I came to archaeology later than some, after pursuing my interests in horses and cooking by working at various stables and pubs near Dartmoor. Inspired by the abundant archaeology and heritage in the area, I decided to study archaeology at Exeter. Whilst completing my degree I worked at Botai, a site that had evidence for early horse domestication in Kazakhstan, and on the Mount Carmel cave sites with the University of Haifa. Then came three years of commercial fieldwork with AC Archaeology and Oxford Archaeology. In 2021–22 I was lucky enough to be a supervisor on a cave site in Devon containing Ice Age megafaunal remains – not what I had expected from development-led archaeology in the UK! I decided to end my fieldwork days on a high and took a role as a heritage consultant with Terence O’Rourke in 2022, where I developed my research, report-writing, and project management skills. I applied to upgrade in order to recognise the progress I have made in my career to date; reflecting on my achievements has encouraged me to apply for my new role as Senior Research Officer with AC Archaeology.
