Cat Jarman
Norwegian archaeologist (born 1982)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Catrine Lie Spencer, Countess Spencer (formerly Jarman; née Lie; born June 2, 1982) is a Norwegian archaeologist and television presenter. She is the fourth wife of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales.
- Tom Jarman (div.)
Early life and education
Jarman was born Catrine Lie in Norway in 1982.[1][2] She studied at the University of Oslo, graduating with a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in 2012.[3] Her master's thesis was titled "Identities home and abroad: An isotopic study of Viking Age Norway and the British Isles".[3] She earned a PhD in archaeology from the University of Bristol in 2017.[1][4] Her doctoral thesis was titled "Resolving Repton: the nature of the Viking winter camp",[4] and her supervisor was Mark Horton.[3]
Career
After completing her PhD, she was an honorary senior research associate at the University of Bristol until 2020.[3] She continued her work on Viking Repton; including isotopic analyses of the human remains, sequencing ancient DNA from samples, and "reassessing some of the unpublished artefacts".[3]
Her 2021 book River Kings: A new history of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads was described as "an engaging introduction to the study of the Vikings" by the Times Literary Supplement.[5] Her 2023 book The Bone Chests: Unlocking the Secrets of the Anglo-Saxons was called "an enthusiastic guide through England's early medieval past" by History Today.[6]
In July 2024, she was awarded the Dan David Prize for "Archaeology of the Viking Age and public archaeology".[7]
Her archaeological work was featured on eight episodes of BBC Two television series Digging for Britain.[7] She is also a recurring presenter for the series.[8][9]
Jarman presents the history podcast The Rabbit Hole Detectives with Richard Coles and Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer. Together they wrote The Rabbit Hole Book, published by Michael Joseph in 2024.[10]
Personal life
Jarman was previously married and has two sons.[11] She has multiple sclerosis, having been diagnosed in 2016.[12]
Jarman's relationship with Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, was publicly confirmed in 2024 while he and his third wife, Karen Spencer, were divorcing.[13] In October 2024, she brought a claim against Karen Spencer for alleged misuse of private information relating to her MS diagnosis. The claim was settled in December 2025 via a Part 36 provision, with Charles Spencer ordered to indemnify some of the costs as part of the Spencers' divorce arbitration.[14][15] On 15 May 2026, Jarman married Spencer in Sedona, Arizona, United States.[16] As a result of her marriage, she is formally styled The Right Honourable The Countess Spencer, and is addressed as Lady Spencer.
Selected works
- Articles
- Jarman, Catrine L.; Larsen, Thomas; Hunt, Terry; Lipo, Carl; Solsvik, Reidar; Wallsgrove, Natalie; Ka'apu-Lyons, Cassie; Close, Hilary G.; Popp, Brian N. (October 2017). "Diet of the prehistoric population of Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile) shows environmental adaptation and resilience". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 164 (2): 343–361. Bibcode:2017AJPA..164..343J. doi:10.1002/ajpa.23273. PMC 5637906. PMID 28664976.
- Jarman, Catrine L.; Biddle, Martin; Higham, Tom; Bronk Ramsey, Christopher (February 2018). "The Viking Great Army in England: new dates from the Repton charnel". Antiquity. 92 (361): 183–199. doi:10.15184/aqy.2017.196.
- Books
- River Kings: A new history of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads William Collins (2021) ISBN 978-0-00-835309-4
- The Bone Chests: Unlocking the secrets of the Anglo-Saxons William Collins (2023) ISBN 978-0-00-844732-8
- The Rabbit Hole Book with Richard Coles and Charles Spencer, Michael Joseph (2024) ISBN 978-0-241-68486-3