Time Team Forum Friend – Elaine Sommers

From an early age I was encouraged by my parents and teachers to enjoy, question and wonder at life. The natural world, history and literature have always played a prominent role in my life. Especially reading. Give me a good book with an interesting story and I was happy. C.S.Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, Enid Blyton, mythology and books of knowledge. All were read again and again. This inquisitiveness & desire for knowledge has continued & grown in strength the older I have become. The most pressing question always being “Why?” In particular, “why are we what we are? Why am I who I am?” Which brings me back to the present, and my interest in archaeology. I am currently in my first year of A level Archaeology. On completion of my A level I intend to do to Uni to study Archaeology full time. After that . . . who knows?  

As for my day to day life . . . I live in a small flat with my cat Esther and work as an insurance claims officer. I visit my parents in East Yorkshire when I can. My favourite place in Britain is the North York Moors near Whitby.

I have supported Liverpool FC since the early 70’s and the first time I set foot in Liverpool a few years ago I had to restrain myself from kissing the Liver Building! I also enjoy walking and intend to walk the 290 mile Macmillan Way for the Macmillan nurses in 2001.

When I had a garden I used to enjoy gardening very much, particularly wildlife gardening. I very much believe in conservation and to live and let live. I hope I am a peaceful person. The one quality I know I possess is Hope.

My heroes in life – and they are many – include, of course, my parents, David Attenborough, David Bellamy, Gerald Durrell, Therese of Lisieux, Martin Luther King Jr, and anyone who has ever suffered or died for others.

Two places I would like to visit – Antarctica, and Africa, where we believe it all began.

Special Interest Areas

History of the Church and Monasticism esp the role of women within the Church; and more and more I am looking further into anthropology and ethnology, human origins and evolution. I am interested in how archaeology, scientific method and written records provide evidence for both of the above.

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