Time Team S18-E07 The House of the White Queen

[@CaponeCabin]

Ha, 2022 and I'm still watch all these old shows!

[@neonskyline1]

There's something magical about Time Team, a bit like listening to relaxing music

[@VisionaryGardener]

Totally! I put it on for background pondering while I glaze my pottery. Love how thought - provoking it can be.

[@kschneckmalaret]

Time Team does wonders for mental health - especially now!

[@ziizification]

I often listen to old episodes I've already seen while falling asleep. So pleasant and relaxing.

[@neonskyline1]

@@ziizification ha so do i if i'm sleepy in the afternoon

[@PatrickMHoey]

Nothing puts me in a restful peace like the sound of Phil joyfully scraping clay off a Bronze Age artifact with his spade.

[@londawarren8278]

Phil tickles me. His enthusiasm is catching and his "pie in the sky" optimism is refreshing.

[@PatrickMHoey]

We should all try to be more like Phil 👍

[@dalekundtz760]

@@PatrickMHoey :. I couldn't agree with you more. Nothing better than a person with a positive outlook. Love how giving him a piece of flint to tool and he is in seventh heaven.

[@ObeyCamp]

Catching? Or catchy?

[@mikebreest84]

​@@ObeyCampboth like captive and captivating

[@jonathaneffemey944]

Thanks so much for posting.

[@christasimonsen5775]

Thank you so very much for all your Time Team episodes. I live in Phoenix Arizona, USA and haven't seen Time Team for over ten years. I'm lost in pure happiness with each and every episode. Again, thank you so much. Christa

[@janetrapoza4142]

Christa Simonsen I like that that everything is explained for the archeology novice.. It's actually educational which has contributed to its success..Thank you Time Team..

[@marcafragili8203]

I really enjoy this program, the best part is the dialog does not seem rehearsed. It's refreshing to see real people on television instead of plastic people.

[@Seeker386]

I enjoy this program as well. I have any that are available on you tube on my watch later folder. I will say however that some of Tony's questions or comments seem set up. Don't know, maybe after all these years he's become quite the amateur archaeologist!

[@ShadowAspect_]

Some of it is "directed", yes.

[@CologneCarter]

If you take a close look (and I do since am going through the series the second time around) you will notice that every dialog on camera is either completely scripted or directed and rehearsed. There are so many examples where you can see they messed up with the staging of a scene. And there is a Time Team Special called "Behind The Scenes" where you can see Tony reading and memorizing his lines or waiting for the signal to rush somewhere and and engage some archaeologist in a dialog.

[@Buttfudgie]

Because it’s not shitty ass American tv. There’s nothing real about anything they do.

[@Samuijazz]

Yes there is some “organization” but that’s fine because all ‘non-improvised dialog’ is archaeologically driven by ‘what they imagined before’ and ‘what they are actually finding’. It’s not like a script is written, sure Tony gets some fixed dialog and set questions for the boffins, but there is no doubt a ‘Continuity’ person who keeps track of what shots they have and what they might need to add. But with that said, much of what they say is improvised as trenches yield objects. And the personal elements are natural.

[@anniefreiler8036]

So happy I discovered this series. Now I'm hooked :)

[@lilwoman220001]

I like Phil because when he finds new things. He acts like a kid in a candy store.

[@minimaker5600]

I love the look on the digger operator's face at 9:50 as Phil is explaining that he HAS to get to the bottom of the dig!

[@cjw2661]

Absolutely LOVE this show. So sad its not on any more. Thankfully we have KZbin. R.I.P. Mick Aston

[@francesrosecarmel]

These shows are fantastic....thank you for the pleasure of intelligent presentations!!

[@corneliawissing7950]

And for the compliment: clearly not everybody thinks the rest of us are morons.

[@THINKincessantly]

One of the better episodes, enjoyed having Phillipa as a guest, she had quite a bit to add.

[@tenaseesherry]

LOVE Philippa Gregory! Love her books. Especially her fictional take on Elizabeth Woodville ❤️❤️

[@shamsam4]

Best tv show ever. That "fireman" has got one of the coolest pieces of property...

[@sassytbc7923]

any relation to Lady Jane Grey?

[@Midlife_Manical_Mayhem]

@@sassytbc7923 yes... great grand daughter of thomas gray, elizabeth woodville's son.

[@ih8ua119]

Tony would definitely be the child in the back seat, constantly asking "Are we there yet?" I love it!

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

Well, that's his function. He is there to ask the silly questions for us.

[@ledacedar6253]

That's right! but he uses his British ways of poking and prodding with humour that cuts sometimes, pushing it and this is how my mum was. "Silly Bugger," felt harsher than she intended but when your a Canadian kid you don't get it and take it personal. Watching Coronation street you learn how it is. That said, he did a great job at keeping us stimulated, informed, never guessing and always nicely surprised or curious; and the shared laughs with the TTeam.

[@corneliawissing7950]

@@elizabethmcglothlin5406 , And he seems to know exactly what I, with no archaeological knowledge, would have asked, could I have!

[@justinrennie9995]

Phil’s a fun character, love this guys

[@TMPreRaff]

these

[@rontaylor5537]

I was born in Leicestershire very close to Groby. I have great interest in history. Even living in Australia since 1956.

[@BobFarnell]

Mr. Robinson you are a really Gripping Lecturer, I have totally enjoyed 12 hours of the time team.

[@chrispascoe8116]

Good old Phil....... he gets so excited bless him. :D

[@shamsam4]

What a fine show this is!

[@brianvittachi6869]

Once Phil gets a whiff of archaeology he makes the Energizer Bunny look lethargic.

[@toter-drache]

😂

[@lizzy66125]

😂😂

[@Canuckmom128]

I get a little verklemptf every time Mick does his thing. Sad ! I'm sure he is very much missed by his peers and the archeological world. Love this series, though, and GB. You can't plow a field without turning over archeology. So cool .

[@jrnsurlan405]

Canuckmom1958 I know the feeling. Miss him too. Also; the word “verklempft” really sums it up.🤓

[@ameespears7989]

Show is awesome. I have learned a lot of history.

[@neferanubis4749]

Phil is my hero!! he is epic awesome

[@kathleendrummond1360]

Me-I am not a Brit but I love this show it is so interesting. Makes me think I should have been an archaeologist

[@lynnedwards7462]

"The radar just hit something..." Makes me smile every time!

[@gman922]

Cable who needs cable when there is programming like this!

[@MrChrissy1r]

Cable,,, I don't even have a T.V, not had one for many many years?Bliss, choose what I want to watch or not, and NO adverts, or Richard Heads yakking on about fartball!!

[@ledacedar6253]

I just stream from wifi, so I get a lot of free watching, no ads and buy streaming from Acorn or BritBox if I want more.

[@elijahhodges4405]

Elizabeth Woodville was my 13th GGrandmother, and Edward IV my 13th GGrandfather. It is interesting to hear the history like this.

[@zbigniewkosior2517]

Wow that's awesome

[@ashleykhloe1077]

Why can't we have more shows like this, instead of reality show trash

[@tanyagarcia3721]

And more like the talk show trash nowadays

[@HannibalFan52]

As a huge fan of Josephine Tey's 'The Daughter of Time', it was great to get a little more insight into Elizabeth Woodville, the 'Lady Grey of Groby' mentioned in the book 'The Rose of Raby', which Inspector Alan Grant is reading in his attempt to ascertain what made Richard III 'tick'. This program just made 'Daughter of Time' even more immediate for me. Thanks, all!!

[@joankrawitz]

If you actually want to learn about these people and their actual lives, please don't try to use the totally fictional Daughter of Time as your guide. It's a good read but completely speculative.

[@tripleransom4349]

@@joankrawitz The Daughter of Time is a lot better than any of Philippa Gregory's books with all that water magic stuff. Josephine Tey did her research, considering for the time in which it was written.

[@cookiesshorts6118]

The Sunne In Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman

[@lindasue8719]

Yes!!!! A fantastic book!

[@patriciagerresheim2500]

@@joankrawitz While the *setting* is fictional, Josephine Tey did her own research, going back to primary sources, as she describes in the book. Therefore, it is not 'totally fictional'. She even gives all her sources in the course of the story.

[@barbaranneboyer7997]

NO ONE does history better than the british... l've watched this series several times over the years and it never gets old. Just.wondering if owner will protect the stair well. or bury it again also enjoyed seeing Phillippa Gregory her novels are wonderful.... cheers from BC Canada..

[@RickyMaveety]

Her history is awful. The Greys were not the original residents of Groby.

[@mjrussell414]

Ricky Maveety ok, I'll bite. Who was then, in your expert opinion?

[@IslandTides]

I was thinking the same thing... Do any of the property owners allow continued excavation or do they fill it all in! Cheers, from Vancouver Island BC :)

[@poponachtschnecke]

I adore Phil Harding.

[@Tina06019]

"Ohh, eh!"

[@jbradshaw4236]

Some say his hat has magical powers !

[@tammydriver5759]

Me too

[@monicacole3935]

i wish the show was longer and they had more time! it goes by so fast

[@alanatolstad4824]

And the ending to this episode was a bit anticlimactic...grr!

[@vincerussett7922]

Most of our ancient cities in the UK still have vast amounts of archaeology under them. Much of Roman London is relatively intact, although a lot of later stuff is damaged by cellars and piling the 1960s for the Brave New World. I've worked on a few excavations in Bristol, which is a late comer of a city, probably not existing before the early 10th century AD. But my speciality is rural archaeology. I do a lot of geophysical and other surveying with a community archaeology group: we started with a search for Roman pottery kilns in a village near Bristol called Congresbury, and since then we've worked a medieval priory near Weston-super-Mare, a hill fort, medieval castles, and loads of other sites: have a look at ycccart.co.uk if you want to see what we've been up to.

[@mnorth1964]

Amazing show. This was a fascinating episode.

[@angeliquerock]

thank you for putting this on . We live in Holland and we only ever saw the first series on discovery. We 're great fans of time team.

[@SeasickKhan]

Wonderful show!! I love anything war of the roses related!! Such rich history and a beautiful property!!

[@hyacinthlynch843]

Phil sounds like the owner of pie shop.

[@lykandra1]

Very interesting ,thanks for making this historical documentary ..

[@tammydriver5759]

Thomas Grey, who was born at Groby on 22 Jun 1477, is my 19th great grandfather.

[@dianneledford3681]

That's fantastic! It's so nice to be able to Trace ancestry so far back in time and it is just icing on the cake for news about your family are Grey's

[@tammydriver5759]

@@dianneledford3681 Yeah, it's been interesting tracing my tree. I've been doing genealogy since I was 15. I have ancestry from Scandinavia down to the Mediterranean, and Native American.

[@katharineoneill3892]

Fun fact for you: Thomas Grey's granddaughter Mary Grey married Edward Seymour, the eldest son of Edward Seymour, Lord Protector to Edward VI. His uncle was Henry Seymour, my 14th great grandfather through my maternal grandmother.

[@Workway2much]

That was awesome. I hope to see this property someday. I think Paul may be willing to share his place for history. He is a good fireman.

[@StephiSensei26]

Perhaps not every dig, but certainly this is one for the books and one I'd have completely loved being a part of. Where are my boots and my trowel? Cheers!

[@dalekundtz760]

Tony has the outlook on these places like a normal Londoner. "Two stones are just two stones" where Phil looks at each place like each one is Westminster. Simple but oh so elligent. Each person on Time Team component one another.

[@acfanter]

What a show !!! Love it…

[@SueCarey9]

I think Phil should have his own brand of dig tools. They should have his favorite phrases, "We have to extend the trench again to get at the archeology" or "Yes, I'll drink another pint."

[@marlenaamalfitano2727]

Or ooh ahh

[@annkelly0072]

What wonderful archaeological finds & history! I'm curious as to how a fireman was able to acquire the property.

[@SandraNelson063]

The property is sandwiched between a very busy, noisy highway, and some urban sprawl. So even though that little patch is green with lawn and bush, it's not very desirable. And the English Heritage people would want it to go to someone who has given them a plan of use. What is he going to do with all the very important historical bits? Well, have them properly investigated by Time Team and the local uni. Also, the last standing "habitable" structure would be CAREFULLY renovated, preserving as much of the original structure as possible. The fireman would have had to GROVEL for the right to restore the house. He would have had to give EH a plan of what would be repaired, AND THE MATERIALS HE WOULD USE to do the repairs. Is it going to be a private home, or a business? What sort of wear and tear could be expected? If the fireman's answers please the EH people, they would have been only too happy to give him a VERY good price. Because the fireman would be doing the government a favor; taking an extremely important money pit off of their hands. The fireman is going to have to foot the bill for the renovations. It is to be hoped that he will have a network of friends in construction, who would be willing to provide free skilled labor.

[@annkelly0072]

@@SandraNelson063 Thank you!

[@kdjohnson1998]

Amazing how much they can do in 3 days!

[@CloneShockTrooper]

Fascinating 😊

[@MissSarahG107]

This was so fascinating to watch, especially because I recently discovered I am a direct descendant of Elizabeth Woodville :)

[@graceamerican3558]

Can you imagine having THAT in your backyard? I would love it and try and unearth it all.

[@smconnors531]

This is the home of my 15th great grandparents. How awesome!

[@paulmendolia8483]

It really is a relaxing program.

[@dianestephenson6252]

Hard to swing a dead cat without landing on some archaeological dig in that country😳

[@JimFortune]

Doddle-a-dood-dah, feeling Groby.

[@tripleransom4349]

Firemen in England must do rather well, although I'm sure they sold it to him at a rather steep discount, considering the kind of shape it was in. Clearly, it cost thousands is not millions of pounds to restore. I'm glad someone did it before the squatters burned it down.

[@MissWitchiepoo]

I always think it's sad that all this is covered again so people can't come and see it. I guess it's because I love history and wish I was able to go and look at all these digs both in GB, Sweden and Denmark. I do understand they want to preserve it, but I'm thinking it may all be forgotten in time and covered in more layers of dirt.

[@JanBensonpublic]

started watching time team about 3 months ago so tired of the idiotic american tv how refreshing thanks you BBC so sorry that the show has been canceled thanks goodness there are so many episodes

[@johnwainwright1553]

Jan Benson This is not a BBC series, this is Channel 4

[@JanBensonpublic]

Thanks for the correction

[@marceis8612]

so tired of idiotic over generalizations. Don't be so lazy/prejudiced.

[@Tina06019]

I am also glad there are so many episodes. I just plain like British TV better in general, though I am sure that it has its share of 'losers,' too. I started watching some British sit-com 6 months ago, and boy, it was DUMB. RIP, Professor Mick. I always look for that old colorful striped sweater of his.

[@carollancaster9462]

What idiocy show there are lots of them thats why i dont have one

[@condy3341]

Love the series. We certainly don't have trouble hearing Tony. He sure is loud.!

[@Seeker386]

Phil's two favorite words: "Really, really, ____!"

[@TheSpikehere]

In fact Phil's two favourites words are "A pint"

[@Threetails]

I always wondered why medieval and early-modern currency had chronic problems with severely debased coins in circulation. The "clipping" makes perfect sense.

[@elisasanford9387]

I love watching this show, and i am just now getting to watch this episode, I think it so awesome that thanks to family research and FaceBook pages on royals , we now know who these shows are talking about and what is even more awesome is that we are related to these people, Elizabeth Woodville was the wife of my 3rd cousin 16x removed, Lady Jane Grey was my 7th cousin 12x removed !!!!!

[@patrooney2283]

Thanks for sharing! !

[@leslieeaston3383]

Archaeological terminology.. little sticky out bit. Only the Brits.

[@Dave68Goliath]

English history is fascinating

[@jehansanzterre3956]

Aw Tony,any schoolboy knows two stone is 28 lbs! Thanks for sharing these,they are superb!

[@thomasbrintle1609]

Jehan SanzTerre morning

[@Jamestopboy]

So, we're all agreed that Phil is *definitely* on something... and that, whatever it is, we *all* want some of it?

[@Seamonkey555]

Love of his job is the best!!

[@sergarlantyrell7847]

If that piece of pottery was found at the BOTTOM of the filled in archway, it could have predated the filling in. It's likely to be around the same time (otherwise it might have been cleared away), but all we know is it was there before the stuff on top.

[@tompahdea9263]

It is surprising that there are spots of things from so long ago still around in some condition that somehow has escaped leveling so that the landscape is totally useable for the future rather than just the site of the past.

[@TheCardolan]

around 15:50, it suddenly looked like two elderly gentlemen waxing poetic. Phil looks positively ancient from that angle

[@adelechicken6356]

And Mick was 4 years older than Phil.

[@RKHageman]

alison webster It was filmed in 2013, so he would have been 63. It’s now 2020 and he just turned 70.

[@CharlieGasp]

Time Team rules

[@Reijack]

I misread the name at first and thought it was Grody Old Hall and I giggled like a kid

[@BobbyLCollins]

I love this show, but this episode really puzzles me. The inference is that "The Greys" lived on this site since the Norman Conquest, and that is patently false. Hugh de Grandmesnil was not a Grey, nor were any of the de Ferrers lords. The Greys didn't show up at Groby Old Hall until the 15th century, and only then by marriage (they only assumed the title of Baron because women could not sit in Parliament). If anything, the only contribution The Greys made to the archaeology in this episode is that they destroyed it, and built the surviving brick house (which Time Team didn't even go inside). I feel like the "expert historian" featured in this episode wasn't really an expert of anything, and gave the production staff some bad information. She may have devoted "years of research" to The White Queen and the Greys, but the family tree at 12:10 clearly shows that Groby Castle/Old Hall was NOT built by "one extraordinary family", but rather by three. Otherwise, this is a terrific episode with some incredible archaeology, but I've often wondered if this was an example of what Professor Aston was referring to when asked why he left the show.

[@lisakilmer2667]

You've zeroed in on exactly what was going wrong at this point. Mistakes/lack of thorough research in many episodes, along with more time spent in artificial arguments and/or Phil waxing lyrical about one thing and another (they figured out Phil was popular but I think they over-played his role and under-played other diggers). Once in a while in earlier seasons they used Philippa Gregory as an "expert" and pretty much always let her dominate the conversations, but she's clearly lopsided in her data here.

[@filigree4103]

Lisa Kilmer do you think that's what led to the show being canceled?

[@lisakilmer2667]

filigree - I'm humbled that anyone wants my opinion! I read Raksha Dave's blog about the show's demise: they moved the studio to Wales to save expenses, and in so doing lost a large part of the production crew. They also tried to "spice up" things by bringing in new young hosts who did ridiculous antics, and if one watches closely one can see the lack of research as well. Apparently the air time was changed over and over as well, which confused fans and resulted in lower ratings. The show retained a lot of its magic but as viewership declined I suspect it stopped being profitable enough. It had to be hugely expensive!

[@MelanieElaineH]

Hugh de Grandmesnil was referred to in an ancestral status and as being the first to build on this spot. The video then goes on to examine the different structures and the family history related to it. The episode was not titled “The Grey Family”.

[@tripleransom4349]

@@lisakilmer2667 I get so tired of people using Philippa Gregory as an expert on the Wars of the Roses. She may be a professor, but she's first and foremost a novelist and she always slants her interpretations to suit her fiction.

[@maryannknox7158]

Amazing 😉

[@revolvermaster4939]

Firefighters must get paid well in the UK!

[@MrChrissy1r]

I had no idea being a fireman paid so well. That said I once knew a humble policeman, who on becoming a detective, and getting wed bought a huge pile, in the Essex countryside!

[@Seamonkey555]

He could have inherited monies.

[@gregb6469]

I notice in a lot of these Time Team episodes that there are a lot of modern buildings, highways, etc surrounding sites that were once in rural areas. England seems to be rather crowded these days!

[@Laura-Kitty]

@alison webster aye, but no mention of the mass migration of asians? Methinks that is far more detrimental than anyone from the US.

[@nhansen197]

3 days was not enough to really get a grip on this site.

[@brittneybyus]

N Hansen AGREED! I wish they lasted longer. 3 days is not nearly enough time to go back hundreds of years and get a full picture.

[@momszycat4148]

Soooo...what's with the three day limit on these digs?

[@MelissaThompson432]

@@momszycat4148 Many of the sites were taken up by local, or at least other, archaeology groups; TT's premise was to make archaeology more accessible and interesting to ordinary people. As Mick remarked, in three days, they could get a good grasp of what was going on in the site, and further information would take months to gather and examine; and TT has actually gone and revisited some of those sites after more was made available.

[@RKHageman]

Brittney Mae Their goal is doing what’s called “survey archaeology”; it’s not up to them to do the “full picture” dig.

[@nhansen197]

@@RKHageman No the full picture is not going to happen in a survey dig. That said, they themselves have lamented on occasion that they wished that they had more than four days for a dig, and have even gone back and did a second dig on some of the sites.

[@SandraNelson063]

I wondered what was odd about this episode. Then, I realized: It didn't RAIN!!!!!

[@vilstef6988]

The silver coin was an interesting find in the interest of dating the buildings. Clipped coin-milling the coin edges to keep the coin material from being stolen is a process invented by Sir Isaac Newton.

[@lilartistca]

Edward IV is in my family tree, so this is fascinating!

[@garyeckstein4917]

are these the "Earl Grey" tea people?

[@lindatruehope30]

wonderful

[@Alex-cw3rz]

It's a great thrill to get into such a deep hole.... would you like to rephrase that phil

[@GrumblingGrognard]

@12:30 I think I take issue with 5' 8" being "amazingly tall for the time". I am well aware that people were smaller and shorter. However, this is not "amazingly tall" by any stretch of the imagination for the time, esp. for a "knight of the (soon to be) king".

[@WashuHakubi4]

But I'm still wondering; is Phil going to try to get to the bottom of the wall?

[@MelanieElaineH]

Hugh de Grandmesnil was referred to in an ancestral status and as being the first to build on this spot. The video then goes on to examine the different structures and the family history related to it. The episode was not titled “The Grey Family”.

[@NolaGal2601]

I'm curious to know what the giant S figures are for on the tower. Was hoping they'd discuss that.

[@stannousflouride8372]

+NolaGal2601 They connect rods that pass all the way through the tower and stabilize the bricks. On Street View (here: 52.663047, -1.226655) you can catch a glimpse of both sides of the tower.

[@nesleinf]

As Stannous Floride says, they connect iron rods going all the way through the building to prevent the walls moving outwards by the weight of the building. In Denmark they are called wall anchors and on churchtowers the often are formed as crosses but can take any decorative form such as numbers forming the building year or initial letters for sponsors.

[@rebeccatopken6331]

Recently discovered this show. Very enjoyable. Curious, what happens to the dig at the end of three days? Do they continue or fill the holes and walk away

[@MelissaThompson432]

They fill it back in, but often other groups come behind them and mount extensive digs.

[@sassytbc7923]

melissa thompson does the owner of the property required to slow the digs?

[@MelissaThompson432]

@@sassytbc7923 not sure exactly what you're asking, but if they don't get permission from the owners, they don't do it.

[@paulodasilva9469]

I wonder what the Black Adder would have to say about Baldwick presenting a mildly intelligent TV show.

[@leannwilson2668]

It would be interesting to see if the. Owner's nd is any FURTHER excavations of the area

[@aos8585]

So what happens at the end of the dig? I am unclear. Do they just cover it up and go on their way? With so many interesting finds on this site, did they continue looking after the "3 days " were done? It seems a shame to just leave things half unearthed. Is there a follow up?

[@MissCattitude63]

He's talking about 2 stones, as in 2 rocks, not the stone used as a weight. :-)

[@leporisarneb950]

So, did the new owners keep up the buildings and allow the excavated areas to stand? Or did they plow it under?

[@frauzorn2914]

The fireman seems to have sold the house. Here are some recent pictures and info: www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/property/see-inside-former-home-lady-1616207

[@Seamonkey555]

@@frauzorn2914 wow, he did a beautiful job!

[@mamaosaazul9762]

does anyone knows how long this series ran for? and how or where can I get a Time Team Logo?

[@flitsertheo]

20 years. www.imdb.com/title/tt0108961/

[@jan-eriktrres3654]

How can she say that 5 foot 8 is immensely tall ?? average height in the early middle ages was appr 173 cm and he was a little less than that.

[@nielssuijkerbuijk7741]

that's right

[@kevinmcneill7]

How come all the digger operators are called Ian?

[@PaulMahon-w2b]

Cloning

[@bluenoteone]

I wonder if the Grey family mentioned is that of Earl Grey tea?

[@thecrow7]

confused the grey family's ancestral seat is howick hall northumberland since the early 14 century :/

[@OriginalMudSlinger]

Sir tony Robinson rightfully . knighted the only living knight I recognise in england today .

[@jllbruce11]

Did time team go on to look at bradgate park?

[@macpduff2119]

Queen Elizabeth Woodville York is my 14th Great grandmother and her son Thomas Grey is my 13th Great grandfather

[@rachelhoward334]

wow, have you always known or did you trace your ancestry?

[@shannonmiller8144]

It's amazing how people are always descended from someone royal and not the person who cleaned the kings pisspots

[@RickyMaveety]

Shannon Miller Most of the pisspot cleaners died of the plague. William the Conquerer is an ancestor of fully 25% of the Englishmen now alive. I am one of the Americans who can also claim him.

[@evesage7231]

@@RickyMaveety Excellent points! Been doing my genealogy for decades and learned early not to discuss the particulars because most people get snitty and complain that most of us are peasants falsely claiming noble ancestry. What they fail to realize is that royals have a huge numerical advantage on descendants and many can correctly claim royal ancestry. It's not that uncommon. William the Conqueror was an ancestor in at least 12 of my family lines. Do the footwork and the math starts to be clear and it isn't so unusual.

[@RickyMaveety]

@@evesage7231 Yeah. The people who complain about other people's royal ancestry don't understand that they likely have royal ancestors too. They also fail to understand that a royal ancestor going back 50 generations leaves you with exactly 2 to the 50th power of that individual's DNA. That's a teensy amount. It's fun to track, but those of us who really get into it fully understand that it doesn't make us any better than anyone else. Elizabeth Bowes Lyon was a cousin, but that doesn't get me invited to Balmoral. Hell, my uncle was knighted, and still no invites.

[@WeeeWriter]

If they have photos of a trench found in the 1960's showing a found wall, where is it? I assume they covered it back up? I'm not familiar with the laws of archaeology , but do they have to cover back up an important find once completed?

[@vincerussett7922]

It depends. Most excavation today is carried out to record sites before they are destroyed by development, and while that can be a bit depressing, it's better than them not being adequately recorded, as happened before c1990. Big research excavations, however, especially ones that are on sites that do not produce thumping great stone buildings, could not be conserved, and if left uncovered, would be destroyed by weather and vandalism within a very short time. Even stone foundations etc are very expensive to conserve and maintain, as the National Trust (a large landowner of historic properties and sites) finds to its cost every year.