving a link to your blog post in the comments section below.