My interest in archaeology started when I was about 11 years old watching the Mummy. From then on I wanted to be an archaeologist and go find the lost Egyptian princess. Over the years this has changed slightly. I didn't want to find an Egyptian princess, but my interest in British archaeology got boosted as I started my bachelor degree in archaeology in Aberdeen. While I was there, one of my professors introduced me to osteology. This was not something I had considered before, but really enjoyed. From there I went to the states and took a year of osteology and American archaeology to broaden my knowledge in the field. I finished my bachelor at The Arctic University of Norway in 2014. By that time I had met my current British partner and we moved to Newcastle. Here I got a year of commercial experience in archaeology, traveling the country working on lots of different digs from different time periods. As I was doing it, I discovered my preferred time periods to work on were the Iron age and the Anglo-Saxon period.
My name is Tanja and I am a 34 year old woman from Tromsø, Norway.
I am currently living in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire with my husband and 8 year old daughter and I am a full time PhD student at ARU in Cambridge.
In 2015 I started my Msc in Palaeopathology from Durham university (Where I first met Dr Tipper) . I graduated in 2016 and we moved back to Norway, but decided to come back to England in 2022 where there are more opportunities in archaeology . Since coming back here I have worked both in the commercial sector and as an associated lecturer at ARU, helping run the Anthropology lab sessions.
Outside of work I enjoy hiking and walking. I prefer mountains, however, in flat Cambridgeshire I will find any public footpath and walk it. Reading fictional books takes up all of my evenings. At the moment, cosy crime is my favorite, but I will read Tolkien any time.
As an archaeologist I have worked on many interesting sites around the country. They range from Neolithic sites to Victorian mills. In Yorkshire I worked on a Roman villa with part of a mosaic floor still intact. In Kent we had an Anglo-Saxon settlement with shadows of buildings and jewelry. In Essex a large Iron-Age and Roman cemetery with an Iron-Age settlement. In London a large post-medieval cemetery and in Manchester a standing Victorian Mill. These are just some of the sites I have worked on in the UK. While living and working in Norway I did many jobs as the lead technician and osteologist for The Arctic University Museum, analysing Norwegian Iron-Age and medieval skeletons from the north of Norway.
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