No Stone Unturned (Moss Brow Farm, Warburton, Greater Manchester) | S14E08 | Time Team

After you watch this episode, check out the official commentary video on the Time Team Official KZbin Channel! • Time Team Commentary: ...
The team arrives at a field outside Cheshire where metal detectorists have made several valuable finds in the past, hinting the site was once a very active Roman settlement. However, the complete lack of finds causes serious concern amongst our intrepid explorers. They are joined by Mike Nevell from the University of Manchester, Roman historian David Shotter, and Robert Philpott from Liverpool Museum. Archeometallurgist Andrew Lacey fashions a simple Roman snake bracelet. Famously, this is the episode where Tony declares 'We've done what we always threatened: after 160 programmes, we found - nothing'.
Series 14, Episode 08
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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#TimeTeam #BritishHistory #TonyRobinson #Cheshire #RomanHistory

[@jamesbalme2080]

This was my dig !!!!! Filmed September 2006...

[@Patrick3183]

Wow that long ago. Is this show still In production?

[@stevenhale2935]

Ahhhh no way!

[@stevenhale2935]

Im really interested in exploring the history closeby, any tips?

[@baongoc9889]

@@Patrick3183 The channel cancelled this show in 2013, but the producer is trying to revive it as an independent project with public funding. Here's the detail: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJuVk514gbikmac

[@jamesbalme2080]

@@Patrick3183 no not for many years...

[@k.russell1713]

Time Team: Finds absolutely nothing. 500,000 people: oh, I have to watch this!

[@EmmaOnATangent]

One of the best episodes for pure archaeology - everyone has theories, everyone is wrong at some point, no one gets too clingy with their pet theories, and in the end, everyone learns something. Fascinating, wholesome show.

[@Go-Dawgs]

I like every episode Carenza in not in. From the beginning she was bossy. They made her important. The one where the real Exceptional Great finds were scattered by an old owner trying to make a fake archeology place really showed her true thinking. Everybody had figured out the items had been hidden On Purpose except Carenza. A beautiful Ancient sword on top of modern barbed wire, but it took her too long to figure it out staring right at it while everyone watched her dig amazed in excitement. It was comical, miss know it all was the last one to figure out what new young diggers figured out.

[@johnhalliburton2864]

@@Go-Dawgs

[@EmmaOnATangent]

@@Go-Dawgs Carenza is my favorite. I love her personality and her drive and professionalism. You're welcome to your opinions, of course. But you're also welcome to be wrong. Bye!

[@zonabrown9241]

I like Stewart he's always calm & when others are carrying on he solves it

[@user-uy3ub3ki2f]

Kinda dumb to trash your main female archaeologist in your first posting. Looks a bit adolescent to me. Sorry. It'll get better. MD

[@Jamie_Case]

I worked as an undergraduate at one of Francis' digs in '93. One of the nicest guys I've ever met.

[@Blisterdude123]

I love the thumbnail of Francis in this one, I can literally hear him in my head, enthusiastically like, "Well Tony, we know where the archaeology isn't!"

[@mandie1109]

For almost a week now, I've been watching these episodes.... I absolutely love each one of them.....it's like finding a rare gem on KZbin 💞

[@daj4777]

Me too! I hope they don’t run out of episodes.

[@joshuamitcham1519]

Welcome to the club. I've seen every episode on the net twice over or more and will probably watch them until I've memorized each word.Its the best TV show ever made.

[@annarushlau9722]

Right?! I LOVE these! There’s been a rumor that they’re reviving the series coming up and I really hope it’s true!

[@MrWeedWacky]

more of a splat really! (it is a reference to Blackadder so don't hate me if you don't know!)

[@JorisKoolen]

I love Francis' energy. He gets enthusiastic about something, there's a 99% chance he's wrong, and when he is, he still finds a reason to be enthusiastic.

[@Tom_Quixote]

Also, he always readily admits being wrong.

[@hanspeterschmidt4632]

And I just love his laugh 😁

[@karlkarlos3545]

Wasn't he exactly 100% right the whole the time? He was the only one who said we have to be sceptic at the beginning of the program. I really wish people would stop with this Francis is wrong nonsense. Archeology is about understanding and learning to understand a site, not making bets.

[@JorisKoolen]

@@karlkarlos3545 Oh I wasn't throwing any dirt his way. He's just not afraid to give his best guess given the information that's available, but he's never any less enthusiastic if his theories fall into the water.

[@karlkarlos3545]

@@JorisKoolen yeah, that's right.

[@anthonybrunt9843]

I'd like to go on a Time Team dig just to listen to Phil laugh.

[@chriskappler3482]

I'd like to go on a Time Team dig just to see Matt in person :)

[@cmd406]

Mo too! So much fun!

[@joebarrett2746]

Id love to go and hoist some pints with Phil. He would be the life of the party at the local pub. Tony is really cool. I live in America and I am so glad that I have found this series.

[@ingerfaber3411]

Phil's zeal for archaeology is so inspiring - and what a good explanation about "not finding anything"

[@Libbathegreat]

This has always been one of my favorites. Phil really shines in this one explaining the various geological and field processes which can fool even some quite seasoned archaeologists into seeing mirages in the soil.

[@star2705]

Everyone else frantically looking for finds, and Phil just being off having a Magical Geology Adventure all of his own is delightful.

[@TimmyB1867]

This is the magic of Time Team. Three days of nothing, and the show was still enjoyable and fun. Tony is of course brilliant, but the whole team just have a certain delightfulness, right or wrong, or empty handed completely it's just a fun show.

[@CaptainAMAZINGGG]

Tony: says things to Phil. Phil: THEMS FIGHTIN' WORDS, THEY IS!! 😂😂😂💜💜💜

[@soniahamilton9914]

And the troops return to base, in archeology speak, the pub. 🤣🤣🤣. I loved that.

[@ColtGColtG]

A TT with out a trip to the pub for a pint or many is like a day without sunshine... it's just not right

[@PtolemyJones]

Helen really shined in this one. Always liked her.

[@judeirwin2222]

Shone. She shone, not shined.

[@PtolemyJones]

@@judeirwin2222 The dictionary disagrees with you. shine past tense: shined; past participle: shined

[@abelincoln5000]

Rest in Peace Victor. Thank you.

[@sergeantsodom6969]

Lived here for 25 years and there were always rumours in the pub that ‘Time team found a roman coliseum’ - oh how tales are twisted! (Also spent many an hour in the Saracens head, the pub they were in)

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

Omg, that's brilliant. lols

[@chuxmix65]

I would have loved to hang out in the pub with the crop circle guys...

[@WayneBorean]

Hey, at least you folks are honest. I’ve heard that some of the storage vault shows salt the vaults to make the episodes more exciting. Time Team instead used it as a teaching moment. That’s why I love the show.

[@dmcgee3]

They had one episode where they discovered that. A Iron Age sword buried on top of barbed wire from 1992 was the most glaring one but the whole site was seeded with suspicious stuff from various parts of Europe. Speculation was it might have been black market the guy was trying to establish provenance to sell. The episode was at Llygadwy. Certainly that one was teaching moment

[@JETWTF]

What they find is what was really there. They don't add anything for the wow factor. This episode kinda shows that, they found nothing of interest but a field. The digs they show are not just for TV but real archeological digs by real archeologists. The finds and recordings of the sites are in the official records, if they faked anything at all those records would be suspect forever.

[@WayneBorean]

@@JETWTF I know. I’ve been following Time Team since when Phil’s hat was clean. And the first time Mick wore one of those atrocious looking sweaters. Luckily my eyeglasses have always been auto dimming!

[@fetus2280]

Like EVERY dam show on television .. ALL FAKE . Time Team isnt , and i love it even more for that .

[@Caroline-nw4ym]

Quite a few people in Auction Hunters, especially the staff of the shop, have IMDB records. That spoilt it for me no end.

[@RalfOltmanns]

I've watched quite a few episodes now and am always delighted when familiar faces, often smiling or in deep thought, show up again and again like Helen, Naomi, and Bridget, the sunshines of show ;) and Matt, Phil, Stewart, and John. It's always amazing, what Stewart can read from landscape features and old maps, and what John conjures up with the tools geophysics provide. Oh, yes, and then there was Vic whose talent put all of it in an artistic context. R.I.P., Vic.

[@CaptainAMAZINGGG]

Tbh I find Phil and Francis to be the "sunshines" of the show lolol. They are perhaps the most enthusiastic, passionate archeologists, and maybe even just ppl in general, ever, (along with Steve Irwin, in his respective field etc.) They help make the world a better place, by being their super awesome selves, and literally light up my life. :3 such snazzy dudes 😌😌😌💜💜💜

[@Dovietail]

Welcome to the only field in England where nothing ever happened, no one ever lived, and no one ever died.

[@Libbathegreat]

The field deserves a place in the national registry for that reason alone!

[@flitsertheo]

If someone ever died there it was of boredom.

[@janvafa9959]

Lol!

[@mariannekurvits585]

Lmao

[@TheAdvencherContinues2022]

That's a useful spoiler.

[@paradise2783]

In 200 years that time-team ditch is going to create some _very_ intriguing crop marks for future archeologists

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

I often think of how confusing some of this would be to future archeologists if somehow the information from these digs was lost.

[@Russia-bullies]

To think that then,an archaeologist may find Phil Harding’s body & flints that predate it,nearby.😀

[@gnarshread]

I really appreciate the honesty in this. They grasp at straws all episode and don't mind admitting defeat.

[@fenwickfootballclubknights2770]

I would love to be with this group at the pub after a long day's work, having a pint. Listening to them bicker and discuss what they've found (or haven't found) would be so much fun.

[@phillipsiviter2024]

I disagree with Tony’s summary at the end, this dig did uncover something, the ancient field system was the find here - showing that it had been worked in the last two thousand years was very interesting. Ok so there was no sexy Roman fort but the mundane is just as important as the exceptional.

[@georgeb.wolffsohn30]

Regular folks' lives, eh ?

[@annarushlau9722]

This comment wins. Very sound evaluation here my friend, and I agree! Learning about day to day is just as fascinating! Sure forts are exciting and cool, but finding a system that has been worked by so many people over the years is so cool on its own.

[@ArmchairDeity]

Often the “regular folks” lives are way more informative that a grande fort inhabited by people living the rarified life of the wealthy and connected…

[@runlarryrun77]

Yeah Tony is well off there. Often he's literally acting the part of the straw man, purposely sits on the fence or hams it up when (in his incorrect opinion) they don't find anything. He's effectively the voice of the average viewer with little to no archaeological experience, but he doesn't have to be so ruddy irritating about it.

[@philroberts7238]

I went back to listen to Tony's final summary again and, sure enough, he was perfectly accurate in his analysis. They found nothing in terms of artefacts, but, on the other hand, they did find answers to their questions about the field. I couldn't find anything to disagree with in his round-up of the whole experience. And also (@runlarryrun) I fail to see why you find him irritating. Then again, rightly or wrongly, you and I might well find each other annoying; there's just no accounting for personal taste.

[@ellielynn8219]

Their positive attitude is infectious. I love this show, Francis’s laugh also brings me a huge smile.

[@steveschultz300]

"Found absolutely nothing...." I would have to disagree; you answered the age old question, what was this land used for before the present farmer got there. The connection with the historical farmers must be gratifying for the residents.

[@forthwithtx5852]

Very interesting how Phil points to a bunch of soil layers and describes one of them as “brown”. 😂

[@deborahdufel1664]

This is great video! It shows even if nothing is found, the history of farming goes back for centuries and still leaves a mark on the land.

[@kendexter]

Long term Time team fan here following you all since the beginning ,and still watch , thank you for posting this on KZbin

[@pmjohnston7987]

I enjoyed this episode very much & like that it shows what probably often happens in scientific research. The team goes in with a question in mind, and sometimes (more often than not I'm sure) the answer is a simple No, but No is an answer. The fact that folk lived nearby & used the site for a quite similar purpose for generations does say something; it doesn't always have to be something dramatic. If every shovelful turned up a battlefield or military installation, what would that say about humanity. Thousands of years of simple, uninterupted agriculture , where the land is Still useful to that purpose is cause for celebration. Thanks for this one.

[@davidmullen6011]

What is really special about this one is how Phil magnificently puts the whole venture into perspective at the end and brings everyone down to earth again - reminding them that "finding nothing" is all part of the game of Archaeology, and that actually, they _did_ solve the question they set out to answer! Not one of the most satisfying episodes no. What _does_ it all mean, all those finds at the start, that get whittled down somehow to a handful of trinkets on a table at the end? They expertly skirt around the question, and leave it to the viewer to draw their own conclusions....

[@chuxmix65]

A negative result can mean a successful experiment.

[@McRambleOn]

Fresh out of college at the university of TX at Austin w/ my archaeology degree I went to the jungles of Belize to dig a large Maya site, and while there was nothing beside shelf stable food and fresh dinner served daily, there was two large refrigerators for Coca Cola and beer. We were 45 mins from the local mennonite community and 2-3 hrs from a city/town, but they made sure we were stocked with beers bc archaeologists need and deserve some after a long day. I always laugh at the way the show mentions and demonstrates this is apart of our own culture and customs within archaeology haha

[@alanmorgan8647]

I want to watch the episode where Helen discovers The Fountain Of Youth . I swear she hasn't aged a bit since here earliest programmes!

[@daehawk9585]

I love that dog. It was my favorite. And it must be said that Helen looked right well in those jeans and red pullover.

[@terryt.1643]

Phil seemed like a wonderful teacher of his craft, also his explanation of agricultural soil movement and glaciation helped the locals explain their findings without belittling them. Amazing that two thousand years of farming resulted in so many lost objects, but makes sense when you think about it. If only one thing was dropped and lost per year, that would be two thousand things to find.

[@toddpdroneworks563]

I love going to google maps during the episode and using the background shots to pinpoint the field they are in. You can still see the shorter trench evidence off the first long trench in the sat image.

[@JMurdochNZ]

Francis has such a great laugh.

[@armstronggermany2995]

Can't win them all and still absolutely fascinating. Great programme ,great people.

[@moogiealways3016]

Tell 'em Phil! Exciting that they did find some terracing type fields which gave an answer about the finds.

[@matt_cummins28]

Despite Tony's rather nihilistic summary, I think this was fascinating: the construction of the history of a bit of the country. In some ways much more important than finding another bit of a wall (but those are great, too!). Thanks very much.

[@elizabethschaeffer9543]

I get so very tired with Tony's irritating negativity. The others can laugh at their mistakes and encourage each other with a wonderful feeling of being a comrade. Tony just sours everything he comments on. Then he has the gall to say "we" whenever the others find something great.

[@Renderduck]

​@@elizabethschaeffer9543 you know Tony reads from a script right? He's never claiming to be an archaeologist, he's the TV host summarising the story of the show.

[@Jaqueli9er]

every episode with Francis is a great episode!

[@rieksstevens]

Here in the Netherlands we have a lot of field finds purely because the fields were fertilized with street rubbish from big city's and also with fertile soil from mid evil and Roman earthworks that are dug of and scattered around infertile fields . So a lot of finds just in the top soil , this field also seemed fertilized with darker more fertile ground in he top layer . The ships that took the dug up peat to the city's took back the street rubbish to the depleted peat fields to fertilize the soil to make it ready for agriculture ,kinda of a win win situation .

[@donnaminar4689]

Considering how many episodes they have produced, I'm surprised they HAVEN'T come up with a miss before now.....

[@theknave4415]

When the land - the soil, itself - is the archeological artifact. ;)

[@leifvejby8023]

As a farmboy I felt this was one of the most interesting digs!

[@kristinetaulbut4975]

These are the most joy people ever I just love them

[@WendyDarling1974]

I like the fact they actually put this out there. Science doesn’t always lead to success. In fact, more often than not it doesn’t.

[@estevaocunha5302]

This program is great.

[@fugithegreat]

They may not have made any finds during the dig, but it was certainly interesting to me to see how the little lost bits can make their way into even a simple farm field. And the making of the snake bracelet was really cool, too!

[@cynthiacarter514]

Here in coastal North Carolina, USA, my father walked his land after plowing for prehistoric arrow heads.

[@GaryNoone-jz3mq]

I watched this show when it was a TV series. To see it pop up on u tube is an absolute delight.😊

[@jamesbailey9007]

I like this program it’s phil Francis and tony that make what it is

[@DHealey]

Love the way Francis acts out measuring the position of the first trench from the previous dig's trench :p

[@jamesbalme2080]

Yes paced out and marked with a tin of yellow spray... it was windy that day too whilst filming

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

@@jamesbalme2080 : I think David may have been referring to the sticks that were already stuck at the starting and ending point of the line he sprayed before that scene was filmed. David may have done construction work, and like me (a woodworker/carpenter) noticed them immediately.

[@jamesbalme2080]

@@aylbdrmadison1051 I was stood next to Francis just out of shot when he marked it out. Yes you are right the sticks were placed there a few minutes before that scene was shot.

[@lizdyson3627]

Fantastic. I've just started a dig ventures course and had no idea how important in a legal sense Archeology is.

[@mariah2087]

I would love to hear more about what the various misidentified finds ended up being! Or some of the ruling-out process. If there are any common errors that might be helpful for detectorists especially to hear about. Nice episode despite not finding fortlets or anything. Still taught some terminology and went over some historical and cultural context (like variety in snake metaphors) which I always like.

[@jamesbalme2080]

Ironically all finds had been identified by the local finds liaison officer...... so not the fault of the finders. What you didn't see was the rare Roman artefacts now in the museum

[@ErnestoBrausewind]

There should be an annual Festival of "absolutely nothing" - where people stroll around and lose some change and stuff to some background noise :)

[@seanmcnally6658]

Despite no structures, they still manage to tell a great story of history.

[@kristinessTX]

It is very touching that roman era people show a mark of respect For something that looks like A burial mound or site of importance from 3,000 years before their time while worshiping different gods. It really says something about them

[@paulharris5541]

Absolutely love Time Team

[@5chr4pn3ll]

I kinda liked this episode. A strange mystery with a logical explanation.

[@James_RC]

Thank goodness for the snake bracelet! 😅 🐍

[@TimeTeamOfficial]

Hello and thanks for watching! Don’t miss the official episode commentary on the Time Team Official channel here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gofHkJ13icRmjq8 and if you enjoy this please support us on Patreon so we can produce more Time Team content for you! www.patreon.com/timeteamofficial

[@chuxmix65]

Pin your comments...

[@robertab7341]

End of day two ... yes Tony, yes Time Team, I will happily spend an hour with you, even if finding nothing!!! Back to Day 3.

[@douglasruss2889]

Always enjoy !

[@corallewis3093]

Lol they were digging their own fort... These guys are great and Matt is adorable! 😘 To all of them..

[@mandie1109]

I've been sharing these vids with my man..... Him and my son both are what I call huge "Rock guys" .. always out exploring finding interesting different kinds of rocks....maybe I can interest them some light hearted digging to find "finds"!!!!

[@chrisbassett8996]

I like that, 'we don't want to put a trench on top of that because we'd look stupid"

[@Dovietail]

Note to Self: Pick up those nails you spilled! Save future archaeologists a bucket load of irritation!

[@lsmftwitchell1939]

Notice as Time Team passes through the years it becomes to find things, like Tony's hair. 🤪

[@brianturner5995]

I often wondered if Time Team had reams of tapes where they did digs and found nothing...this one proves that they don't! I'm glad they aired this, because it's science...sometimes you come up with nothing. But that, in and of itself, is a result!

[@timtaylor8406]

That was a real one off...both for Time Team and archaeology!

[@arthurprentice7110]

Do farmers in this area over-winter their stock in barns ? And if so would they be mucking out the stalls and depositing manure onto the fields from there ? Would the farmstead be on high ground closer to the river ? On google maps it looks like the only higher ground for miles is the Old Mill.

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

Tea, you'd think Stuart at least would have thought of that.

[@charlessnape7779]

5

[@fionad9913]

"The background noise of antiquity"--actually super cool presentation of how they found nothing...

[@nzlemming]

I always love it when Stewart is right.

[@bartvandenberg4901]

One dud in 14 years is still pretty good! Watched the show in my pyjamas in the '90, rewatching it now.

[@jamesbalme2080]

Dud ?? Ok the site was dug on the basis of two previous digs by Manchester Archaeological Unit but they declared 'fortlet'... I was present at that site between 1998 to 2007

[@gchecosse]

By far the best Time Teams are the ones where they didn't find what they expected and argue about what they've found.

[@GMMilambar]

No episode featuring Helen Geake can be considered a dud. SMDH

[@BC-ui9yt]

The tiny little smartaleck voice in my head says "Well Mick would've found an entire fort, cuz he was that awesome". But alas. i do love Francis' poetic description though.

[@janvafa9959]

Loved this one! Laughed my way through it!

[@kevinyates7541]

always loved watchin time team..do miss it

[@Eric_Hutton.1980]

My favorite episode.

[@a.j.carter8975]

♥️😡🇬🇧 Phils knowledge of different browns would have uniquely qualified him to work in the British car industry in the 1970s. We had a Roman Bronze Ford Fiesta. (Brown, slightly sparkly). I thought it was great, i was only a sprog tho.

[@mysticjen379]

I wonder if Warburton’s a Roman checkpoint over the river in/out of the industrial area (clay pits). Maybe there’ll be evidence of a Roman bridge where the road disappears over the river (before reappearing on the other side). Then perhaps a fort more around Heatley, supporting the industrial activity. Might explain the finds along the road/in the area - that there’s a fort nearby, but not at Warburton.

[@mariusz6843]

jackdaw and watching. paw and best regards

[@star2705]

Tony: "We've got nothing." Phil: "We've got DIRT! :D"

[@grapeshot]

You have Pompeii and Herculaneum but Britain has its fair share of very nice Roman finds.

[@jonathaneffemey944]

Thanks for posting

[@douglasruss2889]

Always enjoy.

[@SL-sd3sg]

I’m amazed with the tiny bronze axe head James found, and wonder what it would have been used for?

[@donnal.oglesby4806]

after a 150 programs we 've found absolutely Nothing!.. But what a trench!!

Brilliant Stuff. I guess it would have advaced the unerstanding of thse sights enourmously

[@Gealaiche]

I know they didn’t really find anything, but it’s still really interesting for me because I’m Warburton and it’s entirely possible my ancestors plowed that field or ate the food from it.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

Digging up and levelling part of my little backyard found more than they did. Oh well cant be harsh . they got to have a few Bevies at the Pub

[@WelshmanInNC]

Somewhere in England, Mick Aston was chuckling…

[@Fuzzy-Beans]

Time Team 101. If in doubt, put in a trench

[@AndyMartin401]

Brilliant

[@2gulfalco]

I love this one.

[@jakesmerth1919]

Anyone: I found these bits and pieces specifically right here in this very spot. Timeteam: Ok well we're going to put in 3 trenches over here, nowhere near that specific spot.

[@grimmace9081]

that soil looks so sandy, it's a wonder the farmer can grow anything on it at all.

[@stevedarcy9542]

Awesome.

[@MooPotPie]

"I got a rock."

[@clairedutton2347]

Fair enough

[@penelopesparrow]

When they were digging and finding nothing, but all the walking got bits up off the surface, that to me was an instant suggestion of clean fill being bought into the site. Dirt hauled in from somewhere else where there was lots of habitation to make the land more useable. When Stuart said it was boggy either side, that clinched it for me.

[@KevinSmith-yo8qb]

Snakes; a symbol of healing...Australia says hold my beer!

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thank you.