Caerleon Roman Legion Fort In Wales | Time Team

Tony and the Team help archaeologists from Cardiff University to examine a new discovery at Caerleon Roman legionary fort in Wales. Did this military outpost also serve another purpose?
Series 19, Episode 9.
#TimeTeam #RomanLegions #WelshHistory
Time Team is a British TV series following specialists who dig deep to uncover as much as they can about Britain's archaeology and history.
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[@MontyDotharl]

I can't help but admire Phil's passion for archaeology and history. Doesn't matter what he's digging, he jumps into it wholeheartedly. Stone age stuff might be his specialty, but you can just feel his eagerness to uncover finds from any era and culture.

[@misterrickschannel2238]

Time Team addict from the USA, love this program. Phil is my favorite.

[@annika_panicka]

🏴‍☠️

[@David-wk6md]

Phil Rules

[@joannamallory2823]

I love Matt. They use him like a red headed stepchild (all in good fun) and he’s always up for it. A good sport and archaeologist.

[@serverman50]

46:48

[@robertslusser6753]

Phil Harding "Centurion of the Trenches". It is very apropos, very knowledgeable about his trade and the determination to finish the job.

[@tracyroweauthor]

I like the ones where they work on ongoing archeological digs because you know the work won't stop after they leave.

[@marieanderson6311]

Soft spot in my heart for Phil and Mick. RIP Mick but I still love you. You and Phil are funny and smart and lovable. Love Phil’s cut offs. And Mick’s colourful sweaters are beautiful! And then there is Vic. Have to love them all. 🍀❤️

[@jodyshepard9482]

I never get tired of my new TT friends. Probably spending way too much time with these early films. Wish I could see their kids and families in July 2021.

[@ByronLina]

5:42 A friend and I, members at the time of the Ermine Street Guard (so late 90s), got rather merry after a display in the amphitheatre (I think there was an evening do run by CADW, so drinks were on them) and ended up trying to float a large inflatable Orca (liberated from a soon-to-be-demolished York museum warehouse earlier in the season) in the river by the bridge there. Which resulted in a friendly conversation with the South Wales constabulary. Good times.

[@justbecauseOK]

Arguably one of the best documentary TV series ever created.

[@gwadja]

Episode: 252 (Series 19, Episode 9), Rome's Wild West, Aired: March 25, 2012

[@PatrickPoet]

I wish they'd add the original air date in the blurb at top

[@athhar3643]

25 March 2012

[@Art4ArtsSakeVideo]

@@athhar3643 I thought I'd seen this long ago and far away...

[@TheNyah5]

Athhar3 so that‘s season 19?

[@athhar3643]

@@TheNyah5 Yes Season 19: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Time_Team_episodes

[@TheNyah5]

Athhar3 thx!

[@julianhermanubis6800]

I'd visited Hadrian's Wall in fall 2019 from the U.S. and was all set to go to Caerleon and some other Roman sites in Wales and southern England this month, but the pandemic came along and ended all that. I am really hopeful for a return in 2021. I enjoyed this episode, but it was mixed with some regret while I was watching.

[@MrVvulf]

If you do get down to Caerleon, you'll only be around 50 miles from Chedworth and Great Witcombe Roman villas, and 40 miles to Bath. You really don't want to miss those if you visit southern UK. I suppose those are some of the sites you were referring to?

[@julianhermanubis6800]

@@MrVvulf I was definitely going to Portchester Roman Fort (Portus Adurni), to Bath, to Fishbourne Palace and to Chedworth. If I had time, I wanted to go to Lydney Park and to look at the city walls at Caerwent. There's still a lot for me to see from this era, although I did see most of the major forts along Hadrian's Wall during my last trip and Roman Corbridge.

[@MrVvulf]

@@julianhermanubis6800 Sounds like a great trip. Now you just have to choose which season.

[@julianhermanubis6800]

@@MrVvulf Until the quarantine or self-isolation periods are lifted for travellers in both the U.S. and the U.K., I probably won't be able to go. I think England and Wales have different rules as to quarantine restrictions, which would complicate matters further. I believe for England there's a 10-day self-isolation period still in effect for travelers from America. Then, I think there's still a 14-day quarantine once I'm back in the U.S. of A. I'd spend three weeks in quarantine. )-: So, right now, it's looking like fall of 2021 or spring of 2022.

[@MrVvulf]

@@julianhermanubis6800 Certainly. I just meant once the pestilence and restrictions have passed. Hopefully we'll reach a time when herd immunity can kick in, but with all the anti-vaxxers, that's a big question mark.

[@Tiberiotertio]

Nice star shaped brooch at 33:26 made a simular one years ago as a replica after a find from Vindonissa or Winisch in Switzerland as it is known today. Only differance is that it was not green and blue but only blue with those white spots.

[@lizycole8999]

Alex: What does the dagger do? Centurion: Stab.

[@ernestbywater411]

42:30 and I'd bet on the building Phil is working on was the Roman equivalent of a Customs House.

[@chrisbrown6780]

Thank You for posting on here. I love this show and have seen every episode. 2nd favorite episode ever! keep em coming! from the U.S.A

[@Johnny_Tambourine]

I just changed my Facebook status to 'In situ'.

[@vermontvermont9292]

Love the show, but my god the ads are insane!

[@tracyroweauthor]

I use an ad blocker.

[@David-wk6md]

Slide the red dot to the end Tap replay Shhhhhhh

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

@@David-wk6md That doesn't work I'm afraid, at least with any episodes loaded within the past year? Not sure if it's a change in how they're uploaded or how YT inserts advertising, but I can confirm from trying it on multiple TT episodes that sadly it isn't effective...

[@dawadsonsurong834]

Time team addict from India.big fan of Phil

[@wildbill6675]

I live in Kentucky we have a lot of Indian artifacts but nothing like this I love this show Phil is my favorite

[@OldPuebloJay]

Drinking game: Any time you hear, "Geo Phys," during any Time Team video.

[@annika_panicka]

... or whenever Phil mentions a pint, pub or any sort of brew

[@OldPuebloJay]

@@annika_panicka any time Geo Phys makes a mistake...

[@annika_panicka]

@@OldPuebloJay Lol-they say "I don't know" for at least 25 minutes before finally admitting to making a mistake, so it's not a game if you want to get drunk

[@GiGiGoesShopping]

Funny seeing Alex without Ruth and Peter.

[@annika_panicka]

They had Ruth on an episode (possibly more than one, but I'm new-ish to this series) and possibly her hubby, and I think Professor Hutton may have been brought on to weird everyone out (Lol-in a delightful way)

[@snazzypazzy]

@@annika_panicka Ohh I have to look for those!

[@bethbartlett5692]

It's obvious that *"Matt is always getting his b-busted" by Tony,* cause Matt is a handsome young man and he has a truly great Sense of Humor and "Team-play". He must have had quite a following in Britain. Beth Tennessee, USA 🇺🇸

[@ludovica1914]

Adore the narration overlay of Tony calling Phil a "stalwart of British archaeology" as Phil stares seriously into a trench 😂🤎

[@townview5322]

Join the Legion, see the world.

[@nevillemignot1681]

I must admit to liking the earlier episodes of this show, the knowledge

[@corallewis3093]

I been an addict for a year as well.. watching these over and over sometmes.. also USA! Yes go Phil... Matt is my baby though..

[@alabamatechwriter6959]

If the small building had a military function at the fort, then perhaps it was related to logistics or personnel, as Tony suggested. I lean toward personnel and status. It was a small, permanent building in the center of the court. The court looks large enough to process new arrivals (at least one or two Century-sized formations). The building reminds me of a small, satellite office, set apart from the main offices, where new arrivals report, official papers are processed, and perhaps guards are headquartered. It would be a good place to call out the guard and greet higher ranks and dignitaries before they entered what might be a main building. If ceremonial in function, I can well imagine some Centurion or other person of rank overseeing its upkeep, daily sweeping, maintenance, etc. However, if it was mainly logistical, then it was probably still well-maintained, but used to process people and resources as efficiently as possible rather than tickle the higher ranks. This is, of course, a very modern interpretation based on how our militaries might behave today.

[@coloringwithd]

This is really interesting. Thank you

[@pammatiti]

Thanks for providing the date it was aired, too bad so much shenanigan's going on right now, to see follow ups on this or find out if this dig is continuing on.

[@SIG442]

46:29 Between those 2 trenches, does anyone else see clear lines in the grass? It looks like a L-shaped structure, a wall or building perhaps. The grass seem to be slightly lighter in color which may indicate something under there that may indicate walls or something.

[@Jack-Hands]

Interesting to see that they still push the "Gladiators fought to the death" trope. We've known for a long time now that most Gladiators survived. And duels to the death were quite rare.

[@johannesofie777]

Had the small house in Phil's trench been built today (fast and in front of other buildings), I would have thought it had something to do with testing for diseases or light cleaning before one entered the main building.

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thank you.

[@007vsMagua]

That is one beautiful looking ring. I guess the metal wasn't a pure metal like silver and decomposed.

[@desilu6657]

Most likely it was bezel set and fell out.

[@shelbyseelbach9568]

I love the way they keep calling the ruined remains of 2000 year old structures "new buildings". Hilarious.

[@virgo714]

I wish we had some good archeological history in South California... i would be digging everywhere 😅

[@virgo714]

SharpLight thank you

[@virgo714]

Brisdad53 do u know where in Santa Clarita??

[@josephmiller997]

9:55 Absolutely stunning

[@JonFrumTheFirst]

Who's the model? I don't remember her from past episodes.

[@josephmiller997]

@@JonFrumTheFirst Archeologist Mary-Ann Ochota. She appears on quite a few episodes of Time Team. Not sure if it was for a season, or periodically

[@helix1061]

maybe you should use some robots with lidar and magnetic sensors to do the digging and ruin all the fun.

[@michaellouk306]

Series 19 Episode 9

[@InquisitorMatthewAshcraft]

10:38 That's Raksha's job, 😆

[@granskare]

We had seen this fortress.

[@davidrasch3082]

Are there companion books to accompany these episodes? Suggested further reading?

[@designedbydavid]

For some of the episodes they link to a follow up interview with a team member filmed last year. Some of them have the link to the report produced by Wessex Archaeology.

[@wsclulin]

Anyone know the title of the music at 17:47? Soundtrack for the episode isn't listed on IMDB

[@annika_panicka]

This is what I found on IMDb for the year this aired (2012): Paul Greedus-composer: original theme music/original theme music (227 episodes, 1996-2013). For the name of the piece, you would have to sign up for IMDb Premium, or maybe search the Time Team website or that of the production company behind it (or producers involved), or possibly where it originally aired (Channel 4 UK). Or _somewhere_ on the web. I played it into SoundHound, but that seldom works with original incidental music on documentaries. I'm not interested enough to look any further, but I've done it for various other documentaries and it is tedious, but possible. (A free trial to IMDb Premium got me the info I wanted after I spent far too long mucking around on various other sites. I think it was on the composer's own website, but the composer's name was not easy to find for that particular show.)

[@wsclulin]

@@annika_panicka Many, many thanks for this information! Steve

[@annika_panicka]

@@wsclulin You're welcome. Good luck finding the specific piece ...

[@johnjames8594]

Are all the episodes uploaded? if so how do I find a particular episode. for example series 4 episode 3? its the episode in Birmingham? thanks

[@annika_panicka]

There's a Search bar 🔍 somewhere on the screen (it's at the top on the KZbin website and in the app) kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnS2eX5nfL1niK8

[@ironlion45]

Great documentary for the most part. However; Roman legionaries did marry. Though the legal status of that marriage may have varied (there were actually multiple forms of marriage under Roman law). Many Legionaries had wives and kids. And prior to the Marian reforms, MOST roman soldiers had families.

[@Dovietail]

Is there a squadron or platoon, a century, an outpost, or a ship on the planet that doesn't have an 'orrible little man in charge of the guys and gals of the bottom rung?

[@TheWeskercroft]

KZbin since I started this documentary there have been 5 commercial intrusions I will never buy your premium membership let us learn in peace!!!

[@nancykraus5127]

If a channel has at least 1,000 subscribers than they do earn money off those ads. I know they are annoying but at least some of the revenue goes to Time Team.

[@Jean-yn6ef]

💚

[@UFOzNoJoke]

"Geo fizz" is short for ... GEO FIZZ

[@workingguy6666]

46:12 suggests it was a holding cell, or jail.

[@nevillemignot1681]

[contined] Of the people in the trenches was quite staggering who you would see with a trowel in their hand, people like Dr Alice Roberts, Prof Peter Reynolds and Paul Blinkhorn to name a few.

[@jp.jongejans]

252 9 "Rome's Wild West" Caerleon, Newport 25 March 2012 S19 E09

[@TealCheetah]

Alex!

[@peterasbjrnhansen2834]

A roman outhouse

[@victoriap1561]

Romans seem to leave a lot of stuff behind.

[@jimherron5540]

A Shipping and Receiving building.

[@brim89]

Could that one building have been an area that they registered people coming from Rome or other places. That way they could keep a census of those looking to live their

[@shelbyseelbach9568]

Yes, of course it could. It cold also be something completely different.

[@bigDbigDbigD]

Love this program?channel. Waiting for Phil to get a hair cut.

[@georgeb.wolffsohn30]

Dream on. He's just an old hippy.

[@norrisbutler1738]

You will be waiting a long time i feel

[@Flibster]

His hair is still like that... bit more gray, but pretty much unchanged.

[@joannamallory2823]

bigDbigDbigD you’ll grow long white whiskers yourself before that happens!

[@Valjurai]

I believe I have been here before

[@jeanpeuplu5570]

I don't.

[@Valjurai]

You poor thing,@@jeanpeuplu5570

[@messmer777]

Why do they always say "playing card shape"? Aren't British people familiar with the term "rectangle"?

[@DrongoBongo]

I've been to ENGLAND and most of the time i wore a Sheep Skin Coat ... so are the 'Diggers' in *Tank Tops*, just for The Dad's??????

[@AndreiFarcas]

After watching 18 series of Time Team Classics, this is the first episode that somewhat disappoints me. But only from a methodological/scientific point of view. No site phase succession and dating evidence were discussed clearly, and errors in historical explanation appeared (we know for a fact that many gladiators were the 'football stars' of the Roman era, well fed, well dressed, and well trained; they weren't merely sent to die in the amphitheaters. Also, the soldiers were favoured by the 'Ius Militaris', which makes all that marriage thing more complex than presented). Perhaps the producers went to the same party as Matt did :))

[@workingguy6666]

I have to wonder why Roman organization, structure, government, and progress couldn't have continued on in Britain even if Rome, itself, had fallen by the wayside? Think of how much more advanced Britain would be these days - likely 100 or 200 years ahead - had they not returned to being sod eaters.

[@harbourdogNL]

28:00 Bring on the Reenactment Wankers....

[@bethbartlett5692]

Yeah, but *"What did a Roman Soldier Look and Sound like, not merely dress like?"

[@MsTankrat]

11:36 matt"s a lucky man.

[@annika_panicka]

Lol-he looks pretty pleased. Then again, he's almost always smiling.

[@mariahammarstrom7934]

Nemesis is the goddess of revenge, not fate, surely?

[@petertaylor4980]

In Greek thought, yes-ish (specifically revenge against humans who angered the gods with their hubris), but in Roman thought her relationship to Fortuna seems to be complex and change over time.

[@lorengibbons8007]

Matt is a lucky guy getting to work with Caroline Pudney. If I ever make it to England I hope to meet her, She is a Goddess!!!

[@BC-ui9yt]

There's also those other two unnamed women who were in Phil's trench.

[@kurtbogle2973]

Interesting that the Romans claimed that the Druids practiced human sacrifice. Yet the Romans murdered people for entertainment. That seems two faced to me.

[@dannyrodgers5029]

Would have preferred Professor Aston rather than Marianne, but an excellent program. Thank you.

[@BC-ui9yt]

I'm finding that i don't care for her. She's not attractive enough to offset her lack of charisma, IMHO.

[@TechGorilla1987]

Raksha's trench - giggity.

[@nathandean1687]

that probly why the shift of weather started. and Egypt dry lands. and englands become a wetter country onwards.

[@thomasbernecky2078]

Mary-Ann never digs or gets dirty, does she? is she really an archaeologist o just an announcer?

[@dipseldrop]

You know that Raksha has an archaeology degree and at that time was a field archeologicalist?

[@eoyguy]

She was just a talking head brought in to (probably) try and attract a different demographic. She really added nothing to the show.

[@hedvighelmeczi6412]

I don't want to hurt Mary Ann and Alex, they are competent and likeable, rather the management's decision is scary: why did they think that Barbie and Ken were needed in this show? As if they had said: enough of ugly old people. For whom all Time Team fans love from the bottom of their hearts anyway. Me too.

[@jeanpeuplu5570]

Barbie & Ken ?? I mean, it's harsh ^^

[@guymorris6420]

Tony isn't able to say geophysics ?

[@ErnestoBrausewind]

@Celto Loco This is a late episode from 2012, If you watch early episodes (dating evidence Tonys hair) he actually said Geophysics but in this episode the Term is already over a decade old

[@DaKayH]

I like this one But at this time I'd be the 666 "like" and I don't want that number. LOL

[@functio1]

These newer episodes aren't very chunky in terms of content. And the new presenters seem largely silly. Generally it all seems a bit too rehearsed.

[@maineeveryday3991]

Not a very convincing sword training lol

[@steveb1ish]

helens trench became wetter as phil exposed rakshars trench

[@lauralake7430]

Helen is so underrated. Smart and cute

[@diwi1942]

Wish they would have stuck to digging when they did the series and forgot about the play acting. Alex and the woman didn't add anything to the show. I prefer watching the older versions.

[@Skyfire_The_Goth]

@Brisdad53 She came on board thinking she was going to do serious archaeological presenting like she had done before, once she realized they had dumbed it all down and it made her look like a bimbo she left as soon as her contract was up. Mick had made the decision to leave months before her or Alex were brought on, he saw they were dumbing it down and didn't want to be associated with it if they continued to do that, the only issue he had with Alex and Mary-Ann was that they were chosen over his own picks for replacements, he had nothing against either of them personally. No, the demise if the show was channel 4 dumbing it down and veering away from what made the show great, digging and discovery, not play acting with a bit of archaeology thrown in. Alex and Mary-Ann weren't the first people to be brought on as replacements for people leaving for one reason or another, the timing just sucks for them because now everyone sees the show declined about the time they came on board and connect dots that shouldn't be connected.

[@shelbyseelbach9568]

This is quite some river, isn't it. LMFAO! What a ridiculous thing to say.

[@shelbyseelbach9568]

@Brisdad53 LMFAO! That is quite some comment.

[@wackyd9863]

I'd trade alex for mick any day. alex reminds me of james from derry girls. lol

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

Alex died like 4 times. Pathetic centurion...

[@jesterboykins2899]

I don’t like the last years of TT episodes. These were after the broadcast company decided to get rid of everyone behind micks back and brought in their own people. The only ones left of the original TT people are Tony, Phil, Raksha, and Matt. Mick passed away shortly after the changes.

[@ByronLina]

And Chris Haines of the Ermine Street Guard, occasional appearances from Season 1 to Season 19.

[@DarkZtorm]

These late time teams are not good as the first ones. I want more diging, simple is that. Experience the way they work, that was always the heart of it. So rare for most people being a part of it. If I wanted to watch a history documentary then I watch a bloody history documentary. Also, what a clown that guy that talks about gladiators are. Seriously he have so much facts wrong. There was very rare for gladiators to die at the arena, maybe few as 10% of all fights had a deadly outcome. He are just a show guy, how low this show sank, this is NOT why I loved Time team. I love the serious science behind it, not this clown entertainment.

[@lucygray6162]

As an American, they ARE showing history that we've never seen on this side of the pond. We weren't taught any British history except as it pertained to our own wars. The Dissolution, Roman Occupation, Medieval Era, and general lifestyle of any kind...nothing. I learned a lot from traveling in Britain, but could had benefited more had this show been on the air before I went. I blew right past places like Hadrian's Wall without any appreciation or basic knowledge.

[@lisakaz35]

Yet Robin Bush was in the early episodes and he made awesome contributions.

[@kathleenkilmartin5494]

You do realize that Guy is not only a well regarded Romano-British historian who is widely published, but that he has been featured pretty regularly on Time Team since it started. Also that 10% figure is the the death rate per each fight and gladiators would have certainly fought more than once. If the rate of death is one in ten and you fought a minimum of five fights, then that figure becomes 50% and the actual likelihood that a gladiator would eventually die in combat becomes quite high. Mary Beard calculated that only about 25% of gladiators lived past their tenth fight, meaning that the majority of gladiators would have died in gladiatorial combat.

[@a.westenholz4032]

@@kathleenkilmartin5494 I respect both of them as academics and their expertise, but all the same I've also read from other academics good arguments as to why few gladiatorial combats would normally end in death except for special big occasions. Arenas of all sizes featuring gladiators could be found throughout the empire, and if all of them had been deadly gladiators would have been too short-lived to be a viable business for anyone. Companies with a limited amount of gladiators would tour around or be permanently set up locally at some place. It took time to train a gladiator. Longer than it would for them to have 25 rounds in an arena. It simply wouldn't pay for anyone as a business (and gladiators were a business) if they died so often. There is even some hints that deaths were sometimes faked in smaller more provincial arenas to satisfy the audience but at the same time not sacrifice the life of the actual gladiator. So perhaps our ideas of how often gladiatorial combat ended in death is exaggerated. It is hard because most of what we have descriptions of are the more spectacular bigger occasions that were likely to end in death, not the local weekend fare.

[@annika_panicka]

Why aren't the Italians more interested in Romano-British history, culture and archaeology? Or are they discouraged from poking around on UK turf?

[@Kholdaimon]

Why would Italians be more interested in Romano-British history, culture and archaeology? Should they also be more interested in Romano-Hispanic history, culture and archaeology? And Romano-Celtic? And Romano-Germanic? And Romano-Greek? And Romano-Judaic? And Romano-Egyptian? And Romano-Moroccan? Etc, etc, etc... Britain was just one of many provinces of the Roman Empire... The problem probably isn't a lack of interest but a lack of enough archaeologists to cover the entire Roman Empire, especially since there is still plenty to find and research in and around Italy itself...

[@annika_panicka]

@@Kholdaimon I would think they might be interested in it all, but this program is about the Roman invasion and occupation of what is now Great Britain, and there's not shortage of archaeologists-it's funding that is limited. But the British seem to be doing a pretty good job. And the evidence of the British colonization of the world is closer to the surface even as their empire crumbles.

[@frederickvondinkerberg7721]

I can see now why Mick left (RIP)... the re-enactment stuff was never needed and bought an end to the show

[@georgedorn1022]

Interestingly, the Ermine Street Guard also featured in Time Team's first re-enactment 16 years previously, in Series 1 Episode 2.

[@ErnestoBrausewind]

Take a look at this episode from 1994 - it's even the same Centurion Bloke kzbin.info/www/bejne/baaqfmOXi7Z7itk

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

Marianne. Ruined the vibes of the show. Baldrick was definitely better.

[@JonFrumTheFirst]

I understand that the hottie has a degree, but given the rest of this lot, she pulls me right out of the archaeology. Not her fault - did they really think they'd attract the lads to archy?

[@anitadunn3102]

The nondescript linda postsurgically strengthen because account microregionally borrow until a needless cheque. gabby, somber meteorology