From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Cat Jarman

Catrine Lie Spencer, Countess Spencer FSA (formerly Jarman; born 1982) is a Norwegian archaeologist and television presenter. She is the 4th wife of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Right HonourableThe Countess SpencerFSA
Jarman at Hatchards in 2024
Catrine Lie Jarman1982 (age 43–44)
Archaeologist
.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}Tom Jarman (div.).mw-parser-output .marriage-line-margin2px{line-height:0;margin-bottom:-2px}.mw-parser-output .marriage-line-margin3px{line-height:0;margin-bottom:-3px}.mw-parser-output .marriage-display-inline{display:inline}
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer
(m. 2026)

University of Oslo University of Bristol
Resolving Repton: the nature of the Viking winter camp (2017)
Archaeology
.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:"\a0 · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}Early medieval EuropeViking AgebioarchaeologyIsotope analysis in archaeology

Catrine Lie Spencer, Countess Spencer FSA (formerly Jarman; born 1982) is a Norwegian archaeologist and television presenter. She is the 4th wife of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Jarman was born in Norway in 1982. She studied at the University of Oslo, graduating with a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in 2012. Her master's thesis was titled "Identities home and abroad: An isotopic study of Viking Age Norway and the British Isles". She earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in archaeology from the University of Bristol in 2017. Her doctoral thesis was titled "Resolving Repton: the nature of the Viking winter camp", and her supervisor was Mark Horton.

After completing her PhD, she was an honorary senior research associate at the University of Bristol until 2020. 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".

Her 2021 book River Kings: A new history of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads was called "an engaging introduction to the study of the Vikings" by the Times Literary Supplement. 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.

She was a presenter on some episodes of the ninth and 11th series of the BBC Two television series Digging for Britain.

Jarman presents a history podcast The Rabbit Hole Detectives with Richard Coles and Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, and together they wrote The Rabbit Hole Book, published by Michael Joseph in 2024.

Jarman has multiple sclerosis, having been diagnosed in 2016 during her PhD.

Jarman's husband is the 9th Earl Spencer, their relationship having been publicly confirmed in 2024. In October 2024, amidst the Spencers' divorce proceedings, Jarman sued Karen Spencer, Countess Spencer, for allegedly disclosing her multiple sclerosis diagnosis to others, including the Earl. Respondent filings state that Jarman's husband, Tom Jarman, had volunteered the MS information to Lady Spencer, indicating that it was not a secret. The lawsuit was settled in December 2025, via a Part 36 provision, assigning Jarman £4,500 in damages with "no admission of liability or wrongdoing" by Lady Spencer. Earl Spencer was ordered to pay the legal costs, estimated to be in excess of £2 million, in compliance with the financial arrangements of the Spencers' divorce arbitration.

On 15 May 2026, Jarman married the 9th Earl Spencer in Sedona, Arizona, United States.

Articles

.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#bf3c2c)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#bf3c2c)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}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 978-0008353094
The Bone Chests: Unlocking the secrets of the Anglo-Saxons William Collins (2023) ISBN 978-0008447328
The Rabbit Hole Book with Richard Coles and Charles Spencer, Michael Joseph (2024) ISBN 978-0241684863

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Cat Jarman — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report