– Home page – Brugge
– Tunisia
– Cairo
– Georgia
– Co Kerry
– Co Kerry Flora
– Cyprus Flora
– Bellapais Abbey
– Kyrenia Castle
– Shipwreck Museum
– Sunsets in Cyprus
– Fabrika Hill Excavations
– The Villa of Theseus
– Tomb of the Kings
– Xanten
– Arnhem

I went to an all-girls Grammar school in my home town of Pontefract – a very historic place in itself. History was always one of my favourite subjects, along with Geography, and having no clear idea of what path my future career should take, I decided I didn’t want to do a single-subject degree. So in October 1971 I found myself at Leicester University starting a BA Combined Honours in History and Geography but needing a 3rd subject. Archaeology seemed like the perfect choice to bring the other two together! I soon learned that university Geography was not to my taste, but that Archaeology very much was!! However, to continue the archaeology course it was a requirement to do 3 weeks of practical work between each year. In July 1972 30 of us worked on an Iron Age hillfort south of Edinburgh. I think the most lasting thing I learnt was that hillforts tend to be at the tops of hills! We spent 3 weeks clearing the ramparts of centuries of earth and vegetation so that an aerial photo could be taken, and the sum total of finds amongst us all was 1 sheeps jaw bone, and a Bronze Age cup and ring mark. In Easter 1973 I took a one week course in Experimental Archaeology with Peter Reynolds at Little Butser Iron Age Farm (hence I always particularly enjoyed his appearances on the Time Team programmes and was saddened to hear of his too early death.) The course itself was hard work but fun. We helped with the building of a wattle and daub round house, ploughed with a Celtic hand plough, and planted Celtic beans with a digging stick. But the most memorable task was emptying the grain pits of the previous autumn’s harvest. If you ain’t hung head down in a 4ft deep pit scooping slightly fermented grain from the bottom, then believe me you ain’t lived!!! All the fun of the hangover without the fun of getting drunk! In summer 1973 we went excavating a Clava Cairn near Inverness, in two weeks of digging out topsoil holding down the polythene over the previous years levels, the only find was a few tiny bits of cremated bone. It was at this stage I decided that – much as I like the theoretical aspects of Archaeology – I didn’t want to make a career of it. So, it was back to the old question of what to do with the rest of my life. By this time I had discovered that Leicester ran one of what was then only two post-graduate courses in Museum Studies and, to cut a long story short, that’s what I ended up doing. At the end of it I was lucky enough to get the job of Keeper of Local History and Textiles at Paisley Museum. I started there in July 1976 (I sometimes feel as if I’ve been there longer than many of the exhibits!) which has now been redefined as Keeper of Textiles. I have also spent a year as head of the Museum – covering for my boss while she was on maternity leave – a period that convinced me that I have no ambitions towards management!! Though my job is now largely biased towards textiles – the penalty of becoming a “specialist” (I hate the term expert – I might know more about my subject than most other folk – but it certainly doesn’t feel like expertise) in such a narrow field as the history of the Paisley Shawl, I have never lost my fascination for history in general and archaeology in particular. Now, thanks to having discovered Time Team several seasons ago, I can vicariously live the thrill of discovery from my armchair – without the rain, the mud, and the aching muscles!! Since coming up to Scotland I have married a Scotsman, and have a half-Scottish son (although if you were to ask him whether he is English or Scottish he will tell you English – I suspect its just a way of asserting his individuality). We live in a modern semi in the town of Johnstone, about 10 miles west of Glasgow. Jim (the husband) is a heavy goods mechanic, currently working in the Netherlands, and Joshua (the son) has just started at Stirling University – doing Psychology, so I hold out hopes that in my old age he will keep me in the style to which I would very much like to become accustomed – museum work certainly won’t do it for me! The family as a whole is currently owned by two Jack Russell Terriers, Jack and Jody ….. I don’t think that by any stretch of the imagination we could think we own them!!

Special Interest Areas

Roman and Post Roman archaeology

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Hadrians Wall – Arbeia Roman Fort , South Shields

Fort & Settlement; substantial Roman remains; site museum; full-size reconstruction of West gate.

Four miles east of the end of Hadrian’s Wall at South Shields, Arbeia Roman Fort guarded the entrance to the River Tyne. Built around AD160 the stone fort played an essential role in the mighty frontier system.

Originally built to house a garrison, Arbeia soon became the military supply base for the 17 forts along the Wall.

The first thing everyone should know about me is that I’m no good at writing things like this, so I’m just going to start off with the boring stuff and go on from there.

I was born in Salford. My mother’s family comes from Cornwall and my Dad comes from Scotland, so I grew up with one of the weirdest accents you’ve ever heard. I lived in Bolton, outside Manchester, for most of my life. I finished my A-levels in Sept 2000 and I am studying for a BA in archaeology at York University. After that I hope to go on to study for an MA in post excavation studies at Leicester University and then….who knows?

My interests in archaeology come from my parents – my Mother is a classics teacher, and my Dad studied Medieval English literature. My brother and I both grew up listening to Beowulf (in the original text) and Greek legends. Our first exposure to archaeology was seeing “Pete Marsh” at Manchester museum – scared the hell out of both of us. But for some reason, my brother Mick went on to become a fibreglass laminator and I’m living with 13 complete nuttters I met a few months ago, and studying with 40 more. Go figure.

Other info – I like beer (especially Summer lightning and Budweiser), chocolate, The Stone Roses, Star Trek (although I try not to mention it in the forum ‘cos I know it annoys people), cricket, hiking, karate and literature – especially poetry. I don’t like dance music, arrogant people or any of the jobs I’ve had so far (shop assistant, waitress and gopher for Salford LEA). Anything else is fine though.

Most of the time I’m a fairly easy going person, but you should all know I’ve been told I’ve got a foul temper on me! I never knowingly offend anyone, and if by chance I do upset anyone, that person is guaranteed a great big apology -and probably a pint. 90% of the time I’m friendly to everyone, and I hope to see you all in the forum or on Northfell.

Special Interest Areas

Romano-British through to the Dark Ages

I have been connected with TT for about 5 years, as a camera assistant (carrying cameras, lenses etc and helping the cameramen), then more recently through the ill-fated TT Onsite, where I provided stills and other media.

My main interests include scuba diving, photography, computer graphics, and art. I live near Salisbury in wiltshire.

Website

http://www.AshMills.com

Long time TT fans and contributor to the Forum, living in a chaotic and falling apart too small house in west Leicestershire with wife Sandy and son Richard and two dogs of indeterminate breed. It wouldn’t be quite so small if the book purchases were more restrained and occasionally the dining table surface would hove into sight.

Graduated with an honours B.A. in 1990 with the Open University. Branch Organiser for the East Midlands Branch of the Open University Geological Society for eleven years which involved lot of fieldwork which, both immensely enjoyable and sometimes immensely wet. The day job is as a Software Engineer with a software house in Studley, Warwickshire.

Drifted into archaeology by default, having discovered the geology of the Holocene and Postglacial Britain as a result of leading annual field trips into Cornwall to examine mining history, geology, industrial archaeology and ecology and correlating various factors that influence environmental and human changes that may further affect the environment in feedback cycles. Further studies have been made in climate change and sea level variation viewing them as natural processes whose rates of change may be modified by human activity.

Outside these bounds, read, research and write and enjoy cooking and eating the products. The half century has passed.

Special Interest Areas

Palaeolithic to Iron Age. Roman is a little too modern 🙂

Website

http://www.colbyweb.co.uk

Cornwall geology, history, archaeology, Industrial Archaeology; Kite Aerial Photography; Old Measures; Field trips into Cornwall

I’m what is now classified as a TTFF veteran. I joined the Forum Friends a couple of months after the first ‘Live’ and, despite a few extended periods of absence, I’ve been about ever since. I’m 39 and married with two kids (the eldest is showing an interest in archaeology) and I live in Colchester. My historical interests lie mostly with the Romans and the Dark Ages, but I’m pretty much interested in all aspects of history and archaeology.

I’ve been a fanatical viewer of Time Team since the very first series and I don’t see that ever changing! I’m also interested in writing and, dare I admit it, Star Trek. I work in publishing and I am a member of the Friends of Colchester Archaeological Trust amongst others. I’m also very interested in family history and the arts in general.

Special Interest Areas

Roman – Dark Ages

I’m a 30-mumble year old who hails from Bedfordshire but currently resides in leafy Hertfordshire. I was made redundant earlier this year which meant I lost free internet access which has curtailed the amount of time I can spend on the Forum. Bah! Plans are underway for revenge, world domination and getting a new job

By way of relaxation I read (a lot, mostly crime fiction – I blame Ellis Peters and Lindsey Davis for my interest in Medieval and Roman history respectively), cheer on my football teams (Leeds Utd and the Miami Dolphins) and spend far too much time on the computer. I also battle for house supremacy with my cat, Rob the Furball (he’s ahead on points). The other man in my life, my boyfriend Mike, lives and works in Cambridge. He’s no help at all, being a computer programmer and thus encouraging my geekiness.

My interest in archaeology is strictly armchair amateur. I do have a deep and abiding interest in history, mostly due to the fact I’m just downright nosey and have this fascination with what life would have been like for my ancestors.

A Scot from a long line of Scots, now an ex-pat living in London. Got into history young, but hated it at school, although took up Scottish history out of guilt at University (supposed to be doing geography), and changed my degree to Scottish History. Stayed to do a masters in Maritime History, but found this particular combination not very conducive to getting a job, so I trained as librarian (no, I don’t wear glasses, or my hair in a bun, thank you).

I’ve only helped on one archaeology site – Craigie Hill in Fife (and I’ve never seen a site report for it), but I’ve participated in two boat reconstructions run by Damian Goodburn – a logboat for the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, and the Dover Bronze Age Boat – the display in the Dover Museum is really well done and worth visiting if you are down there at any time.

Special Interest Areas

Maritime principally – and really has to have sails (or be pre-sails!). Also Scottish history up to around 1603 – generally I’ll stick my nose into anything that looks interesting though.

Website

http://freespace.virgin.net/e.buchanan/index.htm My own website – has a few links on the History page that may be of interest, but mostly it’s about other things that interest me (and needs updated!)