Time Team Special: Journey To Stonehenge | Classic Special (Full Episode) - 2005 (Durrington Walls)

FULL EPISODE | CLASSIC TIME TEAM SPECIAL
In this episode, archaeology students excavate Durrington Walls, Britain's biggest neolithic henge, which dwarfs the nearby Stonehenge. Mike Parker Pearson explains to Time Team his revolutionary theory about the connection between the two sites, where the cremated remains of the dead would, after a winter funerary festival, be thrown into the nearby River Avon to travel downstream to join their ancestors. As they travelled downstream towards Stonehenge, the dead would then be transformed into spirits and pass into the afterlife. The discovery of a curved avenue (the first neolithic road found in Europe) leading from the henge to the river helps to bear out his theory - of the spiritual transition from wood and decay to stone and permanence. Meanwhile, Harding takes part in Time Team's biggest ever reconstruction, a great timber henge aligned to the mid-winter sunrise.
Original broadcast date: 28th November 2005.
Discover more about the Stonehenge landscape:
Stonehenge Discovery - Mesolithic Pits (with Henry Chapman): • STONEHENGE DISCOVERY: ...
Blick Mead - The Stonehenge Spring: • Blick Mead: Stonehenge...
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[@jvieceli]

So glad to get “new” old Time Team!

[@TheShootist]

@@joshschneider9766in 240p unwatchable

[@somedude6161]

It's an old episode, but it's so good to see Phil, Mick, and Tony again

[@BoyProdigyX]

I like Matt, Bridget and Raksha, but there's nothing like a _true_ classic episode with Mick, Robin and Carenza (and all that dated music haha)

[@johnemerson1363]

I missed this one! Glad I looked.

[@wolfgang757]

They are all old episodes now.

[@debravanausdale1063]

These episodes are still going strong.@@wolfgang757

[@pinstripesuitandheels]

The new team is so much more tempered in their enthusiasm. I miss the old gang!

[@mc230mc]

Phil is definitely my favourite scarecrow off all time. He's an absolute treasure. Damn I've missed this show

[@ghomerhust]

he's a damn GEM is what he is! i'd love to rub elbows with him in the dirt, and argue over a pint or 9 at the pub afterwards!

[@StanSwan]

They really were a team for sure but the new shows while not the same are worth a watch if you have not seen them. Some of the understudies now moved up and it is great to catch up with them. I should really know what Phil is up to these days as I agree he is a treasure. Hope he is happy and healthy enjoying a pint no matter where or what he is up to.

[@westcommonroom9737]

He has a new book out about the archeology of Salisbury

[@MosBikeShop]

Ha ha, kid in a Phil shirt at 12:45. Like a Dr. Who scarf.

[@CauseWiredVideo]

It's a terrible shame Phil hasn't been invited to the reboot!

[@briangarrow448]

Time Team was the first series I binged watched when I retired after over 40 years of building and maintaining the power, water and wastewater infrastructure systems here in the United States. I never had the free time to binge watch an entire series and I am so grateful for the incredibly talented people who made this series possible. These new episodes are a joy to watch. Well done, people! Well done!

[@ceeej1290]

Is the definition of madness watching a tv series many many many many times and still getting enjoyment from it? 😆🤪

[@nolasmith7687]

If so, it applies to a lot of TimeTeamers worldwide. Greetings from Australia

[@alienmozart9902]

This show absolutely is one of the exceptions :)

[@Dan-ow5es]

I'll tell you later

[@davidevans3227]

no, that would be watching rubbish over and over again.. this is great, stimulating and informative.. i love it 🙂 x (and so do you, i think?)

[@granthurlburt4062]

It's the definition of a high quality series that one can watch over and over again. Just like one can listen to jazz from the 1950's and it still sounds fresh, or classical music that is 200 years old. or watch "old movies" or read "old books"! Quality is quality!

[@animerlon]

Mike must have been beyond chuffed with finding the avenue. After 7 years of defending his theory, he doesn't just prove it by finding a roadway, he finds the biggest & best neolithic avenue in all of Europe. Not bad for a day's work. Thanks muchly for the upload. It was great to revisit this episode.

[@themysteryofbluebirdboulevard]

A road does not prove his magical interpretation of the archeology. He's not acting like a scientist.

[@animerlon]

@@themysteryofbluebirdboulevard His interpretation may, or may not be, lacking substance, but it doesn't detract from his proving his theory about the road & not just finding one, but actually finding a great one.

[@themysteryofbluebirdboulevard]

@@animerlon Let's say someone surmises the location of a coin hoard because they're sure people buried their coins to keep them safe from thieving fairies. Mind you, there's no written records from that era. They then find the hoard. He goes on the news and talks about how the fairies were nocturnal and that the coin buriers prayed to the fairies and believed that the fairies were the watchers of their ancestors souls... All from finding the coins. I don't want to hear unproven elements. It's irresponsible to promote them as a scientist.

[@magpie307]

Watched with fascination as do with all Time Team episodes. Love it 👍 RIP Mick

[@SECRETORDEROFTHEKNIGHTSTEMPLAR]

And the ARTIST and DIGGER DRIVER ..RIP ALL..

[@mehim678]

​I was at Victor Ambrus Exhibition in London last week. Super surprise for me and lovely to see his art again. Limited edition prints will soon be on sale, so I'm told.

[@Jlrc13]

Wish the channel had publicised it here or on instagram! Would have loved to have visited- but it finished on 6th.

[@mehim678]

@@Jlrc13 I found it by accident as I walked into the bookshop next door. I'd been in London for 2 hours, watched the last 3D model on my laptop and then went out for a walk to see the sights. I got there with about 3 hours to spare - yes Victor's work is superb. Bob Cross (My mind is failing here :-) ) a TT archaeologist was also there and e had a lovely chat.

[@vickywitton1008]

Oh I love the art that was done for this programme

[@emilyflotilla931]

I purchased a book from the Time Team merch, cost me almost $60.00 (USD) by the time I paid for shipping, but it's worth every penny!

[@mehim678]

@@emilyflotilla931 yes the books are good.

[@OMA_MetalDetecting]

The smile on his face when he said “the east end erection” was a classic example of some archeological humour at its best. Thanks for uploading this, don’t think I’ve ever seen it 😀

[@heenanyou]

Not humorous, just vulgar.

[@jeanpeuplu5570]

"Eastern", you prick ^^

[@fractaljack210]

I would dearly love to see a clean upload of the Time Team special, "Sea Henge." It was so different--from the archaeology to the protests--that it's etched in my mind. I cherish the specials. Thanks for the uploads. I miss you Mick!

[@thenoblegasargon]

I love that special too. Good request!

[@pargaras]

I really hope we get to see it too as a portion of the posts from Sea Henge are at the Kings Lynn museum

[@elenchus]

Seahenge is the best time team episode, although this one isn’t far behind

[@SECRETORDEROFTHEKNIGHTSTEMPLAR]

And the ARTIST and DIGGER DRIVER dead as well

[@jcortese3300]

I never thought about it, but it makes sense that the two structures would be made one of wood and one of stone. The structure for the living is made of the "flesh" of the earth, and the one for the dead is made of the "bones" of the earth.

[@josephsolowyk7697]

Makes sense to you, I'm sure. But no way of knowing, completely made up.

[@elenchus]

@@josephsolowyk7697not completely made up. It’s a plausible hypothesis. Whether or not we can prove it absolutely is another question, but it is at least as well supported as any other hypothesis about this specific ritual landscape.

[@josephsolowyk7697]

Yes I'm saying all the theories are complete conjecture.@@elenchus

[@elenchus]

​@@josephsolowyk7697 I agree that this is what you're saying, it's just not a correct description. It's not a complete conjecture. It's a lot of evidence with a posteriori interpretation. You can say that you think someone is wrong (ideally with supporting evidence and argument) without saying that they're just making everything up; it's not completely made up. MPP has a set of reliable observations that are coherent/consistent with his hypothesis. That's not even close to "proof" or insurmountable, but again, it's far from being "complete conjecture." If this is unsatisfactory, you might as well give up on logical inference altogether.

[@josephsolowyk7697]

A fancy way of saying it's conjecture.@@elenchus

[@pukkify]

Holy crap!! Tony and Phil?? 🥳❤️🥳

[@BillyTpower]

and Mick

[@lindahughes2289]

And the MICK !

[@maryearll3359]

R.I.P. Victor Ambrus ❤

[@annepatrick3196]

So interesting about the permanency of stone. And the pigs. Reinforcing the importance of mid winter rather than midsummer. Lots to think about the rituals. Thank you Time Team and God bless Mick

[@hellagood67]

Great video. This sort of history makes me appreciate the ancient history of my country, Australia. This land has been walked on for 60000 years. A culture that should be celebrated much more than it is. 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@BoyProdigyX]

Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Mayan, etc. civilizations always get all the attention because they built and decorated with such permanent materials. Conversely, Native Americans, Aboriginals, South African tribes, Islanders, etc. made such ephemeral structures and tools, using mostly wood, leather and bone, so we're left with far less to speculate over. So sad, especially as a member of one of these cultures.

[@josephsolowyk7697]

Walked on for 60,000 years, and the best they could come up with was a digeridoo.

[@BoyProdigyX]

I don't think some people hear themselves sometimes...

[@josephsolowyk7697]

And a few cave paintings obviously. @@BoyProdigyX

[@BoyProdigyX]

@@josephsolowyk7697 The people doing all the "civilizing", conquered by force, these cultures who lived off their ancestral lands for millennia. White Europeans made racist assumptions about their intelligence and civility based on ignorance, and the idea the "White way is the right way" (much like you're doing now). A culture isn't made of barbarians just because they aren't working toward 2 cars and a house with a pool.

[@deadmeat_0152]

I am an idiot. For some reason I thought this was new. I thought, 'Yea! Tony is back! Boy he looks good.', then Mick showed up & freaked me out a little lol and I nearly cried again realizing he was still in the spirit world.

[@animerlon]

😄 "...he looks good." This really tickled my funny bone. I can well imagine you freaking out & being so confused seeing Mick. 😂 Can also imagine it being bittersweet when you realized.

[@valswhitewolf6611]

Me too!

[@leecarlson9713]

That makes three!😊

[@beckyjohnstone1610]

Wishful thinking. Miss seeing them all together.

[@andreperrault5393]

Nothing wrong with missing good, honest people, celebrating life through discovery, archeology.

[@sarahcoleman5269]

I'm glad to see that while they didn't have Victor toddling about drawing pictures on-site, they still had him do some concept art for the outro. I wonder if there's a collection somewhere out there. He really did some fantastic drawings for Time Team.

[@TimeTeam0fficial]

Thanks for being such a loyal viewer! Your support means a lot to me.

[@SECRETORDEROFTHEKNIGHTSTEMPLAR]

He had a his work in a gallery in London 4-5 months ago RIP VIC 👍

[@BoyProdigyX]

It's an interesting thought, that the actual building of the henges was just as important and unifying as the use of it afterward. I like to think of it like a prehistoric community center. A place where you go to celebrate, to mourn, to politic and to trade goods. All in a space both culturally and spiritually significant to everyone you ever met.

[@gillianfrances]

Like the Agora in Athens 😊💗

[@terryt.1643]

So good to see Mick and the rest of the team. Can’t believe it’s been close to twenty years, seems like almost yesterday. 🥰💕❤️👍👍 Also enjoyed seeing Victor’s artwork, too.

[@melaniem.4466]

I hope we can see the episode about Ightham Mote!

[@valeriejohnson5283]

It's lovely to see Tony and my Phil! I really miss so many of the original members. Unfortunately, time does move on for all of us.💙💙💖💖

[@1972tommyc]

In addition to revisiting with Mick, Phil, and Tony (plus Victor’s illustrations) there was a cameo of Ian Barclay, best digger driver TT ever had (sorry, Ian Powlesland).👍

[@slowerpicker]

A real classic. I really liked the montage at the end, where the lowly students had a say in what they thought the meaning of the site was. Different from mainline episodes, where the diggers scrupulously report just the facts and leave the theorizing to the higher ups.

[@TheWheezerPump]

I'm intrigued by the similarity between the setting of Stonehenge and the Walls, alongside the Avon River, and the setting of the Newgrange complex in Ireland, alongside the Boyne River. Great episode.

[@WilliamParmley]

Please send more Phil! 😆

[@ellie5461]

LOVE seeing the team back together!!!!

[@BillyTpower]

what happened to separate from each other?

[@josephsolowyk7697]

it's 8 years old.

[@ellie5461]

@@josephsolowyk7697 I know, but with the new digs, I've been rewatching all the old espisodes 😊

[@richardkaskeski8820]

I learned a lot watching this episode. It is a great presentation and was great seeing Phil Tony and Mick together. I am looking forward to more episodes, keep up the good work Time Team.

[@ruththinkingoutside.707]

Ohhhh love these.. 🥰 can’t wait for PHIL!!

[@joshschneider9766]

The work that Mike has done since this episode at Stonehenge is astounding stuff thanks for the walk down memory lane

[@tullochgorum6323]

For me, the best Time Team Special of all. Major discoveries at a hugely important dig, with an awe-inspiring reconstruction, Pure televisual gold...

[@kariannecrysler640]

I do love watching this show lol😁

[@JamesSmith-fz7qk]

Waaayy too much speculation by Mike…. And reaching as far as he has to. And birth and sex are linked to life in ancient civilizations, not death. Seems he’d say anything to justify his pure speculation. And based on how many views the old show gets on KZbin, they would have had 50,000 patreons already if Tony was the presenter and Phil was somehow involved. And not having a replacement for Mick’s part is also costly…

[@kariannecrysler640]

@@JamesSmith-fz7qk I also attend archaeology lectures, experimental archaeology & genuine history enthusiast. I don’t use tv shows to learn, it’s entertainment on a subject I have vast respect for. I understand you’re displeased with mikes work ethic by your comment. Your message is very judgmental, especially since burial’s show ancient cultures were not only about life, that is supposition. Tony is working with the channel & Phil is doing great work for Wessex archaeology. I think you’re being superficial in your reasoning and not quite sure your intent in responding to my post.

[@JamesSmith-fz7qk]

@@kariannecrysler640 Hi! Sorry about that. I just meant to post a comment and didn't realize I was replying to yours. I'm not an archeologist, my background is electrical engineering and physics, and the constant speculation on topics that can never be proven and most likely are way off seems a waste of energy. Seriously... "Maybe they were commemorating the posts?" Haha

[@kariannecrysler640]

@@JamesSmith-fz7qk no worries. 🤭

[@dougmackey448]

I’m such a huge fan of MPPs scholarship. Cheers to TT for bring us this special again!

[@TimeTeamOfficial]

One Classic Time Team Special every month, here on the Time Team Official KZbin channel! PLUS an extra 10 episodes will be released one a month on Patreon for an initial duration. NEW GOAL: Help us achieve our new goal 10,000 members on Patreon - get access to exclusive content and directly support the development of more digs and new episodes: www.patreon.com/TimeTeamOfficial

[@KAZSANable]

💚

[@RHCole]

Becoming a Patron costs less than a Big Mac meal, folks 👍🏻😁

[@lizzy66125]

I cannot afford to support this channel ,or any ,😢,makes me sad.lifelong fan of TT,but cant watch the specials now.

[@TimeTeamOfficial]

@@lizzy66125 Hi, you are supporting by watching and commenting on this video! We appreciate this and will be posting one Classic Special every month for free on this channel, alongside our monthly Time Team News, and the brand new episodes! Thanks for being a lifelong TT fan!

[@GrungefolkBoy2010]

@@TimeTeamOfficial Great response, hope this makes them feel better😁

[@jmbreece]

It's great to see Phil, Mick and Tony again! Not to mention a site of great importance that i had not seen before. Furthering our knowledge of the past and the education of everyone about it is what it's all about. Thanks, TT!

[@badabing9234]

I'm one of those oddballs in the world where if I could only watch one show for eternity it'd be Time Team lol. Just got its hooks in me a time back and I just still love it. The ingredients in the right proportions was gold. Nice to see familiar faces. I'll admit I lost interest when the new gang came in but I'm warming to them.

[@jaycrandell147]

I had put of watching this episode, and now I'm glad I did. Wow! Poignant?, Educational? Out- right mind-blowing? All of the above! I really miss the ol' Time team...

[@Mummaearth]

6000 years ago - it was after they survived a reset that they built these places - great to see them put together at last - many thanks and good bless everyone

[@user-yn1vd2fc3f]

Can't wait!!!!!

[@Preview43]

Never get tired of these digs. I can just imagine future archeologists looking at the remains of these recreations and scratching their heads.

[@earlofsmeg]

It's so much more than Stonehenge. It's a civilization.

[@MichaelBosley]

My childhood home was on Larkhill Road from 96-2011. I remember watching this from the upstairs window when this was taking place. You can see the houses in the background at 4:45.

[@fraeris1]

Really looking forward to this 🙂

[@jameswhiting7113]

still a favourite

[@markhiggins8315]

What if the destination of the roads from both sites was the river, rather than the river conecting one site to the other?

[@dalekundtz760]

I am so glad that this great orogram is back. Have missed it!

[@deborahpeterson8523]

Oh my goodness 😂 so nice to see you all together again.. I stopped watching for a while until I saw this post.. what I watched without you all not there just didn't feel right😂. It's like seeing old friends😂

[@cork..]

Brilliant, and surprisingly emotional. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you especially to Mike Parker Pearson. The importance of his decades of work is unmatched, to me at least.

[@jonphelps3638]

Go for it Ben. The VX deserves to live. Love the Suez canal piece. 😊

[@wmoates6029]

Forgive me, I must have missed this, but how did they determine the height of the poles? I love watching this. What a feeling to be finding the remains of a 4500 year old settlement.

[@rossmacintosh5652]

Seems that there's some degree of guesswork involved. Archaeologically they could know the diameter of the timbers and how deep they were set into the ground. From those they could surmise how tall the could have been without knowing for sure what heights they actually would have been. My own theory is that the timber henge might have had a roof. Individual families lived in roofed houses so I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think this major communal gathering place could have also been roofed. From what was presented, only the entrance poles are known to have had an alignment with the solstice. Inside could have been a communal gathering hall for feasting & eulogising the deceased. As they were capable of organising a large workforce to build the enclosure and the henge, they'd certainly be capable to roof it over. Living the rest of their lives in small buildings it must have been very magical & emotional to gather in a relatively huge structure. Those kinds of feelings when inside a large space continue to be part of universal human experience. Medieval folks would have felt it with their cathedrals, just as we feel it with our huge airports and sports stadiums.

[@clarestapleton1465]

It is all in the geometry. Once you known the depth and circumference of the hole and the angle of the ramp the trunk was slid down you know approximately how high a trunk could have been. Go back and watch the bit when they are trying to do the reenactment of erecting a pole.

[@nolasmith7687]

I’m glad I flicked through these postings… because THAT was my question. How did they determine heights of various poles?? Did the Neolithic Men have a set formula for postpones?

[@RKHageman]

@@nolasmith7687 Bear in mind that the people building the timber circle are digging with bones and antlers. They were not going to dig any more or deeper than they had to in order to keep the posts standing. If a post could have been held upright with a smaller or shallower hole, that’s what they would have done. So using mathematics and geometry, they can calculate the height that a post would have to have been to NEED a post hole of the given dimensions.

[@rossmacintosh5652]

I find it curious that the archaeologists seem to assume the timbers for the wood timber henge were transported there over significant distances. Isn't it possible that before its construction the entire ditched enclosure was itself forested? The timbers may have been harvested from the immediate area. Also might the timber henge actually have had a roof? From what was presented, only the entrance poles are known to have had an alignment with the solstice. Inside could have been a communal gathering hall for feasting & eulogising the deceased.

[@andymccabe6712]

I don't expect they 'assumed' anything! I expect they came up with a theory based on evidence/experience/knowledge etc ..!?

[@rossmacintosh5652]

@@andymccabe6712 Archaeologists aren't infallible. Questioning their conclusions is an important part of the science. With often just traces of evidence, archaeology traditionally relies on inferences & reasoning from absence. They often allow those inferences a status on par with inferences from tangible evidence. In its defence, archaeology is trying to learn about a site's past via both the presence & absence of physical evidence. As a result archaeologists often advance, debate and accept inference from absence in a way that is exceptional when compared to other sciences. Challenging their conclusions is not disrespectful but part of the scientific process.

[@Brinta3]

@rossmacintosh5652 I find it curious that you assume that they assume that.

[@TheIdiotfilter]

I never saw this at the time, so it's lovely to see old faces.

[@jwenting]

more likely if you ask me is that the wood structure was a temporary site constructed as a placeholder until the permanent stone structure was complete. Wood structure takes a few weeks to build, stone one takes years. And you want to hold your ceremonies somewhere while waiting for it to be ready.

[@sannesteers]

Seeing the wooden pools 'scraping the sunset sky' gives me the same kind of awe as seeing the contours of eg New York from the water side. Could (the feeling of) the hustle and bustle in between the wooden sky scrapers have been somewhat like the hustle and bustle in between the modern sky scrapers? At least around the times of the winter solstice / christmas? Connections between earth, heaven, food, festivities, families, feelings of expectations.

[@terris7842]

Is the “new” timber circle they built still standing or was it taken down again? Great special. Thank you for sharing it. Love TT.

[@jonnawyatt]

I'm wondering that too.

[@stuartsmith5308]

Sounds like an ancient Disneyland - lots of people, lots of entertainment, lots of food

[@lindaallen9721]

I could listen to Sir Tony read road signs and be happy! Being from the US, I thank heaven for You Tube!

[@aserta]

I wonder if these timbers weren't in fact different communities, each having their own post brought up, erected, cared for and replaced once rotten. Said post would've been denoted as the sacred post of that group with a yearly feasting, gathering to unite the clans and offer some sort of passing for those lost in the year. Each post would've had different offerings tied to it, each perhaps represented differently to signify something for the particular group. And maybe, once the group either died off or joined another, and the post would've rotten away and fallen over, from neglect, either those in the new community or friends or bonded people would've buried something in the post hole to remember that group that vanished and no longer had something to care for. What if these henges are essentially some form of proto-capital city with "embassies" where those living in different clans had a family live in the community near the henge, left behind to feed the offerings.

[@BC-ui9yt]

Interesting. Not sure there's ever gonna be any way to prove it, but I like it.

[@molehogadventures6615]

I miss shows like this.

[@Fpvfreaky]

What a great team . Love watching theses again. Such a warm show.

[@jaded_gerManic]

Amazing as always! But I must say, only one who has never woven cloth by hand might think Neolithic people would clothe a cut forest! Good heavens 😂 garlands of plant matter or cordage with attached feathers sure! Decorations and as many colors as possible, absolutely! I just can't imagine putting that much work up on a pole for the wind to eat when it could be used.

[@ledacedar6253]

I joined Patreon twice but never found more digs or finds, but then I’m no techy as a senior! It’s great to have Mick & Tony’s cutscenes used to connect to recent developments. Tech is superb as is the British characters, accents & common curiosity. ❤

[@HLBear]

Wow, was that 2005? And now we know about so many more fewtures of the Plain. It's a worthy ancient wonder!!

[@silmarian]

I would love to see a new special updates with what we’ve learned in the last nigh on 20 years.

[@jefflanam]

I've thought that the timbers were a skeleton for a labyrinth. You could build temporary walls that would be different every time it was used. Perhaps for ritual combat or some coming of age ceremony.

[@garydargan6]

Here's a suggestion about the alignment of the henge. Stonehenge was dual use for both summer and winter solstices because of a uniform horizon. The timber henge was apparently only for winter use because the summer and winter horizons were different. The timber henge was surrounded by a huge bank and ditch. Couldn't this have been engineered to form an artificial horizon to allow for both uses?

[@aaronoshea3453]

I bloody love Time Team!

[@Miriboheme]

i was on this dig!!! i dug out pit 88 in julian thomas' trench (first glimpse at 11:12 - you can see the back of julian's head in his little hard hat). it was amazing. i found many many wild animal bones, grooved ware, burned sherds, mussel shells, and a flint phallus (they show it at 25:29). this was the only place in the dig at that time (2006) where they found wild animal bones. there were zillions of domestic bones everywhere else... also, parker-pearson wore that red shirt every day of the dig. apparently it's his lucky excavation shirt. it was famously smelly.

[@thomasandersen2534]

That’s so cool thank you for sharing!

[@themysteryofbluebirdboulevard]

Why am i not surprised he had a lucky shirt?

[@chalmer31]

I love the part where the field archaeologists & students share their imaginings of the place.

[@jennifercook7450]

Ive watching from the beginning you know the one where you didnt dig anything up ,i would love to see new episodes but cant afford it but will watch the monthly utube releases,thanks guys for many years of history

[@RKHageman]

Yes, you can! There’s nothing you have to pay for! 🎉. ALL the new digs, and new episodes, are posted here in Time Team Official channel free of charge, viewable worldwide. Some of the classic Specials are released first to the Patreon subscribers as a member perk, but then they are released generally after that.

[@ledacedar6253]

I love this Phil as real as ever & freshly wet hair from his hard work! I’d not go far digging so much!

[@pedenmk]

Good afternoon Men. You to Tony. I'm addicted to watching this program. I want to thank each and everyone of you.

[@BenRush]

Such a marvelous show. It makes me so happy it was made.

[@RHCole]

Love it!

[@joannekellam191]

Fabulous! I had not seen a special before. Looking forward to more!!

[@user-mf7pu5xl7j]

This is my favorite episode!!! I love the explanation for the reason for henges, the connection to the river, the rituals, the festivals, and the parties . . .Beautiful!!!

[@Alberad08]

Pretty fascinating - thank you so much for sharing this!

[@RichardSeatonFingertips]

All set for this... :)

[@michelemcneill3652]

Fascinating! Watching from Missouri USA.

[@jimibbetson1381]

A wonderful episode. Great work everyone.👍

[@worldcapers]

An epic vintage Time Team!❤

[@spikenock8310]

Our ancient ancestors at thier best, I miss those days. Being a Pagan I find this very moving, for me the 21st of December Mid Winter Solstice is the highlight of my year.

[@chrisforrest9482]

What an adventure. What a treat. I have followed Mike Parker Pearson on TV here in Catalonia, and as a result, I was aware of much of the information contained in this video. However, there was so very, very much more presented. Though the double sound track was unfortunate and made things difficult to follow, it was an absolute delight to see Mike and dear, dear Mick together, and of course, catching a glimpse of Phil now and then was wonderful and took me back to the wonderful time of Time Team's thunder days, punctuated with Victor's beautiful art work. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again for making a loving fan so very happy.🥰🤠

[@iainsmith2856]

I see a ceremonial meeting place, pig hunting skills displayed and contested in the central timber arena/monument, feasts and festivities and visiting the ancestors. Thanks for the new episode

[@AyliffeSmith]

Great sounding guitars… one of each would be perfect!

[@potusuk]

When you stop to consider that Stonehenge was built, maybe, at the same time, how many strong, fit labourers would be required to complete both projects, over how much time, with families in tow. That then requiring accomodation, food etc, the politics of keeping such a large number of people cohesive, no inter-tribe fighting etc, leaders to have the ideas and planning in the first instance and to be confident enough in their own security of 'their' lands. Points to a much larger 'community' than I ever figured. We watch these Time Teams etc, and see 20 - 30 people working on a project but we miss the bigger picture / atmosphere of just how vast an area and population these all involve. Well done to all involved .... in the recent work as well as those 4,500 years ago.

[@pieceofgosa]

I am firmly "Team Mick" on this one, Mike wants it too much & he's reaching. One thing humans do better than any other animal is pattern recognition, the downside of this skill is that we are always actively looking for patterns & have a tendency to see them where they don't really exist. The fact Mike won't even countenance the notion that he's reaching is not a good scientific perspective. Mick straight up asks him "is there a danger we might see a connection where none exists ?" and Mike doesn't really answer, he just trots out his subjective take again. If he'd said "oh of course Mick, I could be totally wrong about all of this but then what is archaeology without an attempt at an interpretation ? Sure we could dig all the trenches, take all the pictures, record everything exactly as it is & then prepare a dry report of what we found but I think we have a duty to try & see through the eyes of these people. To try, if we can, to walk a mile in their shoes and I believe we have a duty, though the truth may forever lie beyond our ken, to dream of what might be" then I would certainly have more respect for his theories.

[@lotsofspots]

I noticed that too! Mike keeps making these wild, declarative statements that aren't actually supported by real evidence.

[@Divig]

But is that due to editing? He might have said "I could be wrong, we need to see what the arceology say", but it did not make it to the program.

[@Hoosier765]

Some people need a good story. Sometimes humans aren't as interesting as we would like to think. I have a hypothesis. Henges were the first prisons. Built to control slaves and prisoners.

[@thenoblegasargon]

Agreed--but to be fair, we have the benefit of sitting here in the future, when there's been a lot of excellent scholarship since the making of this episode. I like the theory that the sites weren't linked in the way Mike believes; that instead the sites are incidentally both on the river because moving the materials was easiest by water. Stone Henge's road was probably constructed because it's easier to transport wooden sledges carrying the stones from the river and over a flattened/prepared surface. I've heard the stones may have replaced preexisting wood structures--so the technologies between the two sites may have influenced each other, but that would be the extent of it.

[@Mathemagical55]

Well the general consensus in Stonehenge archaeology has definitely been trending Mike's way in the last twenty years. He's regarded as being more right than wrong even if not every detail is accepted.

[@caroleminke6116]

I’m a naturalist here in Crystal River 🏝️ Florida where prehistoric natives built similar structures in coastal communities for worship ceremonies as well as middens made of discarded shells, bones, etc

[@meowwl]

I wonder if the timber circles didn't have a roof...Something like a huge thatched dome, with cross members to support it attached to the tops of the tree trunks. Since they'd be meeting in midwinter, having some form of shelter to get under would make a lot of sense.

[@faithlesshound5621]

Or to keep the snow off. The British climate goes through cycles in which some centuries are colder than others, rivers may freeze and streams can dry up. Mass movement of people across the country on foot at midwinter would not always have been easy: a reason to abandon festivals, or scale them back and celebrate at home/locally? At midsummer, most people would have been busy farming or looking after animals, whereas they had killed many of the animals by midwinter and more people were free to travel, if it was physically possible.

[@shreddherring]

Its about time we got a full episode again!

[@rebeccacamacho-sobczak4282]

What a community there was. What organization. What miracles!!!

[@listodd7605]

Just fantastic. Loved this episode Beth

[@Julian_Wang-pai]

Continuing the excellent standards in a new format 👏👏👏

[@Colinemes]

Fascinating

[@MeissnerEffect]

Aaahh Neolithic crowd management, the bane of my existence… 😊

[@SherryRector]

Just a fantastic historical sight brought to life. Well done

[@banjerism7281]

It's been known for just about ever that Stonehenge is a celestial calendar.

[@avissmith8384]

I loved this ❤

[@tangomoggynoengi8518]

The pigs, feasting and Midwinter; when the sun comes back...gives me a new insight into the Terry Pratchett novel, The Hogfather. It gives me a new understanding of what was so important about the pigs...! We live and learn...!! 🤔😎👍

[@RKHageman]

I’ve been waiting to see this one for years! Excited.

[@stevewilkinson922]

Fantastic! Absolutely love Time Team!