Tash the Archaeologist
A British archaeologist walks you through Roman villas, museum shows and ancient Egypt quizzes, one short video at a time.
What it is
Tash the Archaeologist is a British archaeologist who posts about digs, museums and historic sites. Her bio reads "History, Art, Culture, Travel". The account is small, just under 19,000 followers, and that is part of the charm: it feels like someone from the field talking to you, not a fact factory.
Recent videos include a walk around Chedworth Roman Villa, with its mosaics, bath house and the hypocaust heating system under the floors. There is a visit to an exhibition about the royal women of ancient Egypt, full of jewellery, mirrors and statues, and a trip to the unveiling of a blue plaque for palaeontologist Dorothea Bate. She also runs a Behind The Trowel quiz series, with questions like which pharaoh built the Great Pyramid and which Egyptian city the Greeks called Thebes.
Why we picked it
Tash is good at standing in a place and telling you where to look. Instead of reciting an encyclopedia entry, she points out where the hot air ran under the floor or why a particular mosaic matters. The quizzes are a nice touch too: five questions, one minute, and you find out how much you really remember.
She also gives time to overlooked people in science. Choosing a plaque for Dorothea Bate over a blockbuster exhibition says a lot about the account.
Some videos are made with museums or heritage festivals and are labelled as ads, but they still read as honest explainers.
Where to start
- The Chedworth Roman Villa walk-through, the most visual of the lot.
- The ancient Egypt quizzes, to test yourself.
- The royal women of Egypt exhibition video.
- The Dorothea Bate plaque video, if you like stories about scientists.
Who it's for
History and archaeology fans, students, teachers looking for short clips to show a class, and anyone planning a UK trip who wants ideas for sites and exhibitions beyond the obvious ones.
Quick answers
Is she a real archaeologist? Yes, that is how she presents herself, and her videos are built around sites and finds.
Are the videos sponsored? A few are marked as ads for museums or heritage events. Most are not.
Where else can I find her? Her Linktree lists Instagram, TikTok and the Behind the Trowel YouTube channel.
