University of Tennessee, B.A. Anthropology
East Tennessee State University, M.A. Criminal Justice
University of Montana, M.A. Anthropology
University of Nevada, Ph.D. Anthropology
Archaeologist
Victoria Swenson earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, first master’s degree in Criminal Justice from East Tennessee State University and second master’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Montana. Victoria earned her PhD at the University of Nevada, Reno with an emphasis on biological anthropology. Her main area of interest lies in bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology. Her main research focuses on medieval Polish skeletal populations and using phenotypic cranial and dental traits as proxies for genetic information to reconstruct unknown relationships between individuals and groups. Victoria has experience analyzing recovered human biological remains in a bioarchaeological and forensic context. From 2015 to 2019, she has worked as a field and laboratory osteologist for the Slavia Foundation’s International Bioarchaeological Field School in Drawsko, Poland. Her forensic experience includes working as a Forensic Technician with the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner and Coroner’s Office in Reno, NV and with the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. Victoria has experience working numerous phase I archaeological surveys, phase II National Register evaluations, phase III data recovery projects throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, West Virginia, Indiana, and Missouri. Victoria began working for CRA as a Field and Laboratory Technician in 2013 and has been a Field Supervisor since January 2020.
In her spare time, Victoria enjoys spending time with her husband, shih-tzu, and two cats (one black polydactyl and one tabby-cat). Her hobbies include: traveling abroad, working on home projects, gardening, cooking, and sewing.