Canadian Archaeologist - Caroline Puzinas
Archaeologist, writer, actress, director, dancer, friend…
Of all the people I’ve met in the world, I’ve never met anyone who works as hard as Caroline. I admire her perseverance in the face of so many career challenges. She is also the funniest person I know! No one can have me in stitches like her. I’m proud to call her my friend.
Caroline and I met in the Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations department at the University of Toronto in 1999. She was a couple of years ahead of me in the program, but her outgoing personality won me over. We shared a couple of classes, but significantly more cups of coffee on campus, and we became fast friends. We even bartended together as one of our numerous part-time jobs while at university.
She did her BA in English/Anthropology at McMaster University and an MA in Near & Middle Eastern Archaeology (2000-2002), and went on to Fleming College in 2006-2007 to get a post-graduate diploma in Museum Curatorship/Management.
Archaeology ⛏️
Caroline enjoyed field work and worked on many overseas excavations, starting in 1999 at Wadi Ziqlab in Jordan.[1] The site was directed by Dr. Ted Banning [2] of the University of Toronto. It was a very old settlement (Epi-paleolithic/Neolithic) site located in the hill country in northern Jordan. It was her first field experience and she recalls it was composed of a strong team. She remembers finding some “interesting ceramic remains, one piece which was very unique for the time period (Chalcolithic) and perhaps from another region.”
In 2000, she worked in Cyprus, on the Tombs of the Kings excavation, which was directed by Dr. Paul Croft.[3][4]
Caroline worked on two sites in 2001. She first went to Yemen in January to work on the Ghayl ba Wazir site [5] under the direction of Dr. Ingrid Hehmeyer [6] and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The work was “focusing on landscapes and use of the land and water resources in the Medieval Islamic period.” The season surveyed and recorded any found cave drawings, and attempted to date them. The site sits near an oasis and borders the desert to Saudi Arabia. It was a very isolated spot. Caroline’s work included survey, illustration and some mapping.
“Yemen was definitely one of the most fascinating countries I have worked in. It felt lost in time. The mud brick architecture, souks, narrow city lanes, and some of the world’s best coffee is grown there. I learned a lot about the trafficking of antiquities from one shop owner who had drawers full of ancient artifacts sold to him by thieves.”
That same summer, Caroline went back to Jordan to work at the Tall Madaba site [7] under the direction of Professor Tim Harrison.[8] The settlement history at the site goes back some 5000 years. Caroline describes the summer as a study season. They were there to open up a small test area and do clean up to prepare for the next field school season. Madaba is a teaching site for U of T students, and she states it “has a rich Christian history and many mosaics turn up at the site and in the town.”[9] After an 8-week field season at Tell Madaba, she did another 3 1/2 weeks with Stephen Savage [10] from Arizona State University at another site in the countryside outside of Madaba to do an environmental/landscape survey.
Dr. Stephen Savage with Bedouin family. Aqaba, Jordan. Photo by Sydney Rempel
In the summer of 2004, Caroline returned to Cyprus to work on the Paphos Amphitheatre project (University of Sydney).[11] It was a ceramic study season of Classical period ceramic assemblages from prior field seasons. You can see the group photo of the project from 2004 on Flickr.
Caroline then went on to Greece the following summer, 2005, to work at Mitrou.[12] The excavation was directed by Professor Aleydis Van de Moortel.[13] The site was primarily a Bronze Age village, located in East Lokris. The settlement occupation goes back to the Neolithic period, and is located on a small islet which is walkable at low tide from the mainland. “The survey showed the extent of the stie was larger than previously excavated. Skeletons/burials turned up in one trench which shut down the site for a day while removal of bones took place. The location of Mitrou sat in a prime location on the North/South trade routes in Greece so some pottery turned up which had some non-Greek Bronze Age pieces.” ~ Caroline Puzinas
Caroline went to Fleming College in 2006-2007 to undertake a post-graduate diploma (PGDip) in Museum Management and Curatorship. For many archaeologists that do not specialize in Canadian archaeology, it is difficult to find employment in that field unless you work for a university. Caroline thought pursuing a program in Museum Studies would increase her employability in Canada. She also completed a four-month unpaid internship at the Royal Ontario Museum, Classical Department in 2008 as part of the program. Caroline’s thoughts about the program:
“Had some decent training in conservation of artifacts, etc. It is a great program as you learn literally in an onsite museum in town [14] as your one classroom as well as site visits to heritage sites.”
In 2008, Caroline (and I) went to Crete as part of the Knossos Urban Landscape Project. We have both written about that project previously.[15]
Sites in the Mediterranean and Middle East where Caroline has worked
Google Maps
Caroline also did the following work:
Canadian Institute in Greece (CIG) (2008) - Caroline did a two-month independent internship to work on digitizing material and cataloging the institute’s slide collection. [16]
American School of Classical Studies at Athens (2008) - Caroline helped work on an archival project.
Cultural Resource Management (CRM) work - contract work for various CRM organisations in Ontario between 2005-2015
Gallery
Film 🎞️
Caroline always wrote stories and shot videos starting in her late teens and early 20s. She had an agent during her undergrad years which provided extra cash while she was going to school (another of her many part-time jobs). Following her archaeological work she decided to return to acting around 2009. She even took a screenwriting course that year. She has had a long history of working in the film industry and has not only done writing, but also worked on Locations, Set Dec, Art Direction, Research, Craft, Security, and is an ACTRA member and been on numerous television shows and movies.[17] She has also directed several shorts and is probably best known for her co-creation of ‘Pink Is In’.[18]
I asked why she moved from archaeology to film.
“I was like a hamster on a wheel in order to afford grad school and to go on excavations...all that and I never ended up with a museum job.”
Now she has been in the film industry for so long it is second nature. She really enjoys “creating and bringing characters to life.”
I asked a couple of direct questions:
DD: What has been your favourite shoot? Why?
CP: My favourite set is Murdoch Mysteries and I have worked on it for years. It’s in Season 19 now! Historical fiction stories have great sets and costumes.
DD: What was the worst shoot and why?
CP: The worst set was one where I was asked by a director to lie down on top of fire bars (spfx bars) which shoot out flames controlled by gas release. I refused of course. Totally unsafe and bizarre request.
DD: Can you share a funny story about shooting?
CP: I once worked with a lovely actress, once she found out I was an archaeologist, she’d often ask me about travel, sites, etc. The AD (Assistant Director) had to remind us often that the camera was rolling and it was time to film.🎬
DD: What is your goal with film?
CP: I would love to combine my varied background in history, etc. on a show which looks at mysteries in history which are yet to be solved, or sites not found yet - Atlantis, Alexander the Great’s grave, Nefertiti and Akhenaten's tombs, Minoans: who were they? etc.
DD: That would be a great way to tie your archaeological background with film! Are there any projects you are currently working on?
CP: As for upcoming projects...hmmm I am working on a pitch for a doc or docudrama to do with a famous resident of Hamilton who was a notorious Victorian criminal wanted even by Scotland Yard. So far that's it. Maybe we will shoot a teaser but it's not for my script, it’s for my friend Magang. I also recently did props/set dec on an upcoming series Condemned: Woodstock [19] about past crimes, to air in Fall 2025 on the Bell Fibe TV1 network.
I have to say that if you watch Canadian television at all, you will probably have seen Caroline as a background actor. I’m always surprised when I see her and know she has been hard at work (as always). Caroline is quite humble and I wouldn’t say she is the best at promoting herself, but that’s why I wanted to highlight her here. I have known her for over twenty-five years. Trust is earned, and she has certainly earned mine. If you have an interesting film project that needs a uniquely and diversly skilled person, Caroline would be a great choice!
[1] Wadi Ziqlab - https://archaeology.utoronto.ca/?page_id=98
[2] Edward Banning, Professor - https://www.anthropology.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/edward-banning
[3] Dr. Paul Croft - https://ucy.academia.edu/PaulCroft
[4] Caroline wrote about her time in Cyprus briefly in a previous blog post - Cyprus Aphrodite, Calamity!
[5] https://www.torontomu.ca/mena/event-archive/2019/03/a_history_of_water_engineering_in_yemen/
[6] Ingrid Hehmeyer - https://www.torontomu.ca/history/about-us/faculty-and-staff/faculty/hehmeyer-ingrid/ ; https://ryerson.academia.edu/IngridHehmeyer
[7] The Tall Madaba Archaeological Project (TMAP) - https://www.nmc.utoronto.ca/research/research-publications/research-projects/tall-madaba-archaeological-project
[8] Professor Tim Harrison - https://www.nmc.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/timothy-p-harrison
[9] Of note, I (Debborah) personally spent hundreds of hours in the ceramic lab at the University of Toronto, drawing and analyzing pottery sherds from Madaba.
[10] Stephen Savage - https://search.asu.edu/profile/91787 ; report on the 2002 season can be accessed here - https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.3764/aja.107.3.449
[11] Paphos Theatre Archaeology Project - http://www.paphostheatre.org/
[12] Mitrou Archaeological Project (MAP) - https://mitrou.utk.edu/
[13] Aleydis Van de Moortel - https://faculty.utk.edu/Aleydis.Van.de.Moortel
[14] Peterborough Museum & Archives - https://www.peterborough.ca/recreation-culture-social-services/arts-and-culture/museum-and-archives/
[15] See the previous blog post by Caroline - Caroline in Crete; and from me - Minoan Adventures.
[16] CIG Bulletin 23 - Spring 2009 https://www.cig-icg.gr/bulletin/
[17] Caroline has worked on significantly more tv series/movies/shorts/documentaries than what is listed on her profiles: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepuzinas/ ; on IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4382645/ ; YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thetemp5627
[18] The Power’s Point Podcast interviewing Caroline in 2024 - From Ancient Tombs to Film Sets - July 27, 2024 - https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/from-ancient-tombs-to-film-sets/id1494390448?i=1000663520954
[19] Culbert, M. (2025) True Crime Series Filming in Woodstock. 104.7 Heart Fm. Posted online March 11, 2025. https://www.heartfm.ca/news/local-news/true-crime-series-filming-in-woodstock/
