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Theresa Rainbird
I enjoy travelling and try to get away as often as I can. I love Egypt and have managed to visit there a couple of times now. The monuments and history there are breathtaking. Back home, the British Museum is one of my favourite places.
When did you first start watching Time Team?
To be honest I don't remember exactly when, maybe 1998 / 1999? Around then I started a little ritual of settling down to watch it with a cup of tea with a blob of whisky in it and a bag of minstrels.
What do you enjoy most about it?
Obviously there's the history and archaeology but I also enjoy the banter between the Archaeologists and Geophysics team.
Do you have a favourite moment from Time Team?
The episode with a wood circle in the sea was pretty awe inspiring. It really goes to show how transient everything is and how important it is not to take archaeology for granted. It won't always be there and once it is gone, that is a bit of history gone forever.
On a lighter note, the episode unearthing an early London bridge was brilliant and has stayed with me for a long time. We lived in London for a while and whenever I had a long enough lunch break I'd go and sit on the south bank imagining what else was beneath the murky Thames water.
Have you ever been on an archaeological dig before?
No, which is probably wise as I haven't had any training. That coupled with over enthusiasm might make for a bit of a disaster!
What do you think is the most remarkable archaeological find in the world?
For me it has to be the Rosetta Stone. It was the key to understanding more about a lost empire and the world around it thousands of years ago.
And the UK?
At least one of us has to put Phil for this. He's fab and always brings a smile to my face! If I can't put that then perhaps the houses on stilts over the lakes in Scotland? When I think about how people lived hundreds of years ago I don't imagine them to be living in houses over lakes. I think that anything that fundamentally challenges our preconceptions about how the world was or is, no matter how small a part of it, is pretty remarkable.
If you could dig anywhere in the world where would you choose?
Well close to home there's Pontefract Castle. I don't think a great deal is known about the early medieval history of the site so finding out a little more about that would be exiting.
However, if it were literally anywhere in the world it would be Egypt. Saqqara and the surrounding sites are still being excavated and I'd be keen to know if there were any planned in southern Egypt/ northern Sudan. There's still so much more to learn that's buried under the sands.
How do you feel about taking part in the Big Royal Dig?
I'm really excited but a bit nervous too. I'm looking forward to seeing the experts at work and hopefully getting my hands a bit dirty. I'm trying to keep an open mind, which is easy as I really don't have a clue what to expect!
