Time Team S17-E01 Westminster

[@Blagger3000]

Tony looking for a glorious mega find, Mick bringing him down to earth with reality. Love it.

[@speedysteve9121]

Impressive! I'm addicted to this show.

[@deetsy4jesus]

What an amazing episode, I thoroughly enjoyed this one, Everyone was in a great mood in spite of being in London. It's too bad their won't be anymore shows from this great team.

[@mzy179]

+Donna Perez I agree completely.

[@joshschneider9766]

Check out digventures. Also Wessex archaeology has a channel here in KZbin that is packed with fresh content from none other than Phil Harding himself. As well as that Tony went on to host a whole mess more similar content. The man's comedy work was phenomenal itself but he was born to do this sort of presenting.

[@billie-jobenway8658]

Luckily, the experts and producer, Tim Taylor, decided to start a KZbin site and are buying these episodes and posting them in HD for us to watch for free. They are also taking donations to do further digs, this time with longer times and more in depth exploration and conclusions allowed. They have the financing for two so far and are already in midst of planning the first. This link is for the KZbin page. The playlists are very helpful for finding episodes in order and some episode have further commentary discussing the importance of the dig and why they recommend watching it. You should check out what John Geophys Gator looks like now. It's nice! kzbin.infofeatured This is the online website also. Here you can see additional footage on some digs and donate, etc. www.timeteamdigital.com/

[@jesikebiking]

Don't say never my good friend ,don't say never

[@jonathaneffemey944]

Thanks so much for posting.

[@jeanneamato8278]

I love history and archeology and all these guys and gals. Bring thus back please! I need some intelligent Telly.

[@Jigger2361]

sadly, it won't happen

[@silkysays3557]

as a 4yr old,my grandfather let me dig his fields.I was excited to find bits of broken pottery but no heirglyphics or mummies...wrong era.Tut's tomb was touring the country.Eventually carrots & onions took the place of pyramids & chathedrals...more imporant to feed the poor.I love this program.

[@joshschneider9766]

Broken pottery in a field usually means there's ruins under said field if they haven't been ploughed away. What a tantalizing thought.

[@hazel43717]

Being from the west county, I just love Phil Harding's familiar West Country accent! (I was not blessed with one!)

[@CharieVanWits]

Yer a wizard Harry

[@jmmt1968]

He's wonderful. I love them all, truth be told. I wish they would bring the show back. So much archaeology to be dug!

[@TheSpikehere]

Sadly, it is the same all over the country. I live in Kent and I haven't heard anyone speak the local accent since the mid-70's. It was killed off by Thames Television English, or what is now called Estuary English.

[@Jamuudsen]

In my dreams there’s a video of a slightly drunk Phil Harding doing Wurzels karaoke.

[@jesikebiking]

34:14 talks about the procession cross starting on the back of the church . I'm Catholic and was an altar boy from 5th to the 12th grade and carried the cross many many times ===brings back many good memories ==Also the corridor starts at the front ,to the back and up the main aisle to the front ,where the alter is

[@seanwelch71]

I love digging things up. If only I lived in an old place.

[@doncook2054]

Every place is older than we think ... don't give up hope.

[@kathysenn7664]

I've been binge watching for days -- today is Jan 1, 2020!! Happy New Year!! ... this episode has given me goose bumps, especially the last 5 minutes.. it solidifies the political efficacy of the church's role in history.. all their efforts lie in that last un-dated grave... man kind with our aspirations cannot fix humanity's problems.. we can put a dent in them but they follow us to our graves... the next guy comes along and the rules change... I know there are people out there who will disagree- that's ok... others may ask, what is the answer? others will answer-- GOD.....

[@Bramble451]

Interestingly, those Anglo-Saxon graves seem to be aligned with Victoria Street, which runs past the Abbey to the nearby Roman crossing of the Thames at what used to be Thorney Island. I believe Victoria Street follows what was once Watling Street, which had been in use even before the Romans came along and paved it. They said in this episode that the bones date to the 11th century, which is when Thorney Island was finally cleared of all its prickly parts and described as a delightful place. Those graves might be associated with St. Dunstan's Westminster, when Thorney Island first became a reasonably nice place to live, and give the alignment of his abbey. Or perhaps Dunstan's church followed the alignment of an earlier church at that location by King Sebert of the East Saxons.

[@joshschneider9766]

Is there architecture knowledge of what the average Saxon church looked like as there often is for cathedrals? I can't help but think this would answer a "huge raft" of these sorts of questions. I do hope followon and spin off research was done. I can't imagine that they would not have, it IS Westminster lol

[@wewenang5167]

MOST MADE OF TIMBER@@joshschneider9766

[@patriciaheil6811]

I love it when they pull out surprises like this.

[@giovanniserafino1731]

It seems to me, the principal purpose of the Abbey, aside from its Royal use, was to be the pilgrimage site of the shrine of Saint Edward the confessor. It is interesting to note, that unlike many other Catholic Abbeys containing important saints and their relics, Edward's shrine was not vandalized and destroyed during the time of the protestant reformation. What comes to mind is Canterbury Cathedral, another important site of pilgrimage, which contained the shrine of Saint Thomas Beckett. His shrine and relics were completely destroyed.

[@samjohnstone1356]

the protestants like a bit of cultural vandalism,they are like a early isis. personally I think Oliver Cromwell was a true spiritual heir of genghis khan

[@giovanniserafino1731]

+Sam Johnstone very interesting insights! It is always sad when a country destroys is religious, artistic, historical and cultural patrimony in a moment of "religious fervor!"

[@gordonsmith8899]

+Giovanni Serafino The Abbey holds the tomb of a sainted king - Saint Thomas at Canterbury had defied and humiliated a king. Henry VIII appears to have had a particular dislike of St Thomas, declaring him not a saint and threatening punishment to all who thought otherwise.

[@newmoon54]

I can't help but think about the position mere mortal men "were", and "are" put up against in history since the beginning! While GOD, who I believe exists for sure, (seeing how we humans, and all our "intellectual historical folly bears out a reflection of HIGHER IMPORTANCE!) should every now and again,,, at LEAST utter an AUDIBLE: ""EHEMMMM"", just to keep us egotistical beings at harness!!! LOL!

[@joegill3612]

Thomas wasn't a king, he was archbishop of Canterbury. Edward the Confessor is there though. And he was a king and saint.

[@joshschneider9766]

I love when Tony noticed the ancient monks work reduced to an i coming board. Could you imagine being the modern steward responsible for ironing 400 year old vestments literally fit for a king?

[@AnnBearForFreedom]

When Tony says something about "the sacristy we're looking for", I had no choice but to indulge my Star Wars geek. Come on, fellow geeks, say it with me..... "This is not the sacristy youre looking for. Move along."

[@micahfoley9572]

"you keep using that word. i do not think it means what you think it means." - the princess sacristy

[@doncook2054]

:)

[@Scottx125Productions]

I look at these and I end up thinking how in 500 years time. This still might still be around and buried under the ground. Yet all the modern metal buildings will just corrode and rust into nothing.

[@dennispepperack2973]

Cool LFC CL hoodie, Paul! YNWA in Tampa!

[@maeve4686]

I'm with Mick. The faith in these people working so hard to make it a palace for jesus & god, just is a wonderment. Beautiful work, tourists & pilgrims picking off their souvenir never thinking its a sin of theft & the hypocrisy of religion in general amazed me. Getting people to pay money to get into heaven (purgatory) & all the other schemes invented for riches is no different than current religious tv preachers. Just a bigger audience. I always thought one's faith as free.

[@joshschneider9766]

What I wouldn't give to see a Norman cathedral unrebuilt. Man that would be special

[@DragonFae16]

Say what you will about the Catholic church, you have to admit they built some very impressive buildings. I'm an atheist, and even I can appreciate just how stunning the architecture is.

[@KYIRISH1]

I've been watching the epidodes hodge podge, one here and there, but now I'm working my way through in order...backwards. This Westminster episode is lovely. I'm from the States, in Kentucky, but the interesting archaeology in my immediate area only goes back a few hundred years when Kentucky west of the Alleghenies was the original Wild West. Approximately a mile from where I sit, Abraham Lincoln's grandfather was killed near his cabin by a small band of Cherokee Indians.

[@kimjameson7979]

Thanks for commenting. It's good to know I'm not the only one. Lincoln looms large here in Illinois, as well. You can't swing a cat without hitting a statue or something. Watching the history of the UK unfold backwards, to me seems like going home again. With Wellies, a poncho and 4WD, I could stand the weather there for the sake of the beauty, I think. Cornfields interspersed with fast food neon are a poor substitute here. It makes an old stone wall appear ever so much more desirable than some sort of advertising to the eye.

[@CologneCarter]

Funny enough, I too watched the series in the reverse order, regarding the seasons after only watching the specials. You say the archaeology in your area goes back only a few centuries, but what about the natives? Have there never been living any humans before the first settlers? And if that is the case, there is also paleontology. Maybe there were some interesting prehistoric creatures roaming your back garden? ;)

[@mrs.mcdaniel8441]

KYIRISH1 I am american too. American history is limited. Indians pah. The Western European That will keep you reading forever.

[@KYIRISH1]

But here we do have at the Falls of the Ohio, the largest exposed Devonian Age fossil bed in the world. Almost 400 million years old. It can only be observed during the summer and fall months when the river is low but they have a wonderful interpretive center on the site, if you are into that stuff. It is located on the Indiana side of the river across from Louisville. www.fallsoftheohio.org

[@klaus3794]

There is a Time Team America too! Not as good, but ... ok to watch.

[@2l84t]

Breathtaking. Hope you never get a strong Quake, even a series of small tremors would be destabilizing . Without major Heavenly intervention, which is Highly unlikely, that URM will go down. Hint: NO FRACKING!!

[@petranilla14]

This should have been the entire season. I hope it was continued even if it was by others.

[@Fox1nDen]

They could easily have kept searching for the treasure chambers. I believe they were discourage from doing that by people who know about them.

[@stannousflouride8372]

The sacristy site on Google Earth: 51°29'58.6"N 0°07'39.6"W

[@tylerfreeman5041]

How about: Drill a bore strait down deep. Put a sonar on it. Saturate the grounds until a stiff rain and run acoustical measurements. How is that for geo-phis?

[@readmycomment3157]

None of that would work lol

[@1jtolvey]

WHAT WAS THE RADIO CARBON DATE ??

[@stevenw2509]

Watch the last minute of the video.

[@Gillmojo]

OLD WIPPER-SNAPPER I want to know too. I watched right to the end and they gave us their best guess but not a confirmed absolute date.

[@mrs.mcdaniel8441]

OLD WIPPER-SNAPPER not what they wanted.

[@cshafer29169]

OLD WIPPER-SNAPPER Early 11th century. Pre Edward the Confessor.

[@willowscarclan]

Wessex Archaeology report radiocarbon dating of 1025-1155; a male 23-25 years old, 5' 11" tall. Wessex Archaeology reports: highly recommended if you wish to dive deeper in a Time Team dig!

[@alfcollington158]

Thanks

[@capie44]

Are the 20th century people called, "Technology Man" & "We are called, "Digital Man?" Will the Time Team" crew be thanked for saving archeology as, "thankfully, Digital archeologists left us some - if no all - their find!"

[@viperexpress305]

I can't believe the house keeper's of these building's didn't keep records of all the work done through the centuries ? Time capsules etc. ? 🤔🤔

[@okjoe5561]

Drinking game, every time "sacristy" is said, take a drink. You'll never make it through the hour.

[@BoredCertified]

Hell, you could die of alcohol poisoning!

[@joshschneider9766]

On Henry's death the church of his construction made the shape of a templar cross. Creepy lol

[@GevinShaw]

I was interested in Tony's article mentioned at the end. It's just a short thing but, with a bit of exploration, there seems to be a lot of the on-line material available for many of the episodes, including dig reports and essays by some of the Time Team gang. web.archive.org/web/20100530143959/www.channel4.com/programmes/time-team/episode-guide/series-17/episode-1

[@Hypatia4242]

Why didn't Time Team do the Richard III dig?

[@LadyGunfighter45]

They were contacted twice to do the dig but said it was too much for them to do in 3 days. Bet they were wishing they had done it now!!

[@Hypatia4242]

Wow. I can't believe they missed that opportunity! It would have been their magnum opus

[@mrs.mcdaniel8441]

Hypatia4242 Maybe some other team got there first! can't be dozy in this competition.

[@LadyGunfighter45]

Mary Ann McDaniel The producers didn't feel they could do the dig in just three days. ooops.

[@cathjj840]

Intellectual honesty - nothing to denigrate, rather they should be applauded.

[@joshschneider9766]

23:59 " there's a junction" yeah no kidding there's a pale imitation standing next to a masterwork lol. Man were the standards of stone work brutally high.

[@AjanProvocateur]

Maybe this L shaped building served only as a corridor and not as a sacristy at all, it was just a way to get from the nave to the north transept without being seen. If they got dressed and ready for the service in the sacristy inside the building, the sacristy that still exists, then they wouldn't have been able to make their entrance into the cathedral from the north transept without going through this L shaped building. They would have entered the L shaped building via the nave, having moved from the sacristy to the nave door fully dressed. A screen across the nave (or just the configuration of the building) would have hidden their procession from the congregation.

[@creativeguy1138]

+Neil Pollick I agree. I don't think this is anything more than a corridor.

[@armandmauricasas5623]

Yes, it seems a very plausible explanation to me.

[@zettle2345]

They didn't have the fancy drawers and cupboards that they have now, back in the 1300's. those come from more recent ideas about how to preserve clothing. And the L shaped hallway could have been anything, from what this program suggested, to a closet for peoples coats, or a changing room for the choir... We will never know for sure.

[@milwaukeejt]

Based on experiences from a previous career, which involved organizing and participating in a good number of church processions, I'd go with the Time Team's interpretation of its purpose. For processions involving a large number of important people in all their ceremonial finery, this would be an ideal staging area: get them all dressed/equipped and lined up out of sight and sound of the folks in the pews. When all set, send them down the full length of the center aisle.

[@TeresaTrimm]

First aired April 18, 2010.

[@seanwelch71]

Why do churches keep so many lawns? They should make a whole series with Tony, and dig out the whole yard. Then, build public gardens and object displays around the visible ruins.

[@jaimesanders5715]

So what they have discovered is the robing sacristy.

[@capie44]

44:20 ...and then place headstones with a modern familial name on it. But I'm sure the churc -er, God, wouldn't want that.

[@ellicooper2323]

I keep stopping the video to read the comments as I go, so if this is answered already, forgive me. What I can't help wondering at this point is, what was inside the angle of the sacristry? oops, looks like I misspelled that. You see what I mean? The corridor comes out the right side then turns left back to the building leaving a hole. What a waste of space. I'd be tempted to use as a place throw my enemies from the ramparts. No one would find them til Phil and Mick came along.

[@yank1776]

The Catholic's sure built some fine church's in the old days

[@JohnSmith-pd1fz]

Catholic's??????????????? The Saxons built it and there is no apostrophe in Catholics.

[@Wally-H]

As a Saxon, Christian church it would of course have been Catholic. if you're going to patronise people, get your own facts right first.

[@BryonLape]

Faye and Bettany in the same episode.....

[@Kinlow54]

I believe all buildings no matter how ornate or modest are just that, a building. The Church is the universal body of believers. Therefore, an ornate or modest building is an a-spiritual thing. Therefore, built whatever edifice you like!!!

[@A_Haunted_Pancake]

It's a good thing I'm no Football fan, or I would rage-quit every time they played that bastard-version of 'Zadok the Priest'.

[@davidwaller4156]

My ancestor Sir. William Waller is buried somewhere on the Westminster property.

[@2serveand2protect]

Wait! They said Henry IIIrd started to build Westminster, but I 've read it was actually in place already at the time of Edward the Confessor.... ?

[@tomasburns6128]

2serveand2protect rebuild*^

[@knightwatchman]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey#History

[@garymitchell5899]

The plan @ 3:00 shows a corridor; and they found.. a corridor. Why does this program exaggerate so much?

[@gailhowes9398]

I laugh with Tony for the fact he thinks he knows more than Mick! He does like to argue doesn’t he!

[@garymitchell5899]

There's a processional door frame plain to see on the inside! Meanwhile, windy miller and his mates are 're-writing history' outside. Oh my days

[@SDeww]

Phil loves Dutch Army clothing, and i cant blame him, it is extremly good quality! 41:20 girl has no clue what hes talking about... she has absoluuuutly no clue what hes talking about, its all a bit awkward...

[@markmalasics8413]

8:30 The most annoying special effect ever created disturbingly finds it's way into video.

[@miekadegerness67]

To me this is Man's Church ! Not God's Church .God's Church does not hold mineral things of this earth .God's Church would be a Humble place

[@edlingja1]

The true church is a meeting place for sharing, nurturing, and commemorating. This “posh” none sense is a corrupt version of the description of God in the OT. Burnished bronze, etc was just a way of describing Him to people who knew nothing of the kind. It’s sad that we went this way during royal times, it is promising though that commoners from different areas frequented much more humble churches with hopefully much more appropriate staff.

[@Sparrowdean]

@@edlingja1 Where are these rules about what a church should be laid down? What you say makes no sense at all.

[@barbaralw]

Tony is totally lacking in analytical ability. He is the only aspect of this series that I don’t like.

[@milonguerobill]

How much buggery and sodomy went on in this "sacrecy," the Catholic church has a lot to answer for, and it is a nasty sorted business that needs to be addressed.

[@PaulMahon-w2b]

Why plan on digging up bodies an punishing them?????

[@TWOCOWS1]

three people digging in three rainy days, and they "discover"--- the egyptian pyramid buried under the westminster abbey!! COME ONNNNN. what a bunch of amatuer bafoons, trying to have as many words to instead of facts, to fill a 50 minutes filming time.... i can't believe i actually watched this, hoping it would turn serious. but Tony Robinson from the black adder historical comedy series seem to have completely conditioned to confuse and combine history and archaeology with comedy and buffoonery.

[@scarletfluerr]

20 years of exploratory archaeology and numerous finds made by over a hundred people involved including world renown experts associated with this program. The only buffoon is you.