Caitlin Harvey

Name

Caitlin Harvey

Current Position

Graduate Heritage Consultant/Archaeologist at GML Heritage.

Where did you study?

Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) and Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours in History) at the University of Sydney, then a Master of Archaeological and Evolutionary Science at the Australian National University.

How did you become interested in archaeology?

Even though I always felt a certain affinity with The Mummy and Lara Croft, it wasn’t until after my undergraduate studies that I considered archaeology as a career. At that stage, I was looking for a practical application of history, which was my passion.

What archaeological projects are you working on at the moment?

I’ve been very fortunate to have recently worked on quite a variety of projects, travelling to the South East Forest National Park and further afield to Woomera, as well as working on projects closer to home at the Australian National University in Canberra.

Tell us about one of your most interesting archaeological discoveries?

One of my more unexpected discoveries was lots and lots of oyster shells in an old drain at a historical site in Canberra. It was interesting to see how oysters, which we think of as a bit of treat, were a common food for industrial workers in the early 20th century, and questionably disposed of!

Tell us about a funny / disastrous / amazing experience that you had while doing archaeology.

In my first week on the job, I found myself down an old abandoned flue. It was incredibly wet, dark, claustrophobic, and smelly and immediately dispelled the illusion of archaeology as a glamorous career!

What’s your favourite part of being an archaeologist?

My favourite part of being an archaeologist is the variety of projects I get to work on. If I could tell childhood me that I would spend my days researching histories from around Australia, little Caitlin would never have believed it!