Raksha Dave

Obsessed with dinosaurs
Raksha Dave is another new field archaeologist who joined the team for the 2004 series. She's very enthusiastic and dedicated to her archaeology.

'I'm afraid to say that it all started when I was younger and obsessed with dinosaurs, as all small children are,' she says. 'I was dragged around museums as a kid and was quite a geek,' she laughs. 'That developed into a love of history and from that I discovered archaeology. I didn't know anybody else who was into it. It was my own thing really.'

Raksha went on to study archaeology and did a BSc degree at the Institute of Archaeology in London at the same time as another Time Team digger, Matt Williams.

In at the deep end
'It's very difficult to get an archaeology job after university,' she says. 'I was lucky enough to secure a job with MOLAS, the Museum of London archaeology unit. At the time there was a huge amount of construction work going on in the City, and archaeology and construction are very closely linked. It was a time when there was a lot of work available in the capital, so I started a professional job straight away. Dealing with the deep urban stratigraphy was like jumping in at the deep end, but it was a good education.'

After a conversation in a pub with the ex-Time Team digger and friend, Katie Hirst, Raksha applied to work with the Team. She got the job. 'Before you know it there are cameras everywhere, you're talking to Tony Robinson and expected to shift your own body weight in soil each day,' she says.

Favourite digs
'It's been great,' Raksha continues. 'My favourite dig is probably my third programme, which was at Goldcliff in south Wales. Not because of the archaeology, but because it was at that programme where everything finally clicked for me and I felt like a proper member of the Team.

'Archaeologywise, I'd have to say the programme at Cranborne was the best. It was a great site and I even discovered the Roman plunge pool – not bad at all.'

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