Time Team: Unearthing the Past

Dani Wootton: 5 Fantastic Finds | Time Team - Dig 2

Finds specialist Dani Wootton takes a closer look at five fantastic finds discovered during Time Team's dig of the Broughton Roman villa in Oxfordshire.

This incredible dig amassed a fascinating range of finds over the three days, stretching from the Roman to more recent periods.

The original video from this podcast is available to watch on the Time Team Official YouTube channel here.

Get up close with the interactive 3D models featured in the original video on Patreon.

Catch up on the three-part episode (Dig 2) to find out more:

• Preview
• Day One
• Day Two
• Day Three

Dani Wootton: Virtual Dartmoor - Laser Scanning a Devon Farmhouse

Throughout the year, in between our main dig episodes, we’ll be dropping in on a range of other interesting archaeological projects that feature Time Team's friends and family.

In this episode, Dani Wootton pays a visit to Dartmoor National Park, Devon, in South West England, where a team from the University of Plymouth are digitally scanning an historic farmhouse to create a 3D game environment.

Higher Uppacott is a Grade I listed, thatched Medieval longhouse, with origins dating back to the mid-14th century. It’s history meets high-tech, and as Dani highlights, there are many parallels between game design and virtual reality, and the modern techniques now used by today’s archaeologists.

Over the coming weeks, we'll be following the story of Higher Uppacott, including progress on the 3D modelling exercise, and a tour of the longhouse with Time Team's historic buildings expert, Dr Richard Parker.

Very special thanks to Matt Clark (Shadow Tor Studios), the staff and students of the University of Plymouth, Dartmoor National Park Authority and Gareth Allen of South View Media Ltd.

Watch the original video on our YouTube channel here.

Stewart Ainsworth: Rivers & Roads | Ancient Routes | Landscape Archaeology

Time Team's Landscape Archaeologist Stewart Ainsworth takes us on a journey across ancient roads and river valleys of England.

Stewart traces the prehistoric landscape around the Cotswolds, bringing us closer to the world the Romans would have witnessed prior to Britain's Golden Age of villa construction...

Watch the original video interview here.

Dr Eleanor Janega & Neil Emmanuel: Welcome to the Middle Ages

What's the difference between Medieval and the Middle Ages? What was so dark about the Dark Ages? And was the Great Famine really that great? Dr Eleanor Janega answers these questions and much more, in her concise yet comprehensive guide to the Middle Ages that packs a punch.

 

'The Middle Ages: A Graphic Guide' is a razor-sharp introduction to a fascinating period, proving that history need not be stuffy, ably illustrated by Time Team's own graphic artist, Neil Emmanuel, with nods to both Medieval woodcuts and Monty Python.

 

Earlier this year, Dani Wootton caught up with Eleanor and Neil for a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from the Great Schism to Medieval pandemics (which might be unsettling for those who have been affected by Coronavirus). Neil also shared his memories of our resident artist, Victor Ambrus.

 

Order your copy of The Middle Ages book in Time Team's official shop here.

 

The original video interview is available to watch on Patreon.

John Preston: Beyond The Dig - Sutton Hoo

In this exclusive interview, critically acclaimed author of 'The Dig', John Preston chats to Time Team's creator and Series Producer, Tim Taylor, to discuss one of Britain's most incredible archaeological discoveries: Sutton Hoo.

They consider the amazing discovery of the Anglo-Saxon burial by Basil Brown and Edith Pretty (as recently portrayed in the Netflix film adaptation), and the state-of-the-art survey techniques that Time Team is now deploying at the site to help us uncover more of its secrets.

Copies of John's book 'The Dig' are available to order in our shop here.

The original video interview is available to watch here.

John Thomas: EPIC MOSAIC DISCOVERY!

A major archaeological discovery was made by a British farmer during lockdown – a large Roman villa, complete with an intriguing mosaic depicting scenes from Ancient Greek mythology... buried under a field in England.

The mosaic discovered in England's smallest county, Rutland, tells a story that stretches back thousands of years into the Bronze Age. Time Team's resident community archaeologist, Dani Wootton catches up with John Thomas from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services to find out more about this amazing discovery.

John Thomas is no stranger to Time Team having appeared on the programme several times over the years, alongside fellow archaeology Peter Liddle (who we interviewed recently on Patreon). What's more the geophysical survey on the villa was carried out by SUMO – the company led by Time Team's own geophys whizz, Dr John Gater!

Very special thanks to John Thomas, UCLA and Historic England.

The original video of this interview can be watched here.

Fossils & Finds: Jurassic Pompeii and Sid’s back garden find!

Time Team meets Sid, a young boy who made an incredible ancient discovery in his back garden, when looking for pottery during lockdown. Sid's amazing find made the national headlines here in the UK and he has since appeared on iconic children's TV show, Blue Peter.

We're also joined by Dr Tim Ewin, Senior Curator at the Natural History Museum to discuss the similarities between archaeology and palaeontology, and amazing 'Jurassic Pompeii' also recently discovered in the UK.

While very different subjects, there are some clear parallels between archaeology and palaeontology, and Time Team is no stranger to palaeontology, having searched for mammoths in an Oxfordshire gravel pit back in Series 3. We also headed to Montana's 'Dinosaur Belt' for a 2001 special to excavate a Tyrannosaurus Rex!

Special thanks to Sid and Vish Singh, and Dr Tim Ewin of the Natural History Museum, London.

You can watch the original video interview here.

Prof Helena Hamerow: Anglo-Saxon expert on the Saxon Hall

We catch up with old friend and authority on Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Prof Helena Hamerow for a wide ranging discussion, covering everything from Saxon royal power bases to discoveries including the Staffordshire Hoard.

Helena – a key contributor to our dig at Sutton Courtenay, featured in last week's Time Team Classic – takes a closer look at Saxon royal great halls, including an incredible recent reconstruction at a neighbouring site in Long Wittenham, Oxfordshire. Prof Hamerow also sheds light on a fascinating period of history when royal women wielded a significant degree of power and influence.

The original video interview is available to watch on the Time Team Official YouTube Channel.

Watch Time Team Classics episode, 'In the Halls of a Saxon King (Sutton Courtenay) here.

Discover more about the Sylva Foundation and the amazing Saxon hall reconstruction, the House of Wessex, here.

Jonathan Foyle: Tudor Towers - Investigating Historic Buildings!

Time Team regular and buildings expert Dr Jonathan Foyle catches up with Series Producer Tim Taylor to shed light on some of the most beautiful and intriguing historic buildings in England.

Jonathan and Tim consider the incredible Tudor gatehouse, Layer Marney Towers in Essex, Jonathan's former stomping ground, Hampton Court, and several glorious cathedrals. They also discuss the legendary and opulent temporary palaces of the Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520, France.

But, most importantly, can Jonathan help Time Team find its next dig site?

The original video interview is available to watch on the Time Team Official YouTube channel here.

Philippa Gregory: Queen of Historic Fiction – Time Team extended interview

We revisit an interview with queen of historic fiction, Philippa Gregory CBE, with an extended chat including fascinating and previously unseen insights. Philippa discusses her bestselling novels, and experiences on Time Team at Syon House and Groby Old Hall – home of the ‘White Queen’, Elizabeth Woodville.

Philippa shares her wealth of knowledge, shedding light on the forgotten stories of women throughout history and discusses her recent novel, Dark Tides.

Note: This is an extended version of an interview originally recorded in July 2020, featuring many fascinating and previously unreleased moments.

The original video interview is available to view here.

Routes For Roots: Walk Through Time

Join Time Team for a walk through time, discovering some of the amazing historical features that you can encounter on a stroll through the British countryside.

Time Team's Dani Wootton catches up with East Devon archaeologist, and former 'Bard of Exeter', Jon Freeman to find out how we can all discover more about the history and archaeology of our local areas.

To discover more about Routes for Roots, download the PDF walking guides and watch the online video tours, visit this website.

If you'd like more information about researching local history and archaeology across Britain, check out Time Team's Dig Village book, available in hardback.

The original video interview is available to listen to here.

Dr Gabor Thomas: Saxon Queen Cynethryth‘s lost abbey discovered

In Summer 2021, archaeologists from the University of Reading made a major discovery: the long lost monastery ruled by a prominent and hugely influential Anglo-Saxon queen.

Cynethryth was the wife of Offa of Mercia, and a powerful queen in her own right – the only female ruler depicted on coinage at this time in all of Western Europe.

The Reading team, led by Dr Gabor Thomas, made some amazing discoveries at Cookham village on the banks of the River Thames. Time Team's Dani Wootton catches up with Dr Thomas to find out more.

The original video is available to watch here.

Cottage Core: 500 Years of Life at Home Through Buildings Archaeology

You may have heard of the 'cottage core' trend that has captured many people's imaginations recently. While the concept might portray a slightly idealised view of countryside living, we thought it would be interesting to approach the rural dwelling from an archaeological perspective.

Time Team archaeologist Dani Wootton catches up with buildings expert and gifted illustrator, Dr Richard Parker, to discuss some of the archaeological techniques used to understand the development of a building over time.

Together, Dani and Richard guide us through 500 years of history of a Devon farmhouse, from its origins in the 1500s up to the present day, using Richard's incredible drawings. They discuss how fashions changed in different eras, and how these affected the structure and fabric of a home.

You can watch the original video interview here.

Neil Emmanuel: Time Team‘s Graphics Supremo!

Introducing Neil Emmanuel – 2D graphic artist and motion graphics whizz, who featured on Time Team for 10 years and will be returning for our new digs this year.

As well as sharing his Time Team memories, Neil tells us more about his excellent new book, 'The Middle Ages: A Graphic History', which he illustrated alongside author and historian, Dr Eleanor Janega.

This brilliant read busts the myth of the ‘Dark Ages’, shedding light on the medieval period’s present-day relevance in a unique illustrated style. A unique, illustrated book that will change the way you see medieval history!

To celebrate the publication this book is now available in the Time Team Official Shop here.

See more of Neil's work here.

See more of Eleanor's work here.

Robert Harris: Bestselling author - The Cicero Trilogy

In this exclusive interview, the master of the historical thriller, Robert Harris, joins Time Team's Derek Pitman to discuss the inspiration behind his novels.

Robert's books including 'Fatherland', 'Archangel' and 'Munich' often draw upon historical themes to construct intricate and engaging narratives, a blend a fiction and fact that immerses the reader is numerous histories and alternative histories.

Robert transports us back to Ancient Rome, the setting for his landmark 'The Cicero Trilogy', which is now being released in a special hardback edition.

Join us to find out Robert's fantasy dig site and what he thinks about Time Team, as well as the archaeological inspiration behind 'The Second Sleep'.

COMPETITION! Win a copy of Robert's new book and some Time Team Official merch here.

The original video interviews available to watch here.

Derek Pitman & Lawrence Shaw: Preparing for a ‘Career in Ruins‘

Derek Pitman and Lawrence Shaw, best known for their 'Career in Ruins' podcast, join us for a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion on all things archaeology.

The duo begin planning the (entirely hypothetical) 'Official Time Team Academy University of Learning Stuff About Archaeology', sharing insights on the fundamentals of their craft and adapting practices in response to Covid-19. What's more, they give us a taste of the latest gadgets available to archaeologists today – from Star Trek inspired 'ray guns' and drones to smartphone apps and augmented reality. What on earth does the latest Mario Kart video game have to do with archaeology?! You'll have to listen to find out...

Finally, Lawrence and Derek look back at Time Team's visit to St Mary's City, sparking an interesting debate on the cultural differences in practising archaeology in different regions, as well as the advances in technology and approaches since the dig almost 25 years ago.

Check out the 'Career in Ruins' podcast here.

Watch the original video interview here.

Time Team: Dig Countdown – Talking Points

As we draw ever closer to the two brand new Time Team digs, members of the team share a range of perspectives on the Roman villa in Oxfordshire and the Iron Age settlement in Cornwall.

Carenza Lewis, Helen Geake, Naomi Sewpaul, Stewart Ainsworth, John Gater, Miles Russell and Tim Taylor tell us what they are excited about and how they will be approaching the digs. As you can see, we're getting just a little bit excited!

You can watch the original video interview that was recorded before the digs started on the Time Team Official YouTube channel.

Kate Mosse: Bestselling ‘Labyrinth‘ author introduces ‘The City of Tears‘

Tim Taylor catches up with bestselling 'Labyrinth' author, Kate Mosse to discuss her latest novel, 'The City of Tears'. We always learn so much when talking to Kate and this conversation doesn't disappoint!

Once again, Kate shares her breadth of knowledge on the genuine historic events, characters, locations and physical artefacts that inspire her fiction. We take a closer look at the fascinating role of reliquaries throughout history, and Kate reveals her own 'fantasy dig site' that relates to the book.

You can watch the original video interview in full here.

To find out more about Kate's books and other projects visit here website.

Henry Chapman - Time Team‘s ‘Man with the Plan‘

This week, we're joined by 'Man with the Plan', Professor Henry Chapman – Time Team's resident surveyor. Professor Chapman, of the University of Birmingham, tells us about his study of bog bodies and why we should keep researching Stonehenge. He also shows us his 'long service award' for completing over 100 Time Team shoots!

Discover Henry's fantasy dig site and what he thinks was the key to Time Team's success.

You can also view the original video interview here.

Helen Geake: The Roman Villa - Musing on Mosaics

Join us for this fascinating chat as Series Producer Tim Taylor and Archaeologist Helen Geake consider the importance of unveiling and recording ancient mosaics.

Time Team is returning to dig a large Roman villa later this year on the Broughton estate, Oxfordshire. Of course, a potential floor mosaic is just one aspect of a much bigger picture that we hope to uncover at this site.

So does it really matter if we find one? Tim and Helen make a compelling case for gleaning what we can in the here and now...

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