Indiana Joan: 95-year-old archaeology enthusiast is Perth's tomb raider
Joan Howard could be mistaken as any other nice old lady from the neighbourhood, but the Perth great-grandmother has a secret.
At 95 years old, the avid collector has a few stories to tell from her days raiding tombs and collecting ancient artifacts.
Her collection includes Neolithic axe heads, Roman weapons, Egyptian seals, paraphernalia from the time of Christ, mummy masks and ancient jewellery.
In the 1960s Mrs Howard's husband Keith was posted to the Middle East with the United Nation. That's where her fascination with archeology led her to a life of adventure in dangerous places.
She volunteered on digs and explored five countries over a decade collecting antiquities when it was legal to do so, from Egyptian pyramids and Palestinian tombs.
In her younger days, the nonagenarian was lowered down shafts into crypts to collect artifacts in a bucket in the dark.
"All my hair was burnt off from a bullet that missed me," she told 7 News of her time exploring dangerous locations.
Historical dealer and valuer Dave Burridge, who has known Mrs Howard since she translated some Egyptian hieroglyphics for him years ago, told 7 News "She is the female Indiana Jones".
The collection has appreciated over time, to be valued at more than $1 million.
While Mrs Howard has donated a bulk of her findings to the WA museum, she is keeping a secret about where her collection will be placed when she passes on.
Mrs Howard leaves a legacy of adventure, with sage advice for the next generation, saying: "Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail."
