Good morning, I am on Day Two of Thirty-One Days of the Time Team for October. I am throwing it back to season four of Time Team on day two. This was part of the Odyssey YouTube Channel, so I had to do a little digging to discover what season this episode came from. This time, the team is testing out a theory about a potential Roman Villa on an army base. The run time for this episode is 50:52.
In 1907, a local Colonel discovered part of a mosaic. He concluded that this was part of a Roman Villa from 300 AD. Since then, the site has been occupied by an army barracks that protected the remains. The Time Team has been invited to test out the colonel’s theory. It is the one chance good archeology can be done on this site before it is put to reuse. Did the colonel really find a mosaic at this site? The episode begins with Tony and Mick arriving at the army barracks. Many of the barracks have been taken down. Mick briefly touches on the history of the barracks and what was found on the site. Was there really a Roman villa found on this site? Mick is realistic pointing out that there was a Roman building on site, but not a lot of pottery found on the site. Phil Harding and Robin Bush talk about where to put in the first trench. They go over a map of the site that was created in 1937. Robin Bush talks about the discovery that was made in 1907. The concrete may be a problem. How will the Time Team dig under the concrete? Carenza works to retrace the Colonel’s steps. However, a fence stands in the way. Tony helps run some tape to measure the Colonel’s steps. Following the Colonel’s steps are not working out as well as planned. Trench one is going in the coal yard. It will take some time and a jackhammer to break through the concrete. In the meantime, Stewart, Carenza, and Tony continue to follow in the Colonel’s steps. Perhaps the hunt for his initial research is not going as badly as Tony initially thought. In the meantime, a lineup of potential mosaic floor designs is created. Robin looks over the description of what the Colonel found. One expert comment that based on the Colonel’s description the Time Team should be looking for a small mosaic. Where was this mosaic? Duncan Coe, with Wiltshire Archeology, also talks about another potential location for mosaic. There is a discussion of test pits, which Mick does not mind doing. So a plan is drawn up for test pits. These are one-meter squares dug into the ground to see if anything could be found. From the sky, it is possible that the villa was extensive and formally planned. Test pits are being dug around the site. Trench one continues on and Phil has discovered something in the yard. There was a bit of Roman brick. The piece of brick is a pale red. Mick flies over to where trench two was supposed to be put in. However, they are running into problems as the local utilities were put in. Phil and his trench are turning up some discoveries. He found a piece of roof tile. End of day one and there are only bits and bobs being found. Tony is skeptical about the test pit test. Day two begins, and trench two is being put in. there was a discovery made in one of the test pits and it was one that Geophysics wanted. There were bits and bobs of a Roman cooking pot. Was it the type of pottery that was associated with a villa? Will this trench be extended? Was this army barracks on the site of a big villa? Tune into the rest of the Time Team to find out more. It still amazes me that there are so many finds that can be discovered in Britain by the Time Team. I am a big believer that the history I have learned in school is different than what is taught now because of the new discoveries that are made. Although slightly hobbled, Mick moved around on the site very well. This would be one documentary to put on my “Maybe” list of Time Teams to show to a history class, particularly during the Roman Era.
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