Matilda Siebrecht

I am an archaeologist and journalist with a research focus on microwear analysis and the prehistory of northern cultures. My previous research projects have focused on Viking Age metalworking practices, prehistoric amber beads from northern Europe, the manufacture and use of stone and bone beads from Anatolia, and the manufacture and use of organic material culture from Arctic Paleo-Inuit cultures. I am currently continuing to expand my knowledge of material culture and object analysis while works as a finds officer at Streichardt & Wedekind Archaeologie - an archaeological excavation company in Germany.

In addition to my archaeological background, I am also a qualified journalist, and have worked on English-speaking radio and written several articles for archaeological blogs and popular magazines. I am a strong advocate for the use of popular media as a platform for the dissemination of archaeological knowledge, and have built up a digital platform under the name "The Archaeologist's Teacup" to work towards supporting this goal. I was the founding host of the EXARC Show podcast, and still host the quarterly "EXARC Extracts" series. I also host three other podcast series: "Tea-break Time Travel" and "And My Trowel" (both produced by the Archaeology Podcast Network) and the "Archaeo Book Club Podcast" (produced by the Archaeo Book Club. I am the founder of the Archaeo Book Club, which is a virtual international community that shares a love of archaeology and books, and specifically aims to look at how archaeology is depicted in popular fiction and non-fiction writing. I work for the Archaeology Podcast Network as their social media manager and live events coordinator.

I am also the current director of EXARC, and look forward to helping this network continue to develop!