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As the Site Wrestle continues, it's now Helen Geake's turn to present a site that she would like to explore further – an Anglo-Saxon burial ground in the East of England. But what will the rest of the team make of it?

It's worth noting that we are currently listening in on the introductory conversations of an ongoing process. As a result, the teams' views and score ratings are based purely on early impressions (well, ok, proximity to a decent pub, in John's case).

As always, ideas and assumptions from each team member will be challenged and tested by their colleagues, and sometimes a session will come out with more questions than answers. But that's ok! We embrace the uncertainties at this stage to help inform the process as it develops.

This particular site poses some very interesting questions...

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PTN-site wrestle1-Saxon cemetery.m4v

This is "PTN-site wrestle1-Saxon cemetery.m4v" by Time Team on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

Comments

A Bleese

If Helen supports it then it's got to be a 10 from me, especially if it's the site I think it is. As John knows, there is a pub in the village.

Sarah Holloway

This sounds very interesting and further investigation such as ground penetration radar and some further research on the site seems like a very good idea . The fact there is also an earlier period to look at is really interesting as well .

Bob Pockney

These really are wrestles. I like the idea of a two phased approach with a gpr scan first.

Anne

This is the one that interests me most as I find the Anglo- Saxon period extremely fascinating. I am even learning Anglo- Saxon ( Old English ) online with the Teach Yourself app & the accompanying book & I am thouroughly enjoying the

Anne

experience.

Daniel Defoe

For me, this is neck-and-neck with the Fogou site.

Carole Cox

Personally I struggle with grave disturbance. However, I don't expect anyone else to have that philosophical edge. If some broader relationship can be determined and a good Pub is there, I am certain it is worthy!

Kieran Gane

This process is fascinating.

Wendy White

Although you have not answered my question I posed about wondering whether I had joined the official time team the correct group, listening to the discussion and seeing Helen Tim and carenza I now know I'm on the right group. I have to tell you though tht least two groups out there making money off of all the old time Team videos one is Danish diggers, can't edit!

Elizabeth Ackermann

It’s a pleasure listening to our experts share their thoughts and concerns about the sites. This one sounds like it has great potential for learning more about the evolution from Roman to Anglo Saxon Britain. Also, preserving the site through scheduling- or at least determining if that is warranted- seems like a worthy goal. But to be honest, you had me at Anglo Saxon 🙂

William F. Campbell

Fascinating indeed! If this is a well preserved, middle to large site, with no plow damage then it seems ripe for preservation. Exploration might best proceed in stages as data is available on the extent and density of anomalies. Is it possible to get an analysis on soil chemistry in strata of the deposits and estimate the probable/possible state of preservation?

TimeTeamOfficial

Hi Wendy, thanks for joining us and we are happy to confirm that this is the 100% official, real deal, genuine artefact!

Greg Davies

Loving these behind-the-scenes videos! Thanks so much for allowing us to observe your process.

Dale Wilson

What happens to the remains and artifacts you find ? I would like to have that explained in the episodes or when the decision is being made

TimeTeamOfficial

HI Dale, we discuss this briefly in the 'Paperwork & Permissions' masterclass and will be returning to finds processing very soon! Thanks

Ray Roberts

The question would be: Is this 5th century Anglo Saxon burial community still occupying the roman structures or have they established their own timber structures? (And perhaps I heard 5th century burial incorrectly as it's later restated as 7th century?)

Anthony cotton

I'd be more interested in the landscape and the surrounding area and understanding why they are buried there than the burials themselves

Mark Baker

What new information would be gleaned by digging an old cemetery? Can Geo-Physics get enough information to eliminate the need to dig and destroy the archeology? What frequencies does GPR work at (I suspect fairly low)? To me a huge step forward would be to use multiple radar sources (phased array?) and probe from different angles to build up a 3D image of buried objects without digging or at least allowing very targeted test pits.

Phelim McIntyre

As a Saxonist - where can I sign up? But in all seriousness, the big issue for me is the research question. I wonder why there is such a high status burial but now a tiny community there? With the right question this site, like the Iron Age one, could fly.

Tanis Sugden

To move this site forward with the particular interest of protecting the location, sounds like a worthy consideration. I appreciated the TT shows where there was a well-rounded site with Geophys, small finds, multiperiod archeology, and landscape observations. I like to learn why the burials/buildings are placed where they are. Ultimately, I like to hear what the finds tell us about who the people were and anything the team can glean about the community. This site sounds like it has good potential for all of that! Naughty John for revealing the pub name but a good pub is an added bonus too!

John Matthew IV

I am not a Saxonist -- sorry! The idea of learning about the transition from Roman to Anglo-Saxon is appealling. I also like the idea of working on this site to get it scheduled. However, overall I think there are better sites to look at.

Paul Middleton

The bling should never be the thing, it makes for a more interesting programme to discover why these people are buried here and what relationship they have to that wider landscape.

Don Cook

Let's be honest; archaeology has always been partly about the bling--and there we run into individual perceptions of what, exactly, "bling" is! suffice it to say, no bling; no big bucks for archaeology. That said; this seems to be much more about an intact/not-plowed burial site ....a chance that should not be missed! if there's a cemetery, there's habitation; i get the distinct feeling this is bigger than bling.

Matthew Adams

I'm really interested in this period of transition (on the one hand) and equally interested to learn what large scale GPR can do on this kind of site. The strategy of doing some GPR this year, and crystallising some of the risk in "missing everything" (does it help...or not...without committing to a programme) would seem to scratch one those itches.

Mik Firestone

I like this one. The transition from Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England is quite fascinating. And we can throw in a Roman Villa for those who like Roman Villas.

Amanda Taylor

Off topic, but I love those pots behind John’s head!

Graham Dombkins

Have always enjoyed the Anglo-Saxon digs

Robert Boudreau

Personally I always like an Anglo-Saxon dig, though like almost all digs, more is learned in the post excavation analysis. So in order to make a Time Team show out of it, I agree it would need to focus on and try to answer specific questions. It's doubtful it was in isolation, so where did the people come from? How long a period is represented in the burials? What, if any, relationship did it have with possible earlier structures around it? Was there any continuity of use? Are the people buried actually Anglo-Saxons? The opportunity I see here is the depth of the burials and the chance most haven't been disturbed by plowing. That in itself is rare, and could be an opportunity to answer some of those questions.

Robert Wise

What about the time required to accomplish the dig? Don’t skeletons require much more time to reveal?

Anne C Towner

Regarding Time Team, I know it is a UK show, but if it comes back, will it be available somewhere online for those of us not located in the US? I was introduced to time team from the old episodes being uploaded to YouTube

Terri

Thank you for sharing the process and how you make Time Team great - I recall that someone from the team mentioned that the driving theme for TT was "What is the question we are answering and what is the context". We, the audience, were able to discover along with you all. Even if it frustrated Tony when his big build up changed based on the archaeology. I suppose, that since it is a "show aired for entertainment", we'll need the launching proposal statement and wrap up moments. ie: "Here's why we are here and did we discover the answer?" It's a can't miss formula. BTW, Love the GPR suggestion and would love to see it happening.

Donald Neal

One of the hard things that Time Team has always been seeking to pull off is to be at the same time both archaeology and television. Television funded by subscription can be something different from what television used to be, but surely one of the things Time Team remains for is to introduce archaeology to an audience not already thinking about the past. If now and again finding shiny things helps to do that, there’s surely some value in that. This looks like a chance to combine useful research in method – use of GPR in burial sites – with a chance to investigate the transition from Romano-British to Saxon. It has our vote, anyway.

Emily Flotilla

Sounds fascinating. Although I'm in this for the history, a bit of bling these days might be a bright spot!

David Boon

I wonder whether grave goods and DNA is another possibility along with other testing of the bones to establish more about the background of the people. Grave goods combined with DNA sometimes shed more information than the grave goods alone. Were these people all of Anglo Saxon origin or had some assimilated in with the new society? Not necessarily something that could be guaranteed but makes it an interesting possibility from my point of view. Number 2 for me at the moment after the Iron Age settlement.

Alice Reynolds

That is a great question. I hope those of us outside the UK will have the opportunity to watch the show.

David de Groot

This does sound quite interesting, esp. with the attempt to map from the Roman to the Anglo-Saxon.

Mark Lund

I defy anyone not to like a bit of archeo. 'bling'. But understand the wider/deeper questions. This was an interesting discussion. Some great sites and a great start to the process.

David Hazel

This one intrigues me because of having taken part in digs on Lindisfarne, investigating an Anglo-Saxon cemetery associated with the first monastery.

Benjamin Johnson

Is Duncan Sayer possibly the husband of Faye Sayer nee Simpson who appeared on quite a few Time Team episodes I wonder?

Michael J Gilday

Faye Sayer is this chaps sister-in-law, he states it in the video I linked.

Patti McCarthy

This is a fascinating site for a number of reasons. First, this is a fresh, unexcavated site which will offer insight into the community and people living there. Most interesting to me, is how women are "embodied" via the burial items in this early cemetery. I've always been perplexed why women buried with "bling" (and even swords!) are discounted as "high status wives" vs important leaders of the community. Maybe it's time to discover if there is a blind spot when it comes to the past/archeology and women. This might be an opportunity to examine how women lived, how they might have been leaders in their own right (without the requirement of marriage), and how their "status" might have been positioned within the cemetery layout itself during this Anglo-Saxon era. In fact, I would CELEBRATE episodes that investigated/excavated sites where matriarchal communities thrived (the Goddess) prior to the dominion of the patriarchy. Would be a fascinating 'question' to pursue. 🙂

Larissa Spiker

Helen's instincts are ones I'd follow too, like Stewart's. We know so little about Anglo-Saxon era. Anything that can be thrown at it is a good thing.