Time Team S08-E05 Waltham Villa, Gloucestershire

Waltham field, in the village of Whittington, five miles from Cheltenham. Alerted by Gloucester County Archaeology, the Team have come in search of a Roman villa.
The last time this happened, at Turkdean, also in Gloucestershire, the site turned out to be so good that Time Team couldn't resist returning for a second look. What would happen this time?

[@annwagner5779]

Stewart is back and going strong on the new episodes!

[@marlenaamalfitano2727]

Love it when a tent just casually walks by.

[@BryonLape]

Mick and Stewart don't seem to have much of a fear of heights or falling. I always get the willies watching them hanging out of the helicopter.

[@TheShootist]

seat belts.

[@TheFarajaka]

@@TheShootist helicopter.

[@PaulMahon-w2b]

Imagine how the production team felt.....😮

[@miarrem]

Drones would have been a welcome addition

[@DK640OBrianYT]

Simply one of the best TV-series ever made.

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

I miss Stewart on the later episodes. The man is not only brilliant, he has excellent intuition and is very engaging as well.

[@basstrammel1322]

If anything, he at least really succeded academicly, currently lecturing at University of Chester as Professor Ainsworth FSA, MCIfA. He most likely enjoyed being more home with his wife and kids too, as he stopped doing the 3(4)-day excursions every week after leaving TT.

[@franhunne8929]

@@basstrammel1322 Isn't he coming back with the relaunch of TimeTeam? John is.

[@franhunne8929]

Carenza Lewis, Stewart Ainsworth, Helen Geake and geophys genius John Gater will all be returning and are excited about the new sites.

[@franhunne8929]

I can understand Phil and Tony not coming back - Phil is 72 since yesterday (Happy belated birthday Phil!), Tony is already 75.

[@basstrammel1322]

@@franhunne8929 That iss quite awesome!

[@planthing]

What a great episode. I loved Mick’s reaction when Stewart pointed out the Roman street from the helicopter. There was a little bit of everything in this one. Discoveries, History and good humor.

[@TheShootist]

it was always better when Carenza flew with Mick. Everything was better with Carenza.

[@paulbriody297]

Love the walking tent... a long lost species of English tortoise.

[@franhunne8929]

More a tentoise then? Yeah, my coat is in the hallway - just a moment ..

[@PaulMahon-w2b]

Sadly went extinct in a later storm..... But dug up again in a hedge.....

[@janetsanders5356]

🐢🐢🐢

[@ken-van-gibturner3064]

After watching many many time teams, Stewart still seems like the best!

[@JessiexXxX]

Mick always stresses me out hanging out of that helicopter lol, he’s always on the outside. Rest In Peace Mick, Victor and Robin. I love this show so much, history and archaeology have always interested me.

[@bigbensarrowheadchannel2739]

I've always loved history. But the UK has some of the most fascinating archaeology in the world. So many time periods to study and discover. Doggerland and the mesolithic are my favorite atm. But Romes occupation of Britain is absolutely intriguing. Thank you Time Team. Without this show I probably would have never been introduced to these layers of my heritage. 🙏

[@spacelemur7955]

Spain is perhaps a bit more fascinating, as there one finds human bones 500,000 years old, cave art 20K y.o., the last Neanderthals, diverse Celtic, Iberian, proto Basque, Phonecians, Greeks, Romans, Goths, Muslims. It's breathtaking, IMO.

[@spacelemur7955]

This is another of those episodes that I wish they had a couple of weeks to dig.

[@TEbersberger]

@Reijer Zaaijer Thank you so very much for putting up these episodes, and still more so for all these years! Keep up the good work!

[@Concetta20]

Watching the team slowly walk a giant tent across the field, with only their legs sticking out, made it seem like a Python episode.

[@michonmcgill2652]

I laughed out loud after reading your comment and then watching them 😂😂😂😂

[@deborahparham3783]

More like the luggage from Terry Pratchett's discworld Color of Magic.

[@PaulMahon-w2b]

​@@deborahparham3783oh so yes sneaking up!!!!!

[@WhoDoctor-u2e]

That's what I was thinking! Imagine if they had been doing the "silly walk" too? Ha!

[@blaggercoyote]

Absolutely fascinating! An entrepreneur diving head first into the new Roman way of doing things and, presumably, making a fortune from his prescience.

[@ericdavid199]

You have to love how excited they get when something is discovered. Even a small piece of pottery.

[@darrylwithrow293]

Love Phils pure joy when he gets top flint knap!

[@kathycarlson7947]

I absolutely loved this one! Kudos!

[@helanker]

You just cant imagine how much I enjoy this wonderful series. I wish I was part of it :)

[@lallenh1]

G hm i

[@mermeridian2041]

Love this series and all the people in it so much - wish every episode were two to three times as long!

[@alexhayden2303]

The Hut on Fowls legs was amusing!

[@lindasue8719]

Nice! 😁👍🏻🎶

[@mercedes523]

Ummmm can we talk about that tent ⛺️ walking by in the background? How funny!

[@deborahparham3783]

It was probably trying to find Rincewind after he disappeared from the Discworld. That luggage never gives up.

[@PaulMahon-w2b]

Don't stare it's shy yah know.....

[@lisakilmer2667]

This is one of the absolute best TT episodes. Given so much freedom to dig (I am assuming a freshly harvested hay crop), and with so much expert advice and collegial good will, they produced a very satisfying end result. The first time they mentioned how close three villas were, I thought the builder of this one must have moved, and they actually mentioned it as a possibility.

[@allison6842]

In New England we marvel at buildings that are one hundred years old and older, it's so cool to see the ancient finds that are over in Britain.

[@allison6842]

I'm from Massachusetts so I'm used to graveyards that are at most like 400 years old (hell the one near the art building at my college is 300 years old at most, but not in use, because it's historical), I have been to Arlington though, it's amazing. But, being partial to Ma Plymouth plantation is quite the sight to see, as is old Boston (just follow the freedom trail to Revere's house and you are walking on original cobblestone). yet with all the old we still put plaques on hundred-year-old houses as if it's a marvel.

[@TheSiddy74]

Hello from England! We are blessed with our history over here. I have been too Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, and the Tower of London, all 3 are amazing places to visit, with plenty of artefacts on show.

[@cathjj840]

Be glad there are the plaques if you want any hope of those 100 y.o.'s getting to any great age. Although as even real, alive people's desire and legitimate claims de protect their land and property of any age are being trampled under the corporations' hordes of lawyers (abuse of eminent domaine for private interests) and bulldozers, there is absolutely no guarantee anything can last over there.

[@ellicooper2323]

My father's house in Maine was built in the 1700's. I wanted so bad to restore i but, alas, it wasn't left tome. Gone now, and the native site. Sad

[@RonHei]

Try being in the west USA. We have Native American sites but they are hidden to protect them so we marvel at things that are 50 years old. We have a few early 1900s buildings but beyond that nothing for the public to see so we just admire the natural scenery and we have that in abundance. I’m so jealous of the Brits.

[@areyouavinalaff]

11:58 Captain Manwaring: How are we going to get passed the Germans? Pike: We can use the tent as a disguise.

[@aussiebloke609]

Sounds like a cunning plan...oops, wrong show. LOL

[@Stupidthingxxx]

Captain Manwaring: Silly Boy!!!

[@markanixon77]

😂😂😂😂😂😂👍👍

[@kcsunshine4008]

Don’t panic!!!

[@spikemullins1845]

@@Stupidthingxxx He actually said "Stupid boy"

[@jonathaneffemey944]

Thanks for posting

[@highonimmi]

those of us in America are crying at the lovely flint y'all have in great Britain....oh my goodness.

[@meemurthelemur4811]

@alanrtment porter I knew a horse named Flint Eastwood. Big black horse. He was very sharp.

[@colinsdad1]

@@meemurthelemur4811 *rimshot* 🤣😂

[@theeddorian]

The tribulum threshing sled was usually ridden by the operator. The same artifact was employed up to the 1950s on Cyprus, where the last industrial flintknappers worked making teeth for such sleds. I have postcard showing one in use. The farmer has wired a kitchen chair to the sled to sit on as he guides the donkey around the threshing floor.

[@judeirwin2222]

Almost exactly the same devices were still in use in rural Spain and Portugal a generation ago. And I have seen the circular threshing floors on some quinoas here in central Portugal. Sad,y, such features are not valued, recorded or preserved.

[@judeirwin2222]

Quintas, not quinoas. Effing predictive text.

[@theeddorian]

@@judeirwin2222 I was mostly interested in the sleds at the time I first heard of them because Cyrpiot flint knappers would travel around "retoothing" the bases of the sleds. Oddly, around 15 years ago (maybe more) I and a crew walked into a restaurant in Henderson, Nevada. An interior decorator had shipped a cypriot threshing sled all the way to to Nevada, just to lean it against the wall by the door. It still had most of the flint teeth. The hostess was baffled by my strong interest in an old "thing."

[@lynderherberts2828]

Thank you, Reijer. This is the first time I have ever seen this.

[@elvismark6816]

Hello dr. Phil I really like the flint-knapping it's fascinating to understand from the Stone Age all the way up into the steel age the Iron Age were they made iron heads for the arrows but flint-knapping was used for a lot of things they made hammers they made knives with them and all sorts of other things that they can imagine some arrowheads you can find in Jasper which is really nice so yeah I do like flint-knapping it is great without it you couldn't survive just think of that Doctor Phil truly wonderful to see this brilliant just brilliant Elvis I'm still in the building man I'm learning the boat archaeology anthropology and specially the art of Flint knapping

[@cjamthepatricianakabilldoo7852]

The tent with legs the luggage from discworld

[@nicolawebb6025]

Every time the talk about looking for a villa, especially Mick and John, I think of Aston Villa football team

[@Chubachus]

Surprised that they didn't seem to find any Roman coins as they seem quite plentiful on other Roman sites they've dug.

[@notthatbitchagain6857]

Geez but my ignerent Murican arse do loves these shows. LOL In all seriousness, thanks for posting. So much history to catch up with, so little lifetime. Keep on learning.

[@Fetch26291]

"Dig done 23 years ago" "dig in 1978" so, this episode was filmed in 2001. And, being the 8th season, it means Time Team started in 1994. (If I got my math right)

[@barbmcconnaughey3070]

Prime Time Team! ❤️

[@stannousflouride8372]

The site is here on Google Earth in an area of many curious crop marks: 51.886775ºN, 1.989408ºW

[@OstblockLatina]

According to Wikipedia's list of Time Team Episodes, this is episode 4 of the 8th season, and the preceding episode in your playlist is in fact episode 5 of the same season.

[@jorenthar9186]

Nothing can distract our diggers as they try to untangle the archaeology. "Tent walks by"

[@ellicooper2323]

I wasn't distracted so missed it. Had to go to find it. rofl

[@genixia]

I wonder if the tidal wave happened circa 530AD. We know that there were famines that decade caused by seismic activity.

[@PaulMahon-w2b]

Check out the supervolcanic eruption in South America around that time that took out the first Mayan empire.....

[@BoredCertified]

Missing Mick's stripey jumper in this episode!

[@dominofalling2038]

He probably has stripey socks on!

[@amazinggrace5692]

Live that sweater. Also, why do the British call sweater “jumpers”?

[@thomaspatton4401]

He has to wash it some time, doesn't he?

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

The jumpers didn't appear until later. In the earlier series he wore his Sight Savers T shirts, championing a worthy charity that provides operations for thousands of people in places like India and Africa who are blind simply because they can't get a simple op. In those days 2 quid would pay for an op and give people their sight and lives back. Like Mick I was a supporter and it felt great paying my 2 quid a month knowing it would help someone see again! You don't get many bargains like that! When he first appeared on my screen in his T shirt I was like 'Wow! I am going to like this bloke and this programme!' When I found out he was born not far 'up the road' from me, I liked him even more! The stripey jumpers came later. He wore the original in some cold weather episodes and the viewers loved it. Some lady started knitting them for him, and by that time the producers liked the idea of them having a trademark look - Mick¡'s jumpers, Phil's' hat, so the jumpers got a starring role. Like Phil's hats it is not the same one over and over. If you look the colours and stripes change. www.sightsavers.org

[@franhunne8929]

@@amazinggrace5692 Why do you lot keep calling a pullover a sweater?

[@kevinhill2421]

Phil's short-shorts!!

[@miekekuppen9275]

Even GUY is in shorts today :-o

[@deborahparham3783]

When you have great legs why not flaunt them? Phil in shorts was pure eye candy.

[@adamsjerome1839]

With all that weight from the clay tiles the roof trusses would have been astronomically strong.

[@lizzy66125]

R.i.p Peter Reynolds.😢.

[@moogiealways3016]

Does Tony ever say -- Cunning Plan -- at any point in Time Team? I love Tony.

[@kathystevetrooperblanck609]

I am wondering why the geo-pays folks don't come the week before so that the dig can truly start on Friday!

[@denisedaly2445]

These people all have "day" jobs eg. ubuversities

[@jeffinkhobar5711]

Guy’s got (had) some nice legs!

[@deborahparham3783]

If you are referring to Phil, he STILL has nice legs and he still wears shorts.

[@hellspite]

Dr Carenza Lewis!!! I really DIG her.

[@ehagendijk]

Dankjewel :-)

[@NothingToNoOneInParticular]

I would love to have seen how they left the work sites, if they were restored, especially at the sites in house gardens.

[@WashuHakubi4]

Josephine Potts... Was walkin' 'round her lot... She tripped on a thing in the ground... What was it she had found?... Miss Potts had discovered some pots.

[@WashuHakubi4]

So it is just a pun (grinning even more). I was hoping it might qualify as a limerick.

[@maeve4686]

Ahhh, my non guilty pleasure... Happy Birthday to: Phil Harding 1-25-70 & Francis Pryor 1-13-47 Cheers, guys!!! 🍻

[@deborahparham3783]

Phil's birthday was 1/25/50.

[@craemac]

...and car enthusiasts start drooling at 16:22

[@EBSJones4]

Has anyone noticed how the gorgeous Guy de la Bedoyere looks a bit like Peter Falk (Columbo)?

[@PaulMahon-w2b]

Thought that too

[@ShortBusScotty]

It is refreshing to hear someone call the ground the ground and a floor a floor. When did people start calling anything below their feet the floor?

[@SNP-1999]

People forget that the Roman province of Britannia lasted longer than the British Empire even existed - and that there were many Roman provinces that had been in existence for hundreds of years before Britannia became one of Rome's later conquests. Nevertheless, far from being just a backwater, as many earlier historians thought, Britannia became a very thriving and important part of the Roman Imperium, both commercially, economically and militarily - having one of the largest provincial armies in the whole empire, as one can clearly see from the amount of military sites found in Britain from the south of England to the north of Scotland. 😋

[@andershansson2245]

Someone ought to tell this chap about what's know as Hadrian's Wall...

[@J70a.m-zg6gi_wha0]

🎵poor bird🎵poor little bird🐦

[@johnzook7533]

Redroom, redroom, redroooom.

[@elvismark6816]

hello Tony how are you and dr. Phil and dr. Mike I hope we're going to explore something really wild and exciting I love these shows man I'm so addicted to them it isn't funny and I take it as dr. Murray May recommend dated I find time team a fascinating program the reason is to explore strange areas and seek out the knowledge that it contains and if you have a slight drip get some Fisherman's friend it's great for Kohl's but I like time team I can't get enough of it I like the educational part of it always like to learn and if I can't get enough time team I just can't find anything else that will relax me I have studied archaeology and anthropology throughout my life it's freezing up I can't get down on my hands and knees and do it myself I have a pituitary gland brain tumour and I need a hip replacement anybody know the nearest garage where I can get this done great sense of humour but back to The Dig so I can hear about this exploration fastening just fascinating

[@benediktmorak4409]

one really has to watch more than one episode to understand that - we have only 3 days to find out - spiel. And one thing i am sure off, not everything the team says, Tony Robinson, Professor Aston, Varenza Levis , the -Geo Fizz - team and Phil Harding is scripted. Their -bantering - ist just priceless!!

[@norafriedman7848]

😊😊😊😊

[@DavidSmith-yx7kn]

Find all the pottery in the area, glue it back together and get the .... out

[@kimkennedy1105]

I'm just now seeing this in 2022 covid is still a 🤔 thing

[@mrbrianc]

Was the guy rebuilding the Roman farming implement hiding a vintage Aston Martin in the garage?

[@barbmcconnaughey3070]

I wondered what it was. 😉

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

More Romans.... Hope you find some Saxons instead :)

[@hippymama100]

There's always a pervy old man or two in the comments who makes a veiled comment about how attracted he is to the female archeologists.

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

What is so pervy about finding someone attractive? As long as they're not rude about it, I don't mind, and fail to see the problem with it since it hurts no one.

[@scarletfluerr]

I don't think the ladies are admiring Phil's short shorts for their color of blue.

[@barbmcconnaughey3070]

scarletfluerr LOL😘

[@BryonLape]

This stuff is so shallow, I'm amazed it hasn't been plowed into oblivion.

[@basstrammel1322]

As far as I've figured out plows don't really go too deep anymore? And there's a long time since farmers always plowed the same way every year.

[@BlackIjs]

I'm amazed, episode after episode, how shallow the topsoil is.

[@technicholls]

12:09 - A Phil-less hat

[@meemurthelemur4811]

Poor hat.... it looks so lonely without him. 😔

[@real_melody_barnes]

@Roy Polloi good to know that some things never change....even after more than 20 years

[@chadsimmons6347]

why cant they reconstruct the Roman dwelling?..that would be very interesting to the viewers i'll bet!

[@michaellott3197]

Chad Simmons. ,e. B nvmgbbnbnnbngnbgnnh. Hn >7th

[@chadsimmons6347]

Michael Lott got drunk..beat his woman & kids half to death while drunk..of course he's Irish!

[@michaellott3197]

Chad Simmons I don't know you. I haven't had a wife for 20 years. I've never hit a kid and I'm not irish.so who are you talking about.

[@georgedorn1022]

A replica Roman villa was built at Wroxeter (Viriconium) a few years ago. There's probably something about that somewhere on KZbin...

[@BlackIjs]

Rome wasn't built in a day. I would assume neither was a Roman dwelling? ;)

[@JonFrumTheFirst]

Tribulum: from the Latin 'to rub.' Thus we get 'tribbing.'

[@TeresaTrimm]

First aired February 4, 2001.

[@desslokbasileus571]

18:07　　21:35　　25:37　　31:14　　39:00　　39:16　　45:14　😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@phoule76]

what's a "des-res"?

[@eboracum2012]

Designated Residence is the only thing I can come up with. Or maybe shorthand for a swanky home or owner. Any English people want to help?

[@basstrammel1322]

@@eboracum2012 Desirable residence.

[@sisterstache322]

What was so important about the door??

[@profaneangel0842]

As Carenza pointed out, the remains of a door will help archeologists determine which side of the wall is the inside

[@christianpatriot7439]

Why does that personal stone altar have a Union Jack on it?

[@DonniePalmer57]

why always "only 3 days"?

[@kathryngardener1930]

Real jobs get in the way. These folks gave up weekends to do this show.

[@barbarapatterson4132]

Why aren't you completing the excavation on ?

[@rachelcollins8158]

Why is it always 3 days?? Why not 3 months or 5 days? Why so short a time?? I mean they are very good but 3 days would just scratch the surface for the historian in me...

[@mrs.schmenkman]

Rachel Collins Its a weekly show, they need the rest of the time to edit the footage, write the narration and record it. Many of the sites went on to be excavated and some a museums now.

[@nevyen149]

The time limit has nothing to do with editing, that was all done by the network. The limit comes because all of the archaeologists, experts and others have 'day jobs'. Tony is an actor, and the others work for Universities, County archaeology departments, or are in business for themselves like John Gaiter. They basically take a Friday off, do this show on the weekends, and have to be back at work on Monday. Many times, however, some other archaeology group come back to work more on the sites dug by Tie Team, especially if they find something unique.

[@basstrammel1322]

They start out with a question (or more), and 3 days are enough to answer them. As a TV-show, not a full on dig, 3 days are perfect to get everything needed done.

[@rachelcollins8158]

@@basstrammel1322 thank you for taking the time to reply even tho the question was a year old. This was one of the first episodes I ever watched...it took me a few more to get the format of the show but even from my first episode I was hooked.

[@basstrammel1322]

@@rachelcollins8158 It's very addictive, isn't it? I've binge watched since the beginning, and this is how far I've gotten.

[@danubioseneolitic8668]

You can see one used XX century tribulum in History Museum of Galatz

[@kdjohnson1998]

What does "dez rez" mean?

[@TheGordem]

Real estate agent speak - desirable residence.

[@katariinavainio4828]

Thank you so much for the answer. I've been wondering the same thing and couldn't find in any dictionary

[@steveb1ish]

josephine potts the farmers daughter describes her overflowing trench and bits to the the doctor, guy and tony...

[@elvismark6816]

I think I'm going to put a thumbs on up on this one Tony it's really fascinating I'm really enjoying it with the lessons on the side is truly extraordinary I'm flabbergasted in this dick to see the things that I seen I do believe that woman's brooch that you found belonged to a Slave in some of the movies Roman movies that I have seen over the years the slaves get the the worst of the worst

[@suziewheeler6530]

So frustrating why don't they just dig the entire field up....u certainly don't want them plowing there any more...just uncover the entire site

[@johnbull1986]

Because there aren't gangs of navvies roaming the countryside.

[@suziewheeler6530]

@@johnbull1986 I don't understand what that means

[@johnbull1986]

@@suziewheeler6530 are you American?

[@suziewheeler6530]

Native American and Welsh. I am also a archeologist.....i don't understand...why cover it...we don't just cover it back up

[@suziewheeler6530]

Related to Owain and the Tutors

[@alfredkingsnorth8735]

N m.

[@gracienoid44]

M

[@readmycomment3157]

I don't get how the Romans new to leave these artifacts to be found by archaeologists over a century later. Is this tv fakery?

[@readmycomment3157]

@Napoleon Hercules check your facts mate

[@johnmoss6631]

No, but you are a bit of fakery for sure.

[@ste1072]

Basically flint napping is just pure fluke there's not much skill needed really, try it. 👍🏻⚔️👍🏻

[@AnOldFashionedWoman]

I hope Phil doesn't see this. :D

[@dieself3509]

Depends on what you are trying to make, for example a scraper or cutting edge is pretty easy. On the other hand an arrowhead or spear point is a very different story.

[@Ana_crusis]

it's Knapping and you're wrong

[@rocksandoil2241]

Try a Clovis point sometime

[@maeve4686]

I found a worked flint piece that had different edges chipped on it for different jobs. It fit my hand perfectly as each thumb well was perfect in size and located on either side so the piece could be used by a person with small hands. Obviously lots of skill is needed to make it fit to someones basic hand size and making a multi use tool. It's from Northern California and I found it on my property I had then, about 25 years ago. It is my favorite piece of neolithic tools I've found. Most I recovered as the shape was unusual. I didn't realize they were stone tools until I watched this show. I feel very honored to have them. I don't remember where I picked them up. I'm a rockhound and pick rocks up wherever I happen to be. Thanks T.T. for educating me and developing my eyes to see edges of shapes when looking for specimens.