Birgitta Wallace facts for kids
Birgitta Linderoth Wallace (born May 1, 1934 – died May 20, 2025) was a very important archaeologist. She was from both Sweden and Canada. Birgitta Wallace was an expert in studying the ancient Norse people, also known as Vikings, in North America.
She spent most of her career working for Parks Canada. This is a government agency that protects Canada's natural and historical places. Birgitta Wallace is most famous for her work at L'Anse aux Meadows. This is a special place in North America where archaeologists found proof that Vikings lived there long ago. It's the only Viking site in North America that almost everyone agrees is real.
In 2015, she received a special award called the Smith-Wintemberg Award. This award came from the Canadian Archaeological Association, recognizing her great work.
Birgitta Wallace's Early Life and Studies
Birgitta Wallace was born in Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden. Her parents were from Sweden and Denmark. She went to Uppsala University in Sweden to study. While she was a student, she also got hands-on experience. She worked at different archaeological sites in both Sweden and Norway. This helped her learn how to dig up and study ancient objects.
After she finished her master's degree, Birgitta Wallace worked as a curator. A curator is someone who takes care of museum collections. She worked at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States.
Her Career with Parks Canada
In 1975, Birgitta Wallace moved to Canada. She started a new job as an archaeologist with Parks Canada. She stayed with Parks Canada until she retired.
Her main focus during her career was studying Norse archaeology in North America. She actually started this work when she was at the Carnegie Museum. But she also worked on other interesting sites. She studied places where Native American and Aboriginal Canadian people lived. She also explored early French Canadian sites in North America. Besides that, she worked on archaeological sites in Scandinavia and even in Israel.
Her Passing
Birgitta Wallace passed away on May 20, 2025. She was 91 years old. She died in Halifax, a city in Canada.
