Archaeologists Discover 101 Iron Age Remains In Mass Grave | Digging For Britain | Unearthed History

Dr. Alice Roberts is exploring the greatest archaeological finds in Britain. This episode features a glimpse at one of Britain's earliest civilizations at Star Carr, rare Viking finds in Scotland, a hidden Iron Age cemetery below a housing estate, and more.
00:00 Intro
02:50 Star Carr Stone Age Site
13:45 Viking Settlement
20:50 The Dark Ages
28:00 Pictish Kings
42:30 Iron Age Mass Grave
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[@MrTorleon]

Another outstanding and highly informative episode in what must be considered a landmark series, one in which not only the extremely knowledgeable experts, but the large army of enthusiastic volunteers can be appreciated. The series continues to be presented by the ever capable and equally knowledgeable Prof, Alice Roberts, adding, whenever necessary her own specialty in osto-archeology to the mix - absolutely splendid in every way :)

[@jont8707]

Alice is the best hands down love everything she does 👍🏻

[@JDrumnavy]

Dr. Bones… lol ok. It’s enjoyable to watch and learn from people passionate about their work.

[@nickharmer3049]

Me too mate. 👍. I've followed her work for over 20 years. First class.!

[@belwynne1386]

Love seeing Matt but he deserves a role worthy of his experience, imo.

[@RepublicTX]

I agree. Matt is more than mere eye candy, and that's all they're using him for. These sites are fascinating, but presented in such a way that puts me to sleep. I give up.

[@brootham9979]

And his sense of humour to engage the viewer!

[@larryzigler6812]

@@RepublicTX Most from Texas put's me asleep unless it's from Austin perhaps.

[@larryzigler6812]

Get a room, please 💘💘

[@alanconnors8881]

The discoveries are all so intriguing. I'd binge watch episode after episode if I could. Thank you Alice and all.

[@TravisBrady-wn8fr]

History is my spirit animal

[@brootham9979]

I have to agree about Matt. More recognition is deserved!

[@JDrumnavy]

Alice is my favorite history person/teacher! Sorry this seems like I only speak in Iron Age….

[@lynleygilchrist7703]

29:37 Gordon Noble is a bit of a handsome bloke! Smart, seems like a lovely chap with a really sweet smile, bit of a brogue & good looking as the icing on the cake? My favourite (Phil Harding-less) Digging For Britain episode to date 😉❤ Oh, and the Pictish archaeology is pretty fab, too 😂

[@JoJo-11of11]

Just love Alice, I’m hoping she will come and tell me a bedtime story some day !

[@jodyknight]

Thank you thank you thank you!! I eagerly await each one of these episodes!!

[@nickharmer3049]

Brilliant upload. Thank you. 👍

[@lianefehrle9921]

I just love these adventures

[@michaelglynn2638]

High quality, fascinating and educational, entertaining too. Thank you all.

[@paulmaddison2025]

i hated history at school..it was only several years after i left that i realised i actually love history .

[@Kusoka1]

As well as

[@tomnicholson2115]

Same here.

[@deanagallatin6974]

I hated history most of my life...LOL. I love it now.

[@ant-1382]

Love this stuff.

[@Kusoka1]

Alice could recite the phone book and I’d be glued to the screen.

[@fester73666]

Excellent episode, very interesting to watch 👍👍

[@digdoon]

Looking at the pendant it looks a little bit like Ogam on some of the lines, could this be the earliest form of writing?

[@kevinroche3334]

I thought the same.

[@sheilajudd588]

Fasinating as I am currently reading Buried (a Christmas gift) and Arras and other locations connect with this book. Thank you.

[@scienceraven1200]

If only they had found some evidence of Gikings. Gikings are like the vikings but they are relatively unkown, because they used to kill the women and shag the men, and so they made less little Gikings, although they were a considerable force at the time.

[@belindawalker3120]

The "scribbles" on the "stone age"" pendant look like it could be a form of Ogham writing. Is that a possibility in the stone age time that this form of writing was used?

[@johnjunge6989]

Your husband should be very proud of you. I watch a girl by the name of Alexis Dahl, she talks about Michigan the way you talk about these areas you explore. Both of you make it very interesting. Great stuff!

[@davidlloyd150]

MATT ROCKS!!!!

[@DeanStrautins]

The necklace looks like a good representation of lineage record keeping.

[@maureentupaea4205]

Well done you!

[@kevinmurphy65]

Great stuff!! A question for me is Star Carr considered an actual settlement in the "hamlet" or early town sense? Or more like a Hunter-Gatherer permanent encampment and if so, would someone who knows explain to this non-archaeologist the difference?

[@arthurprentice7110]

Great episode, cheers, but where did the soil that covers the Pictish fort on the seastack come from ? You'd think it would lose soil volume and not accumulate it.

[@trikepilot101]

The erosion must be slower than the gains that come from the cycle of plant growth, death and regrowth. It is surprising.

[@richardbriggs1593]

The pattern on the pendent is a map!! A field map.

[@LawrenceMclean]

It is possible that those in the Arras mass grave were (or decedents of) people who had fought the Romans in Gaul and lost, and escaped the Roman genocide to Britain.

[@Garwfechan-ry5lk]

The Celtic word for king is Brenyn and would have been the same with the Picts.

[@TheDevice9]

A common ritual--- "Mum.... I broke the antler off my deer skull again" "Well dear, just toss it in the rubbish with the other broken skulls and I'll get you a new one tomorrow".

[@brightphoebus]

I love the way British people say "Extrooordn'ry". : D

[@kevinfoster1138]

I believe that it's highly probable that they wore those antlers while hunting as well as rituals.

[@johnjacobs1625]

Nice !

[@tirol10643]

the content is very interesting

[@pauloboyle477]

As I understand. EVERY Viking family had a silver hoard. Supposedly if they buried it it would b there when they die. The hoards are always added to over time but never taken from

[@giovanni5063]

Sweet Marie, the amount of bone, human or otherwise, that resides inside vaults in the UK must comprise the greatest Ossuary in Europe. Every bone that emerges from the dirt is caressed and cared for. What would the ancients think of that? Perhaps 23 centuries from now archeologists may come across my remains and what would they make of them? Is it right that we disturb the bones of the ancestors just to satisfy our curiosity? When is it right to start digging in the graves of the 20th century?

[@harbourdogNL]

"Is it right that we disturb the bones of the ancestors just to satisfy our curiosity?" Yes, of course. It's not just idle curiosity, it's pursuit of knowledge. And any time is a good time to "disturb" bones. As far as I'm concerned, the graves of Elizabeth I, and Henry the VIII, and all those kings and queens should be opened an analysed. Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's are untouched sources of archaeology that's is just being neglected. Even Nelson's tomb should be opened and documented.

[@Alesya81]

Can imagine realizing that you live right next an ancient burial? 😮

[@jimplummer4879]

The Pics are the big unknown

[@mikeokeefe2014]

Silly fellow had a treasure...but good on him for handing it over

[@hagvaktok]

Pendant at 10:39 showing the detail of the little lines coming off the longer ones. A tree? Or counting?

[@matthoward7645]

Ogam

[@danyellejorgensen4970]

Excuse me...but don't the markings on the pendant look like Ogham? It might be worth a shoofty by a a translator.

[@wandapease-gi8yo]

Since the area is getting more acidic due to a lower water table are they watering the area to try and hold things until they can get to them?

[@jkellner3]

Dig dig dig!

[@johnmcnulty4425]

What a lovely and charming accent she has!

[@kowgyrl]

Billy Carson can tell you where we come from👍

[@jlgordey]

trimmed antlers do not necessarily mean ritual...they could have been trimmed so the pieces taken off could become tools. The rest may have been placed, not as "offerings" but simply to supply better footing along the lakes edge. So many reasons, we don't really know. Think practically, not always ritually...

[@pcka12]

Yet more building on greenfield sites! There is the usual endless expression of surprise that women were not treated as downtrodden & disregard people in ancient cultures!

[@johnpurcell7525]

Starr Carr iron AGE

[@daveparnell3886]

Just a small quarie, why are the archeologists meeting by candle light to discuss this amazing find ? Lol

[@navveteran9944]

Or it could have been an hunting camp, with the deer skull cap used to draw in rutting animals into spear range.

[@Garwfechan-ry5lk]

Arras is a Brythonic name and the French people there were still speaking Welsh in the 16th Century the French called it Gallois, Ypres Calais Paris Morlais Falaise Caen Amiens Rennes , as a person who has many French friends I can tell you they know they were British!

[@henchy3rd]

When I was younger before I new about archaeology.. I made a head dress out of a deers skull. So maybe the younger ones did the same thing for fun & games as I did?

[@gregedmand9939]

Anyone know where all 11+ seasons of Digging for Britain can be found?

[@jont8707]

Just click the channel and go to play list it's there

[@gregedmand9939]

@jont8707 You must have a different YT than I do.

[@jont8707]

No it's the channel this episode is on just got to there main page it has a playlist for digging for Britain

[@gregedmand9939]

@@jont8707 There are just 11 EPISODES listed there. But there are more than 10 SEASONS of Digging for Britain out there somewhere! These 11 episodes have just whetted my appetite. I want to see all of them. Don't you? 🤔 I can only watch old Time Team episodes so many times.

[@jont8707]

@@gregedmand9939 oh shit didn't know that ok my bad and yes I'd love to see them all lol

[@GaryNoone-jz3mq]

Each time I see evidence of ancient religion, I am convinced that these people believed in their religion every bit as much as those who believe in religion today. Personally, I don't believe in any religion. But I am amazed at how modern religions have no respect for those who came before.

[@MrBazzabee]

101......Hey, 101....that's a big number is that....101.

[@golgumbazguide...4113]

EXPLORE GOLGUMBAZ DECCAN INDIA 🇮🇳

[@matthewc4590]

The headdresses could possibly have been used by people to disguise themselves whilst hunting deer.

[@MrBazzabee]

Really................101.

[@paulcoffey359]

I counted 102

[@richardbriggs1593]

Its a map. It's how a person takes their place with them.

[@tillybobs2]

Could they be similar to lay lines, on the pendant, rather than tree with branches,

[@thhseeking]

Doubt it, "ley lines" weren't invented until the early 20th century.

[@pcka12]

Evidence of Viking piracy & theft?

[@moemuggy4971]

How long should you wait before you did up a cemetery, and it not be considered grave robbing?

[@tomnicholson2115]

5 minutes after everyone has forgotten it was there! If you then send the goods found to museums or other information studying places it's not grave robbing, if you take stuff to the nearest pawn shop though, you are a grave robber!

[@cg256y9]

Referring to the final dig I think it is fantastic that in UK they do an archaeological dig before construction of a housing subdivision begins. Here in USA they just rape the land with bulldozers to throw up strip malls and suburban sprall. 😢

[@trikepilot101]

I am sure if they found human remains construction would be halted. Funerary practices (excarnation) on this side of the pond didn't often lead to preservation.

[@jacquespictet5363]

Another example of the damage done by the "civilisation vs barbarian" bias. As if people stopped living after the departure of the Romans (in that case). Part of it could be due to the "historian bias" - only written sources are to take into account - but also to this "classicist bias" - only societies corresponding to a certain norm deserve interest. Luckily, archeology helps reducing both biases.

[@MrGozer23]

It is believed that the dark ages were chaos, but I believe Britain was happy to see the Romans leave. So rather than chaos I believe the people mostly just went back to their previous ways of life. Chieftains or kings may have fought for land, but the peasants, farmers, traders, merchants just kept on with what they had. At least if I had been a Britain at that time I would have said good riddance when they left!

[@smoari3761]

I think you underestimate the vast time period the Romans existed in Britain, and the cultural changes that occurred in those 400 years. compare that time to today, the leaders and officials leave... you really going back to live like people did in the 1600s? Roman is not my time period but from what I remember both cultures merged and the best parts of the Roman technology enhanced what the iron age Britain's were doing. nothing is ever as clear cut as "Roman invaders and British natives".

[@MrGozer23]

@@smoari3761 The Romans did significantly change Britain and many would have been sad and confused when the Romans left ( close to equal parts of the nation were likely for and against the Romans) but What I meant to say was I think Rome needed Britain, but Britain never needed Rome to continue as a nation. It was already perfectly capable of doing its own thing. Just never truly got the chance before roman conquest. Britain traded tin with Rome for ages. Tintagel Castle is possibly tied to tin, etc.

[@lenabreijer1311]

From what I have read, the Britons post roman were healthier and better fed then before.

[@justdoingitjim7095]

Pets (mostly dogs) of our family have been buried on our property for decades. I'm sure that sometime in the distant future when some archaeologists discover the foundations of our homes, they will declare that it was some kind of holy shrine or temple and that we offered ritual animal sacrifices to the gods! LOL, archaeologists will attribute anything to religion!

[@paulappleton5812]

It's slways so disheartening when experts just attribute things they clearly don't understand to shamanism. Cultural trends, child's play, and self defence are all practical explanations of scull caps. The patterns on the amulet are clearly instructive. Very fine work and possibly highly significant find.

[@digdoon]

I am surprised they haven’t mentioned it or even picked up on it.

[@13bravoredleg18]

What have the Romans ever done for us …🤪

[@Stephen-gp8yi]

Poor Matt Williams doesn’t get a look in unfortunately!

[@BryansHobbyism]

I know this thing is several years old, but if I was Matt I would be extremely pissed at the way this thing was edited.

[@turnerg]

Hes basically just a bobble head in this and that is a crime, i hope he at least got paid well.

[@skab768]

Every time I watch one of these episodes, I can't help but have the same idea. These are all indigenous sites and should therefore be protected. The remains of someones ancestor should not be put on display in a museum, they should be reinterred it the exact spot and kept scared. Every other indigenous population in the world has enforced their ancestral rights as should the Scotts, Welsh, and English.

[@Silverado1st]

2:01 2023 year old ancient Geek mythological USB "Z"eus lightning port hub once used by Thorn Korn Bjorn, handed down from his tall father O'Damn Badazzgarden Bjorn, but after Winblows 10.0 came out it was obsolete and became the worlds first fidget spinner due to all the anxiety and stress the upgrade caused.

[@karlkarlos3545]

I've seen some of this episodes now. And everytime I ask why is Matt even there?

[@markgarin6355]

She film this in one day? Nothing like having a wardrobe budget.

[@peterc2248]

I always find these programs interesting but I do find the UK Archaelogical community a teeny bit elitist and a teeny bit over-speculative on occasions. It was often the case with Time Team that the bearded professorial types would cry out 'ritual deposit' or 'royal palace' or 'local king' on the scantest of evidence. I know it's TV but come on. And the hoary old chestnut of writing off the mass of unstratified metal detectorists finds as 'of little value' is just poor thinking. I wonder if it's because many of those detectorists are not University educated? And yet the chap in this episode was clearly as dedicated as any archaeologist if not more so. History belongs to all of us so how about being a tad more egalitarian profs? Just a thought :-)

[@SOULRELIEF22]

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1! ❤ I'm in LOVE with JESUS! He is the Word of GOD! "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:1-3! ❤

[@SOULRELIEF22]

GOD gave me a BS in Anthropology! AMEN!

[@yvesklein5414]

we don't need the insistent brass choir at every moment. I lasted about 15 mins

[@johndavidnew]

Alice Roberts is the hottest paleopathologist I have ever seen. ❤

[@DJWESG1]

Please dont dig me up when im gone.. i just want to be left alone. Your hunger for 'knowing' shouldnt trump my desire to be unknown. And maybe theirs is the same.

[@kittysuttonauthor]

Why do we only hear her. What about Matt? Every one of his words has been edited out. Shameful!!!

[@terrancetexan5805]

Grave robbers at it again.

[@tomnicholson2115]

Grave robbers do it for profit, archaeologist's do it to gain knowledge of our ancestors.

[@auxiliary4023]

She's a babe... 😍

[@maulwurf62]

Time Team this is not.