Time Team S20 Special - 1066 The Lost Battlefield

Tony Robinson gives the history books one in the eye by discovering where the Battle of Hastings was really fought. The battle is the most famous in English history but not a single bit of archaeological evidence for it has ever been found. Have historians put the battlefield in the wrong place?
Time Team set themselves the task of uncovering the true location of England's most famous defeat.
For decades there has been dispute over the site, even though Battle Abbey is supposed to stand exactly where Harold fell. In 2012 a bestseller claimed that Caldbec Hill, a mile away, was the real site. But most historians still believe the main focus of the fighting was in the fields below the Abbey.
Time Team excavate both sites to seek evidence of either one being a battlefield.
Digging alone is inconclusive. But a cutting edge aerial technology called LIDAR to map the terrain proves that the traditional battlefield would have been too boggy for William's Norman cavalry.
So military analysts study the data to see where Harold, a skilled commander, would most likely have mounted his defence against William's invading army.
They identify the only ideal battlefield. It seems Harold's fearsome Saxon shield wall straddled a narrow strategic pass that is on today's A2100.
It leads to a surprising conclusion about where the heart of the battle was fought, and why William won and Harold lost.

[@dalekundtz760]

As we get older, we appreciate history more. Tony and the team bring history to life in a much better way then my old teachers did when I was in school. Thank you Time Team!

[@palmertrees]

I really miss this program

[@jacquesdemolay2699]

I like Sir Tony Robinson, he did two important things in his life - made people laugh and gave them knowledge of their own History.

[@ziizification]

I was so worried by the past tense! Still kicking though, fortunately. I love him.

[@dolorespetersen2869]

What better accomplishment an one ataine?. Millions of people have no idea of who they have descended from! Genealogy is a most fascinating hobby!

[@jesikebiking]

I have to agree I.m from America

[@davidtownsend6092]

Plus theres a documentary on the peasants revolt where he narrarates as mike loads, and toby capwell and his brither just LARP the peasants revolt. Its like the avengers of history.

[@Lars89221]

He did not

[@BenSHammonds]

I really enjoy this episode, it goes to show that history as it actually happened is not always remembered or cataloged accurately thru time, but comes to be a common story told, be it factual or legend, and so places can be misunderstood a bit.

[@PtolemyJones]

Phil really is the heart and soul of this show for me.

[@allanmerovitz871]

Yes indeed

[@Odin029]

I've watched a few documentaries about the Battle of Hastings, but this is the first one I can remember where they brought in a modern military commander, had him look a topographical map of the area and say, "I'd put my men here."

[@egverlander]

And bravo to the Commander for his service in Afghanistan, that in 2021 the coward Biden so ignobly and despicably surrendered to the Taliban. Shame on him forever.

[@Odin029]

@@egverlander You can't fight a war forever, especially one where the goal had been achieved 9 years earlier. You can't force democracy onto a group of people. They have to demand it for themselves. The only thing I fault Biden on was the fact that he and his team had no contingency plan if the Afghan army collapsed quickly. And that army didn't just collapse quickly, it evaporated. That was one more bit of proof though that we needed to leave. We could have stayed 10 more years and the Afghan government would have collapsed in days no matter what.

[@tortuga7160]

@@egverlander Very short sighted comment. This was a lost war from the beginning, expensive, ineffective. I'd point you to Rumseld's internal memos on the matter, as well as all the interviews and internal documents uncovered by the investigation done by SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghnistan Reconstruction). The echoing sentiments of soldiers, ambassadors, commanders was this; there was no strategy, no planning, no funding (post Iraq) and it became a game of kicking the can down the road. The west always loses when it meddles in other countries' civil/local disputes.

[@egverlander]

@@tortuga7160 Tell that to the people he left behind and the women now humiliated by the Talban. Bravo to the Commander and Eternal Shame to Biden the Coward.

[@bethbartlett5692]

Excellent point. They made some solid decisions (until and except the really unpopular decisions re: Stewart and Helen, that was such an obvious unwise decision that I must admit I first thought the Exec Producer was up to a "girl reason", "?", but I'm a late comment b/c In in the USA and I don't know why, but it didn't run over here, they really missed the opportunity to make a vast profit.) Great catch

[@dancingwithnature5303]

I'm binge watching my favourites: Time Team and Mock The Week to stay "sane", during covid-19 quarantine! Anyone else? Stay healthy everyone!!

[@tonistinchcomb6247]

I love this series and I am binging on it during this pandemic.

[@WhoNinjaPotter]

Dancing With Nature I’m also on a timeteam binge! Love this series, and I cant stand to watch or read the news more than I have to, it is just to depressing. Time team for the win

[@dancingwithnature5303]

@@tonistinchcomb6247 just thought I'd ask, do you feel sane yet?

[@dancingwithnature5303]

@@WhoNinjaPotter feeling any sanity creeping in? Me neither. 😏

[@WhoNinjaPotter]

@@dancingwithnature5303 I was never sane to begin with 🙈

[@cidchase2689]

I, an American, visited the site of the battle with my husband, a New Zealander. I had promised my British history professor, Dr. Jack Collins, that, if he would give me a certain grade, I would always remember the year of the battle of Hastings. He agreed, did give me the grade, and I have never forgotten. I even saw Jack at a cocktail party some years later, and I yelled across the crowd at him, "Jack, 1066!" So, it was truly delightful to see the actual site. Also, the field, or pasture, was the home of copious flowers. This instantly reminded me of the Peter, Paul, and Mary song, "Where Have Aall the Flowers Gone?" This was the perfect site to represent that song. Look up the words if you don't know them! We then flew to France to see the original Bayonne tapestry. I heartily recommend this trip in toto to anyone and everyone. We often can't see these places that drive the point of the actuality of history home to us in such a strong visual, deep in our gut way. Would that we could see these and more as children. It would enhance our perspective as adults! Incidentally, there is a show of all this on KZbin from the Time Detectives. Worth watching. But, I also recommend reading about these locations and events.

[@nwo6541]

Stop drinking

[@bjrntveter2847]

Phil would chop you in half if met in Battle. I think his great great great great great great grandfather stopped the viking invasion back in the day.. singlehandedly. However i hope for a reboot of this series! Very informative, well executed tv production. British quality.

[@Haus4486]

This is fascinating. I like how they do more than just dig. With advancements like aerial Lidar technology, using landscape archeology, knowledge of how the area looked at that point in history, and getting professional advisors to determine probable battle tactics, a more complete picture is formed. It’s like bringing the history to life.

[@bethbartlett5692]

I was wondering where the heck Stuart was! He could have Narrated this show with Tony. Love that Stuart!

[@pjeaton58]

I was there for the re-enactment in 1966 - Battle Abbey fields - great pork roll, but no one actually killed! The roundabout - far more dangerous!

[@Pauldjreadman]

One of the best history series EVER to grace our screens.

[@donnal.oglesby4806]

I have been waiting for this for years... I remember another dig, somewhere close from Time team where they also mentioned the battle of Hastings, and where I first got into looking for my one Great ancestors, William Chanertelle [ Cantrell, but spelled so many other ways ] BUT his name is supposed to be in the records of THIS battle, and He is supposed to have supported King Harold's but also fought with him, and survived, the battle to be given lands for his support [ but by whom?? ]. THIS episode goes into more detail, just such a shame that with all the history of this place, that there was not much on the digs themselves. The Remaining question is: I will give that a LOT of the weapons were stolen from the battlefield, along with anything else that could be re-used, BUT with all those that died, where did the remains go? Are those remains UNDER that city round a about?? Will there ever come a time, for the sake of history and archelogy, that spot is dug up and a dig to find out where if any, the bodies went??

[@prarieborn6458]

Fascinating, I love English history, and I read a biography/history of Harold Godwinson a few years ago, I cannot recall the title at the moment. It was written from his perspective and how he came to inheirit the throne. In the book, the Battle is described in much the same way as the historians and researchers have set forth in this documantary. However, not much information is given about how exactly he died, and what happened afterward. IThe legend is that William orderd an Abbey to be built on the spot Harold died. In the book William took possession of the body and refused to let hs wife have have his body to prepare it for burial. William buried him secretly in an unmarked grave. The accounts of the Battle say that many Normans and their horses were killed trying to attack up a steep hill, and the bodies rolled down and remained in the deep ditch at the bottom, the “mal fosse”. If the archaeoogists and the historians can identify that hill, the ditch would be the place to look for the bodies. It is recorded the Normans buried their dead in the earth, and it seems logical that the new King would have made some attempt to have the burial ground(s) consecrated by the Church .Many of his Knights were of noble birth with families in Normandy.. I wonder if there is any evidence or record somewhere , perhaps in Church records. But a lot of churches were destroyed during the Reformation, I also wonder if all of the Saxon fighters were killed in the battle, or , more likely some of them made their way back to their homes and families , to defend them fom the invaders. Alas, every landowner lost his land in the end to a Norman.

[@mikeblair2594]

You do realize what you find under city streets, right? I doubt that there is any archeology left. User houses maybe but not if there's cellars.

[@wanttopreach]

This is extremely relevant to me because my ancestor was William's head standard bearer

[@mus1970]

Amazing to see these new developments - we went here in 2018 and it was already thrilling to be on one of the most important battle site areas in the world ever. Hope that future excavations will shed even more light on this site.

[@lizbalfour4274]

Good grief that is exactly where I was brought up - house with the For Sale sign - 1 Lower Lake = no roundabout in my day or indeed in 1066 but it does all make sense - I played in those fields too and sledged down the steep hill in the snow.

[@paulwoods3071]

that must feel strange, finding out that that was probably where it all happened!

[@tomburton8239]

Yes, I too was brought up in Battle: from 1953 to 1969. I used to play all over this area. BTW I particularly miss bonfire night, when the ‘normous gert bonfire’ was constructed on the Green in front of the Abbey gateway, in the centre of the town. Those bonfire nights were quite something!

[@boywonder768]

Tom Burton they still are.

[@andrewryan95]

Sure you did.

[@birddog7492]

My mothers people the Bennett's came from that area. My fathers people the Devoux's landed with William and fought in the battle. I've never been there it looks beautiful.

[@annamarie9858]

I’m an American (USA) who is hooked on British history. This was a fantastic episode in Time Team - discovering a new location for such a pivotal battle is astounding. And coincidentally, I now understand Anglo Saxon and Norman - lol, I know you Brits grow up with this info, but for us nonBrits it’s darn confusing…even after 100 TT episodes.

[@richardhelliwell1210]

If William invaded today the potholes alone would have prevented him getting far on our roads.

[@cryptidian3530]

That made me chuckle. :D

[@H.P.]

The lack of infrastructure maintenance is universal today. Why do you think us north americans are driving big SUVs? The potholes are deeper here!

[@egverlander]

And the woke snowflakes would be running for safe spaces.

[@jesikebiking]

A great video from start to finish== I learned more from this video than I did in High School in the late 60's I'm in my 70's

[@RuudJH]

A bit strange how they're convinced the battle took place on only this one little spot, and noone mentions how thousands of men fighting during a whole day takes a bigger spot, and also that the centre of battle will move and shift during a day, for maybe up to half a mile. Looking at that map I'd say it could have taken place on several of the spots.

[@zoetropo1]

RuudJH Harold himself changed position during the battle. At first he was in the centre, overlooking William. Later, he moved his command post to the east (which tells us what was happening to his west!), hence it was the Flemings that got him.

[@richardhelliwell1210]

Perhaps they were trying to placate English Heritage a bit. Dear EH you're not quite on the right spot but just next door!

[@expressarch]

I'll bet it's a pleasure for archaeologists to work behind that trackhoe operator. That person is an expert operator!

[@boywonder768]

That’s Ian Barcley, he was also a good promoter of the sport of motorcycle grasstrack. He used to host the Ace of aces which was also televised in the 80s.

[@roberthickerty390]

I like this in that theyhave brought in numerous experts and thoroughly investigated. As for the site where Harold died, he was probably mortally wounded in the fighting and carried into the rear area by his men to the site where he succumbed. I doubt they would have left him amongst the other slain. I seem to recall that his wife was brought to field to identify his body as most if not all his housecarls werekilled. I doubt she would have been picking through the dead on the actual battle site. Anyway, just my thoughts. I have always been fascinated with military history and Hastings has always intrigued me because of the fact it radically changed the course of English history and the nature of the English people. Certain battles, like the Siege of Vienna, preserved a culture. Hastings replaced a culture.

[@rainbowdash2064]

The end part made me giggle a little as the man said " king Harold may have died on this very roundabout" 😂

[@javamann1000]

I can't help thinking that an army that had just fought a battle and then had a forced march of 200 miles, might not be at its best?

[@zoetropo1]

javamann1000 Harold and company did rest in London for over a week, recruiting fresh troops.

[@zoetropo1]

Helder Costa Hmm, let William take all of south and central England before confronting him? Brilliant! (If Harold wanted to appeal to Scotland for help, maybe. Good luck with that one.)

[@Olvir_Richardsson]

+Zoe Porphyrogenita Everyone ''defending'' the Anglo-saxons seems to forget that! Glad to read this!

[@zoetropo1]

+Ölvir Richardsson I should add that the reason Harold had to recruit fresh troops is that the Norwegians although surprised fought well and killed or injured much of the English army. The northern troops had been crushed by Hardrada at Fulford and their survivors were in poor condition even before Stamford Bridge, so even if some northerners were able to trek south, they would have been few or injured.

[@Olvir_Richardsson]

True!It's incredible how much happened in like 3 weeks!!!

[@lashersquirrelslayer]

I applaud the fact they are able and willing to find the truth digging in such sensitive site.

[@jeffreyrobinson3555]

My first thought was why would William build an Abby that wasn’t on the site,then I thought why would he care if h was on the site, or an area near it. History as seen by modern people is a far cry from how they thought about history then. I have often wondered why the exciting story of William, the two Harolds, Tosig, Edward, the Witan never became a movie or mini series, in America at least, much more exciting story then Game of Thrones. As a Yank, I never seem to tire of the story.

[@davidcooke8005]

I've written the script for the mini-series. I'm trying to find the studio to make it. One of the greatest stories in history but there is still no movie.

[@jordanxbrookes]

RIP Harold II aka Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.

[@manuelkong10]

I wish he'd won

[@Nellsbells79]

Amen, I always feel sad when I think about him

[@ajaxmaintenance5104]

manuelkong10 He’d have been much better off if he had remained an ally of William. He had previously fought alongside William and understood what Norman cavalry was able to do in battle. In the end his army was outmatched by William’s.

[@michaelwarwick9930]

Only he probably wasn't Anglo-Saxon. More likely of Anglo-Danish descent.

[@bobbyjohnson7069]

That good old NORMAN blood- best thing to happen to the British Isles, as the Normans advanced the Culture just like the Romans did 900 yrs before! Left to their own devices , the Angles, then Anglo -Saxon's would have turned all of the UK into a bad version of Harry Entfields " northerners"

[@CanChikMay]

Very cool to learn this in my 40s….very well done!

[@Rotorhead99]

A great program. I went there some years ago, and as a former military man came to a similar conclusion after seeing the ground. Not claiming to be smart or clever. Although I had the view, it was probably slightly further back up up the hill. But hey, I wasn't there ;o)

[@dragonsword7370]

you were using your wisdom score as compared to your intelligence to observe and hypothesize about better militarily defensive, or choice spots to operate from. Don't sell yourself short either, it takes a decent amount of intelligence to be accepted as a basically trained military operative\unit. During vietnam to bolster depleted troop numbers the defense secretary[absolute criminal] McNamara forced the military to accept low i.q. functioning candidates i.e. slow or "retarded" individuals who'd failed the basic entrance exams. There's a seminar program on here called McNamara's Morons that is told by an Army Sergeant who was forced to train up one of these men who had No reason to be in uniform in combat and would more than likely get members of they're platoon\section slaughtered. but yeah, don't sell yourself to short bud.

[@donnadouglas1883]

Awesome! Love this show it always transports me to the past. Though I live in New Hampshire,USA my blood is Scottish and english. Love your show!

[@mikeblair2594]

We'll try not to be too hard on you, but I wouldn't spread the English about when in Scotland.

[@HugsBach]

Wouldn't it be interesting, if Time Team like dig would take place around the "roundabout ", the bench and the field. What would those cellars have under them in those buildings. Very interesting 👌 👍

[@OrlopRat42]

Thank you very much for posting this.

[@boxwoodgreen]

The most noticeable below ground feature in ancient battlefields are mass graves, where the dead were stripped and tossed. Perhaps some ground penetrating seismic search could reveal areas of disturbed soil. 14,000 soldiers fighting inside such a small area would leave a lot of dead to be buried. And, mass graves are usually on the battlefield itself. No one wanted to drag bodies very far.

[@i-heart-google7132]

@boxwoodgreen EXACTLY what I was thinking and wanted to comment on. You beat me to it by 4 days :) A mass grave would be absolute proof.

[@derekstocker6661]

@@i-heart-google7132 Apparently a recent idea was that the bodies were rolled down a hill from the battlefield and buried at the bottom, so perhaps looking in a hollow or ditched area may be fruitful.

[@mscott3918]

@@derekstocker6661 I live near there. Apparently one theory is that they were all rolled into a ditch and covered up.

[@derekstocker6661]

@@mscott3918 Hello, yes that was the theory I heard, possibly correct then. Why is a more widespread search not done or ever been done, this was one of the most important battles, possibly the most decisive battle on English soil, why do these brave souls have no known grave.

[@paulrandolph5394]

I saw or read somewhere that back in the day bones from dead soldiers were ground up and sold as fertilizer....

[@michellearohde]

Reijer, I love you for posting these! :D

[@chorton53]

I visited the Bayeux Tapestry a few years ago, it is fascinating to say the least. It's amazing it has lasted so long.

[@juriaan13]

Just wash it on gentle and no tumble drying it.

[@Cyberlucy]

Thanks for posting this! As someone who can trace back their ancestor to that Battle it was amazing to see an analysis

[@cassandranightingale2880]

Fascinating family history. Who was he?

[@cgavin1]

Cassandra Nightingale Nothing a DNA test wouldn't disprove. Every generation has a 10% chance of false paternity (courtesy of the whole Plantagenet non-heritage media guff). So go back 5 generations and there's a 50% chance you aren't who the scrolls say you are. ;)

[@Cyberlucy]

cgavin1 Actually it's the documentation that matters and I was fortunate to be descended from a number of English nobles, William being one of them.

[@dwightehowell6062]

cyberlucy Whatever William was or wasn't _he wasn't English_. He also has to count as being among one of the bloodiest butchers in history. His body count for women and kids was staggering and can only be very roughly estimated.

[@dwightehowell6062]

I'll give you this. He completely changed the History of the world but he completely lucked out in the timing of the Viking invasion or things would most likely not have gone his way.

[@adamdavis3781]

Incredible finds, hope to see more like this. Love my life because of time team! COYTT

[@MrVorpalsword]

but lets hope they make some credible finds hey?

[@davidbooth3285]

He died (maybe)on that roundabout! I told him to watch out for the traffic!

[@annoyed707]

Look both ways before you cross!

[@maxschon7709]

@@annoyed707 He might be just heavily hurt there and died at the hill. Because all thought he has hid in the eye by the arrow People thought he must be dead in an instand but hid by a lance he might be brought up the hill to the wounded.

[@schuur10]

Harrold !!! watch out for that roundabout!!...A rounda..what?...Hhhhuulck...+_+

[@bjorgolfurhavarsson3984]

Tsk tsk tsk Typical for a foreigner on his first trip to the UK indeed! Probably looked the wrong way before stepping into traffic!

[@alitlweird]

David Booth not funny. Too soon, man. 🤨

[@Iowahorse]

Very nice. Thanks for posting.

[@claudemaassen2963]

What a very interesting vlog. Well done Baldrick!

[@tomburton8239]

“From the tiny French port of Normandy”. Oh dear. Maybe he means “From the bay of St Valery-sur-Somme in Normandy”. Oh, and he didn’t land at Pevensey, he landed in Pevensey Bay, which at that time was a large tidal bay of about the same scale as the bay they came from, protected from the south-westerly weather, and with enough shoreline to accommodate the hundreds of ships in his fleet (10,000 men plus 1,000+ horses + crew in ships barely 40ft long)

[@SindreGaaserod]

such a great show and fantastic episode

[@billyrubin7378]

I lived at Hastings and each year on the 15th October I used to go and stand where the footpath runs up the slope from the bottom where the road is (going west) and the railway runs in a cutting -- and the path -- in Saxon times was the road to London. At the point where the old Abbey walls begin at the top of the hill, I stood -- afternon time -- where I felt the battle had been fought at the crest of the hill. It didn't take long before I could feel my heart starting to pound and absolutely trembling with fatigue throughout my body. Also a tremendous feeling of pressure against my body; and being battered about my head. If I walked away further into the abbey area to the point where Arthur is said to have been killed, where there is a commemeration stone laid flat on the ground, all my symptoms disappeared. Go back to the crest of the hill and withing a few seconds all the feelings powerfully returned. So you don't need to go buggering about digging holes down on the flat ground. The crest of the hill was the natural -- and sensible point -- to form the shield wall -- where I stood. I didn't understand the immense pressure I felt till a medieval reenactment expert said the reports say the shield wall was rammed together so tight if a man died he stayed where he was. I can believe it. And being battered about at head level was testament enough for me what it felt like to have Normans attacking the shield wall on their horses. This battle lasted all day. Normally battles lasted about an hour because it was exhausting 'work'with chain mail amd wielding weapons. How these men lasted so long God only knows they were dead on their feet with fatigue by mid afternoon.

[@railway-share3820]

Harold not Arthur was killed there.

[@billyrubin7378]

@@railway-share3820 Oooops! Sorry Roy. Shouldn't write so much late in the evening and with a keyboard with no markings. Been there (Senlac Hill / Battle) enough; and bitterly always regretted that we are STILL two nations; smart arse arrogant Normans and the good ordinary law abiding hard working honest British. i.e. DNA shows we are NOT Saxons -- as a majority -- we are -- and always have been 'Britons.' There have been times after 15th October driving by on the bottom road when I could smell the stench of blood. 'Senlac' means Sen = Blood Lac = Lake. And without a doubt it was a 'lake' if blood.

[@railway-share3820]

@@billyrubin7378 I worked on the outer walls for a time around 1985 doing repointing work. Very nice early on an autumn morning before the visitors arrived with the mist rolling across the fields and round the old abbey.

[@railway-share3820]

@@billyrubin7378 By the way my picture here was taken in the Senlac pub. Apparently it used to be called the Railway and was built on the site of the old Battle workhouse.

[@deaconsmom2000]

Why the 15th? The battle took place on the 14th.

[@jacobtracy7847]

The battle of the roundabout! It still boggles my mind having 500 year old houses there, much less finding kings under parking lots and battle locations under roundabouts.

[@suehancey8355]

Fascinating 😊 I suppose my question is, after such a huge battle, and many thousands dead, humans and animals, what would have happened to all the bodies? Were they left, buried, taken away? About two thirds through the documentary, so maybe this will be answered by the time it is finished. Part of my family came with the Normans, so very interesting for me. Thank you.

[@tphvictims5101]

Please include English Subtitles. This is an amazing project. ALL of these videos are head and shoulders above excellent.

[@MCHAGGIS]

TPHVICTIMS pres top right for sub-titles

[@ronniewestcott6697]

edward cornwallismurderedpeopleinscotland,rome fell in 86ad.

[@icelandviking1961]

And American subtitles

[@dreed7312]

I thought we knew exactly why. It was fought immediately after the king defeated an army in the north and marched straight to another battle with the French. They were worn out.

[@legalvampire8136]

But the Normans had the advantage of having learned to fight effectively on horseback. Hence the Normans were more mobile and had the initiative and the slower moving English were on the defensive and were vulnerable when they broke formation.

[@mikeblair2594]

@@legalvampire8136 I wouldn't say horseback exactly. More like ponys. Think of a Welsh pony and that's about what they rode. Larger horses were bred in the late middle ages or just as the reformation got started. You also need to remember the difference between a horse and a pony is a pony has 13 vertebrae in its neck and a horse has 14. size has no matter

[@fivedigitcreature]

From Will to Boris. What a journey. That talent for entertainment is going to be missed across Europe.

[@Ostarrichi996]

So fascinating!

[@allenroach7503]

I wouldn't call this episode definitive. Going on an axe. No digging. I could see all kinds of places next to the road at the circle to do some digging.

[@NorthernThinker]

0:08 A Starseige Tribes death sound effect. Love it.

[@richardwallace133]

Time team makes history fun

[@StephiSensei26]

Brilliant! AGAIN!

[@johnslaughter5475]

I'm not taking the time to look up information on the battle; but, as I recollect, there were a couple times where the Normans attacked from the side and then fell back. Both times the Saxons, thinking the Normans were fleeing, gave chase and were then cut down. This effectively broke the shield wall allowing the Normans to break through. I didn't hear anything about this in this video. I would love to hear some clarification.

[@davidcooke8005]

There are several different contemporary accounts, and the details differ slightly in each. But it is generally accepted that there were multiple false retreats. Harold's two brothers, Gyrth and Leofwine were killed in the first one, on the western flank. It is a reasonable guess that it was a similar feint, on the eastern flank that broke the line and allowed the Normans to get to Harold, who may or may not have already been struck by an arrow. The killing blow was likely struck by a young knight named Count Odo, who mutilated Harold's corpse, and was punished by William for doing so, being stripped of his titles and lands.

[@detectoruser]

I have been detecting for a zillion years and have read extensively on 1066. So I went down and walked around that roundabout area, to get a feel for things. Good cafe there by the way! Walking down the hill to the left of where Tony sits on the bench, you can certainly imagine a heavy engagement of soldiers, moving around through the battle. Bad result for harold on the day and for English Heritage who need to wake up and forget the commercial tourist implications. Everyone needs to follow the evidence trail and so I wonder if they did eventually detect around the roundabout? Or has that been hushed up by English Heritage? Liam

[@Mimzie-Arizona]

How incredible that they were allowed to dig here. First you must induce before you deduce the theory. Well done Time Team

[@DJWerkz]

That is considerable road building and years of construction, surely there would have been evidence dug up prior to know to give some support to this theory!

[@JosMorn1]

Fascinating!

[@Byudda]

I would have loved to see Rowan Atkinson show up at a reenactment and turn and see Tony and say "Aaaah Baldric"

[@gerrystevens9041]

i have several times been to battle. the abbey is mostly closed and was a girls school ..that area just beeps peace and picnics...but the town is different. we all felt we had gone back in time. a sad serious atmosphere. in fact i would have stayed on caldbec..it was the well known assembley area for centuries. its hoaram apulano..old tree of paul? anyway if you look theres your fosse which drowned or broke so many norman horsemen..and the back area would be convenient for the wounded and rest area. i think our mistake as archaeologists is to imagine a battle as static. it wasnt. there would be very many running fights, bits of shield wall; horses charging or assembling.. it would have spread out very fast. but yes i can see it beginning at the crossroads. ending at the death of harold..we know the killing went on long afterwards. it was really a genocide.

[@MrsRosencranz1]

Fascinating! Thanks Reijer!!

[@neeters5]

Thanks again for posting Time Team!

[@arrangrant4614]

BRING BACK TIME TEAM

[@dawnbrakes567]

History is always written by the victors. What was done to the English was acknowledged by William the Bastard on his deathbed. His claim to the throne was tenuous to say the least. I pray those brave souls, those honourable warriors will find their final resting place on the true battlefield and be commemorated as they should. God rest you Harold Rex.

[@tuppybrill4915]

More to the point the significance of 1066 is that the petty kingdom of a small island off the coast of Europe becomes intimately linked to what would become one of the most important kingdoms of Europe - Normandy/Aquitaine etc. Not only does English history change but the whole of European history is changed by Hastings.

[@RonpaMr]

At least the truth was told. King Harold, defeated King Harald of Norway, who had attacked the north at Duke Williams request. Just about 4 days before the battle of Hastings. He had to march an exhausted army 219 miles south then fight a battle. against a fresh and rested army. Hardly surprising he lost.

[@dr.leftfield9566]

It seems to me we are all missing a trick here concerning the location of the battle and every film I see mentions it. Personally I rule out the abbey site it's too small an area for a major battle that included cavalry. Nick Austin's Crowhurst although commendable presents an issue in as much as Harold with a clearly fatigued army not only got from let's just say York to the battlefield in five days but managed to get right on top of William who to all intents and purposes had his back to the sea. This doesn't make strategic sense to me. We need to stop trying to find the battlefield itself and concentrate on a topographical feature that was definitely either on or adjacent to the battlefield and that is the malfosse it's mentioned in numerous texts and was used as a dumping ground for the fallen. I know there is a huge ditch in Crowhurst but there must be other candidates. Find the malfosse and you'll find the battlefield.

[@manuelkong10]

Nick says he identified a location that might be the Malfosse...... I don't think the malfosse will be as deep or steep as it was 953 years ago As for Harold getting right on top of William.... 1. At the moment William landed he had no concrete information as to Harold Rex's whereabouts 2.Therefore, William wasn't going to go running off all over England...he was going to hover near his ships because they were his lifeline if things went wrong 3. the troops the Duke Does sends out are going to be for the purpose of gathering intelligence and food stuff....those troops are not going to be in sufficient numbers or concentrations to stop the advance of the main body of any army. These three points not only fit logically but fit what we know William did as well, yes?> In fact, didn't William start building some kind of defenses....that would make perfect sense in order to protect the boats and your army in case the entire countryside comes down on you.

[@rollyunicorn]

Yes. You're right. Watch "Battle of Hastings Searching for bodies" This will answer your concerns and also reveal where the bodies are most likely buried.

[@arjunuk1]

Crowhurst seems the real battle field, which has many links to records and it has an ruin Abbey next to the yew tree and church

[@rainbowdash2064]

Wow! So many locations could have been were the battle took place. It makes me wonder... will we ever really know we're the battle of the Hastings truly took place and were king Harold died? So interesting🙂😁

[@spundam]

It would help if you knew the difference between 'were,' 'we're' and 'where.'

[@kruzauarougfabbriw7710]

I have one of the arrows of English Heritage to celebrate 1066. It was interesting to get the arrow on board the plane on my way home.

[@derekstocker6661]

Ten thousand plus bodies must leave some remnants even if a fairly acid soil when buried in a mass grave. Why is there no excavation of areas at the bottom of the hill and with names such as Upper Lake and Lower Lake owing (reportedly) to the copious amount of blood that was present, that must give a guide to the placement of the battle and possibly not too far from where the burial took place....

[@zoetropo1]

I love the map of 1066 East Sussex. However, the Normans first landed at Pevensey on 28 September and then made their way to Hastings. If all the intervening "land" was swamp, did they re-embark and sail there?

[@kevincasey5035]

+Zoe Porphyrogenita The cavalry was offloaded once at Little Standard Hill. The troops re-embarked and were ferried around to where the modern centre of Hastings is nowadays ( so called Port of Hastings).

[@kevincasey5035]

In 1066 Pevensey was an island so to get off the island the foot soldiers had to embark on ships or swim to the nearby shore. Given a choice, I would keep my feet dry and since Hastings was on the coast, be taken there in style! One wonders why in the dying days of the twelfth century a Priory was raised on the 1066 shores of the inlet at Hastings. Perhaps this is the place where William first stood on English mainland soil?

[@annoyed707]

At 33:45 I've worked on that system. :) It's produced by a Canadian company north of Toronto.

[@robinforrest7680]

A bit unfair really. Harold's lot having won a hard battle must've been exhausted. William and his mates had probably been lounging around by the bbq on the beach for a few days before going into battle. Only kidding, but I've always found the idea amusing.

[@elkiemart4132]

After the battle perhaps they just had a bloody good tidy up?

[@SkunkApe407]

Seeing as how steel was, and still is, a valuable commodity, and Christians prefer to bury their dead, you're more than likely correct. There have also been several centuries between then and now, giving scavengers plenty of time to scour that field. I'd say that a "bloody good tidy up" is exactly what happened.

[@margarethoskins6625]

It was a common practice at times to walk through and take things that could be used.

[@brettbrown9261]

I am looking forward to seeing the new TIME TEAM documentaries hosted by Sir Tony right here on You Tube later this year, 2023!! Welcome back Time Team.

[@ianstenson9555]

The Battle took place by Crowhurst Abbey.

[@artemismoon1083]

Totally off topic but Phil kills me with those cut off shorts.

[@larrysingleton2864]

I've got a book in my library; The Age of Chivalry published by the National Geographic Society. It's got the whole (fold-out) Bayeux Tapestry in it. Looking at the pictures as they appear in the video.

[@michaelmazowiecki9195]

Battlefield physical geography is everything: It defines the options, or rather lack of them, for the two commanders. The narrow ridge followed by the Hastings to London track is by far the only logical and obvious choice. It's a choke point. It has to be taken by any advancing army.

[@user-hy7zb2vl3t]

This episode i would have loved to see Mick on to see his take on the end of the Saxons.....

[@flotiggy]

There is a tree, quite clearly depicted on the right side of the hill, in the tapestry.

[@johnpotter4750]

And to the West is a field of Petrified Ant Hills SSI protected (not so good for the Plastic Campsite)

[@janicehill5605]

No room for doubt here 🎉

[@dano4572]

fun videos!

[@fredygump5578]

Anybody notice how they assume that it is easy to find weapons dropped in battle? They seem to assume the battle field was mowed by a John Deere in preparation for the battle! But in reality, they would be fighting their way through tall grass and shrubs, and trampled grass would cover any dropped objects. It would be quite difficult to find dropped objects, especially having no idea of what was dropped or approximately where it was dropped.

[@tphvictims5101]

fredy gump , corrosion most likely took away a lot of the artifacts. Still amazing.

[@cathjj840]

I should think anyone who lost his weapon or anything else in battle wouldn't be alive or around to look for it. Battlefields were scoured by the locals who took anything and everything they could scavange, right down to all the clothes off the corpses (or even not yet corpses). In those days, people didn't have much and what they did have was hard to come by. Everything could be used, re used, sold, repaired or recycled and that was an opportunity not to be missed despite the ick factor.

[@najroe]

@@cathjj840 indeed, there are accounts of local women killing wounded (later battles but likely nothing new)

[@danpeterson114]

True, in a battle of this size and ferocity a large amount of battle material would have been lost and never recovered without the help of metal detectors. With pieces being trodden under the earth by thousands of men and horses, no scavenger of the period could hope to find all of the pieces that were lost. Careful excavation of every true battlefield site of the past will yield a large number of artifacts ........ unless you are looking in the wrong place!

[@EdEditz]

Well, Richard the Third was found under a carpark so why shouldn't there be a battlefield under a roundabout?

[@neiljohnson6815]

Just FYI: William and his men are not French. They are NORMANS!

[@johnpotter4750]

Were the French as good as Normans ? eg. Worth taking across the English Chanel

[@legalvampire8136]

Norman French. They spoke French and came from France.

[@emmavink]

Dude...they spoke French....

[@juriaan13]

So they were all called Norman ? Must be confusing

[@fabolousnature3873]

Normandy is not entirely settled over by northman they intermixed and colabarated with native frankish and romanogaulish people

[@MegaSiward]

Hi Reijer, these programs are awesome, thanks for uploading them!!!

[@samwerrett1270]

Why didn't they put some trenches in the gardens of those properties surrounding the roundabout and the hill coming up to it? Or even in the surrounding fields? I welcome the idea of the battlefield being where Time Team think it really was, but it would be nice to do some excavations there to try to find some solid evidence. They put trenches in the "other" battlefields and searched with metal detectors, why couldn't they attempt to do the same there? It just seems like a bit of an anti-climax. Also, there are probably mass graves somewhere nearby... They could try searching the low ground in the vicinity.

[@zoetropo1]

Sam Werrett Better yet: Remove the whole roundabout! I hate those things! When they're crowded with vehicles, who gives way to whom first?

[@samwerrett1270]

Zoe Porphyrogenita Hahaha, you give way to traffic coming from your right!

[@zoetropo1]

Sam Werrett I've been on a roundabout so densely packed that everyone had someone only centimetres to their right! So, everyone had to give way! And noone dared move! We all had to extricate ourselves one centimetre at a time (check: have I hit anyone yet? has anyone hit me yet? good, try it again). Took ages to exit!

[@DrBox88]

+Sam Werrett My thoughts exactly Sam. However, this was a typical Time Team operation- find nothing for the first couple of days and then when there is no time left, realise that the real archaeology is somewhere else and say "well that's it for this week". Time Team is a great idea, but is in essence just half-baked archaeology undertaken in a rush :(

[@zoetropo1]

Mathew Wall This is a very British way to go about things: it reminds me of a lot of the travel guides that spend inordinate camera time bemoaning inconveniences for the sake of what? Human interest?

[@granskare]

good old Dr.Phil Harding :). I have been to Malmesbury,& Devizes.

[@tr4480]

43:03 Okay, if it was there, why not excavate near the roundabout. Seems to me you might find something there, and if it slopes sharply behind the area where Tony is standing, perhaps they might find artifacts in situ

[@johnbull1986]

Because it's a busy road surrounded by buildings?

[@tr4480]

@@johnbull1986 Right I'll give it that lol.

[@johnbull1986]

Have a look at google maps satellite view. Battle, East Sussex. You can see that the Normans may have marched up along the ridge from Hastings heading West.

[@Mossyz.]

So were was the battle field ? Even the lazor test didnt show anything,or did i miss anything. I love time team ,but this must have been the 1st time they didnt show us 100% finds from the dig. Great show ....thx for upload

[@thewizeard]

At Battle, just outside Hastings!? :)

[@zoetropo1]

William must have hired an exquisitely fastidious janitor to clean up the entire region so thoroughly after the battle and associated skirmishes. Alternatively, the battle was at a surprising fifth location. Or maybe the remains are all there, but the accumulated dirt is much deeper than the excavators think.

[@dwightehowell6062]

Zoe Porphyrogenita Very little metal would have been left because metal was valuable in 1066 and the bodies of man and beast would have become soil. Of course that plot of ground has been heavily reused.

[@dwightehowell6062]

What finds? All that was found by Time Team was to late to matter and the ax couldn't be dated due to contamination. However the ax was found at the right location from a strategic view point. Unfortunately the place they needed to dig is heavily built on.

[@heldercosta515]

leighmossien2009 William: "Right lads, I'll be back in a few hours, I want see this field sparkling, don't want Baldrick to find as much as a pinhead 1000 years from now...that will teach him not to call me bastard so many times...totally unnecessary"

[@londawarren8278]

Great episode! Wonder if TT will now dig up a few lawns????!!!

[@JDXSWINDON]

William the Conquerer comes over from France. The battle was going in the English favour before the words are uttered from Tony Robinson’s words. Sir, I have a cunning plan. From there, the battle was lost

[@TheMarkvanes]

It doesn't have to be the battle field to be the place were hé died. Hé could have got wounded on the other hill and brought to the abbey to die.

[@patrickturner6878]

From what I've read the best theory is that at the end of the day, William was exhausted and his troops with him and they had one last desperate idea which was to simply charge in mass all the cavalry straight at Harold's position and use the force and weight of the charge to bash their way through the foot and engage the king and his retainers directly.

[@isaacgreenough9527]

We beat the shit outta the English 💪

[@Coys319]

Isaac Greenough And we beat napoleon twice LOL, at least there aren’t photos of Hitler occupying our capital too 👍

[@c1ph3rpunk]

I suppose it’s also plausible that Harold didn’t die on the battlefield proper, perhaps he was mortally wounded there, his men retreated with his dying body, and he died soon after on the hilltop overlooking the last remnants of his power. If we take this as possible, what would his last words have been? The moment I saw the hill the town is located on on the LIDAR it was immediately apparent that’s where I would have mounted the defense. The marshy land around, a forced entry where the road is at, and the higher ground in your favor. Further to the rear is even higher ground, where if need be you could pull back to, and still maintain a viable defense.

[@curtrotar5446]

You'd think Duke William would get clobbered going "right" into the roundabout.

[@susancawley5845]

One king (Richard III) under a car park (since moved) & one king (Harold) fought at a roundabout (possibly) - no wonder they plonked a great big roundabout outside Buck House! ;-)