Many years ago, Caroline stepped through the doors of the Scottish Crannog Centre for an Iron Age cooking demonstration. After this visit, she came back again for Celts are Coming. And then, the next year. And this continued for a few years, until she eventually moved permanently to Scotland.
Serendipitously, we were moving site, and so we welcomed Caroline back with open arms!
She has a background in archaeology and open-air museums, and explains that she enjoys acting as the prism, in which the historical information is the light that passes through, and she is the rainbow reflecting out of the prism, relaying all that she knows in a fun, active, and enthusiastic way. And that’s something Caroline is great at, her passion is infectious, and everyone she speaks to about her skills leaves feeling inspired.
Despite not being the biggest fan of school, she finds herself to be an incredibly effective teacher. Being able to teach in a way that she loves, using hands-on teaching methods to a receptive hands-on learner, has been a joy to watch as a third party. It’s a visual progression, as one day I would see her speaking to someone who had never thatched before, then three days later see them up a ladder thatching away like a pro.
Caroline only has lovely things to say about her time here at the Scottish Crannog Centre, describing her experience as “collecting skills and putting them into my suitcase to travel around with.”
The best part for her was helping people find their ways using things she wishes she knew when she first got into the archaeological/open air museum world, and being around people who are open and listen to you no matter their background, as well as representing women in an industry dominated by men.
Keep up with Caroline’s journey on @pariogallico on social media platforms!
