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Richard Carter

writer & photographer

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Writing tagged: ‘archaeology’

Book review: ‘Ancestral Journeys’ by Jean Manco

‘Ancestral Journeys’ by Jean Manco

The peopling of Europe from the first venturers to the Vikings.

Published 20-Oct-2020
Filed under: Writing Genres: History, Science Tags: archaeology, Europe, history, prehistory, reviews

Newsletter No. 20: Giving it the David Attenboroughs

Barn owl

In which I gatecrash a podcast, and share cool stuff by the likes of: Melissa Harrison · Luke Turner · Werner Herzog · Merlin Sheldrake · Robert Macfarlane · Gaby Wood · Caught by the River · Philip Hoare · and a host of talented extras.

Published 20-Jul-2020
Filed under: Writing Tags: archaeology, birds, Caught by the River, Clive James, Darwin book, Donald Hall, Gaby Wood, Gilbert White, Luke Turner, Melissa Harrison, Merlin Sheldrake, Philip Hoare, Philip Larkin, podcasts, Robert Macfarlane, Werner Herzog

Book review: ‘Surfacing’ by Kathleen Jamie

‘Surfacing’ by Kathleen Jamie

A third collection of wonderful essays from my favourite writer.

Published 02-Jan-2020
Filed under: Writing Genres: Essays, Nature & Place Tags: archaeology, Kathleen Jamie, reviews

8 July 2019

Miller's Grave
Miller's Grave

A walk on the Moor.

Published 08-Jul-2019
Filed under: Writing Tags: archaeology, birds, Calder valley, Hebden Bridge, On the Moor (book), the Moor

Newsletter No. 14: The terror Carter’s warriors

Terracotta Warriors

Liverpool · chinese warriors · Ben Myers · shoes on wires · Patti Smith · Wuthering Heights · stratigraphy · astronomy · ancient DNA · storm petrels · LIMONCELLO ICE CREAM!!

Published 27-Jul-2018
Filed under: Writing Tags: archaeology, astronomy, Ben Myers, birds, Brontës, dna, geology, Patti Smith

Newsletter No. 13: Bramblings!

Male brambling
Male brambling

bramblings · wheatears · Mary Beard · Beaker folk · Meera Sodha · recipes · John Tyndall · Eunice Foote · religion · Ben Myers · Austin Kleon · Walter Benjamin · giant sloths · Shetland · Neil Ansell · Charles Darwin

Published 18-May-2018
Filed under: Writing Tags: archaeology, Ben Myers, birds, bramblings, Charles Darwin, John Tyndall, Mary Beard, recipes, religion, Shetland, wheatears

Book review: ‘Built on Bones’ by Brenna Hassett

Built on Bones

15,000 years of urban life and death.

Published 07-Apr-2017
Filed under: Writing Genres: History, Science Tags: archaeology, books, science

Darwin on earthworms: small change writ large

Darwin on Earthworms

A review of Charles Darwin's wonderful final book, ‘The Formation of Vegetable Mould, Through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits’.

Published 17-Oct-2015
Filed under: Writing Genres: Nature & Place, Science Tags: archaeology, Charles Darwin, history, history of science, reading, science

136 snail shells & a pint of shorts

Kebister dig
Kebister dig, Shetland, 1985.

As life events go, Shetland 1985 turned out to be right up there.

Published 20-Mar-2015
Filed under: Writing Tags: archaeology, reminiscences, science, Shetland

LRB letter: ‘Ancient Refrigerators’

Pompeii
Pompeii shop with food-containers in counter.

A possible solution to a well-known conundrum about Ancient Rome.

Published 19-Jan-2013
Filed under: Published Pieces, Writing Tags: archaeology, correspondence, history, history of science, LRB

RSS Recent Newsletters

  • Newsletter No. 20: Giving it the David Attenboroughs
    In which I gatecrash a podcast, and share cool stuff by the likes of: Melissa Harrison · Luke Turner · Werner Herzog · Merlin Sheldrake · Robert Macfarlane · Gaby Wood · Caught by the River · Philip Hoare · and a host of talented extras.
  • Newsletter No. 19: Comfort Reading
    Melissa Harrison · Tim Dee · Horatio Clare · John Mitchinson · Ronald Blythe · Mary Beard · Benjamin Myers · Zack Arias · Eric Newby · greenland sharks · Maunsell forts · England rugby · Charles Darwin (obviously)

RSS Recent Sidelines

  • New-year snow
    There’s been snow on the ground since before Christmas, and throughout the first week of the year.
  • Chilling sound
    A vixen screams.
  • Comfort books
    A conversation with a friend about the books that have brought us comfort over the years.
  • 27 December 2020
    The offcumden squirrels have been making nuisances of themselves again.
  • End of a streak
    My 32-year streak climbing the same hill in North Wales on Christmas Eve has come to an end. 😕

RSS Recent Articles

  • Giving fiascos a bad name
    How not to make a simple three-minute podcast piece.
  • Gilbert White’s influence on Charles Darwin
    To mark the 300th anniversary of his birth, a brief account of Rev. Gilbert White’s influence on Charles Darwin.

RSS News

  • 2020: a year in photos
    My tenth annual video slideshow.
  • Bats podcast piece
    I make a guest appearance in episode 16 of Melissa Harrison’s podcast ‘The Stubborn Light of Things’. Here’s an extended version.
  • 2019: a year in photos
    My ninth annual video slideshow.

Recent Reading

Recent Photos

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Richard Carter

The whole is greater than some of its parts