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Ever wondered what it looks like from the driver’s seat?Here’s Jon's POV from the digger as the topsoil comes off the trench - a view you don’t usually get to see.

This is where it all begins. Before anyone’s on their hands and knees with a trowel, it’s about carefully stripping back that top layer and watching for the first signs that something’s there.

It might look like just moving soil… but this is the moment where everything starts to reveal itself.

Also, yes - Jon makes it look very easy.

More of these behind-the-scenes bits coming your way…

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Comments

Selena Allan

Was anyone else mesmerised watching this?! The skill Jon shows is incredible.

Andrew Calderwood

Thanks for showing all aspects of an archaeological excavation!

Michael Louk

Could have easily watched that for an hour. Hope we get to see that again this week and perhaps on future digs!!!

Welshboy007

Does John have to put it all back too? Or does the landowner re-instate the soil?

Kerry Hennigan

It's very exacting. Obviously a real skill involved in doing it right.

Wessex-Wyvern

Compelling viewing! I could have watched this for a lot longer.

Kathy Calmejane

We took the kids to Diggerland last year, and I have to admit that when it was my turn to dig I was internally pretending to be on Time Team :D

Elisabeth

That was interesting. Thanks for thinking to share it. His skill is amazing!

Robert Boudreau

As someone who has some experience operating those machines I can say, to do it as smoothly and accurately as Jon does is not easy. It takes some serious skill. I was always amazed watching Ian Barclay digging in the original series, he was so smooth. Jon is certainly in the same class

Mikael Larsson

Such skills. Reminds me of Ian, back in the days.

sheilaellen

Does Jon get any haptic feedback through the digger's controls, to get a sense of resistance, for example?

John Boudewijn

Incredibly impressive work! How much do you take off at a time, roughly?

Elaine P

Amazing skill, and mesmerizing to watch. Brilliant notion to show us this perspective.

Pam

Watching an artist at work

Terri Brown

Wow it is so much more than I thought. You are the heart of the team and it is really an art!

Eggs Ackley

We need to see Jon peel a banana with the bucket like Ian did once on camera! 👍🍌

Robert Boudreau

Or pick a grape up off the ground and drop it in someone's mouth. But beyond the tricks, what Jon does and Ian did as the job on a dig shows an extremely high level of skill. To scrape 4cm off in a 5m long trench without it ending up like waves on an ocean is not easy. They make it look easy, but it's far from it. I find it quite a pleasure to watch a master at work.

Simon Orchard

How i wish we could use a digger at Magna Roman fort, but no, not allowed in a world heritage site, so it's all deturfing by hand

Brian Taylor

Or scrape the peanut butter off a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with fragile Saxon pottery under the jelly.

Drew

Is there forced feedback from the controls? John is doing a delicate job there.

Mary Lu

Amazing precise work with a huge machine. Fascinating! It’s a whole different thing to see it from inside the cab, seeing it from the view of the operator. Many thanks!

Elizabeth B Hess

Isn't it wonderful what delicate work he can do with that massive machine! Hope they give us a little more of that; would be fun for Dig Watch to interview Jon about various soil types and other excavations.

David Boon

Every kid's dream job.

Chrina Jarvis

Fascinating - but wonder if anyone explores what might be contained in those first few layers of top soil that have been removed for any interesting finds that may exist?

Carl Johnson

There needs to be a camera mounted on the digger on every new location. Would be some great ASMR videos.

Mondrian Car SF aka Tegelsten

I have always wanted to operate an excavator. I should have trained in it when I had the chance.

Meg

Cool!