King Alfred The Great On The Run From The Vikings | Time Team | Timeline

Recorded between 16 and 18 April 1993, this first episode of the legendary Time Team series sees the team try to find evidence of what the Athelney site's settlement looked like in the time of Alfred the Great, focusing on the search for Alfred's Athelney Abbey and fort.
The series features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining the process in lay terms.
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[@BoyProdigyX]

These old episodes are so deliciously 90's, it's amazing! It's really weird, though, to see Prof. Mick Aston in anything but a colorful woolly jumper! RIP Professor, and thank you for snatching the world of archaeology from the greedy grasp of the snobs and the bureaucrats, and handing it to the people. Cheers.

[@shri081]

Robin Bush reading stories from history while we share a drink at a local pub on a cold night is just one of those things…that my dreams are made of….what an excellent storyteller…no wonder it was on him in the early years to tutor Tony…no better man to learn from…

[@StevenWilliams0302]

I only discovered Time Team last month and I've been on an extensive binge ever since. Season 1 is so different.

[@jessh1401]

I’m going on 8 months! The good news is…there’s tons of content lol at least 8 months more!

[@thomasr5121]

As a Dane I cannot get enough of this show I love the history of our viking ancestors and of course early English/Roman history.

[@toledoborn1392]

A Dane was a viking..u are not a viking

[@thomasr5121]

@toledoborn1392 I'm 100% born and raised Danish from Denmark, so yes my ancestors were viking, learn to read, I NEVER stated I was a viking. Moron.

[@BoyProdigyX]

@@toledoborn1392 They never claimed to be, you salty little punk

[@blakeschuster9904]

@@toledoborn1392 Vikings were Danes*

[@Melanie220]

John Gater with a rather epic beard. Tony with loads of hair. And Phil with no hat. Primitive stuff! LOL.

[@williamezechel6023]

And John's beard is red not gray 😅

[@johansmallberries9874]

Much like a KZbin archeologist, I’m slowly uncovering older layers of unwatched time team episodes. The downside is, I already know to be disappointed in Saxon digs lol

[@CaroleMora22]

Fascinating and wonderful vintage Time Team. Alfred is my 30th great-grandfather and I'm related to many of the Viking invaders! What a tumultuous lineage many of us have, since there are many thousands of ancestors of these historical figures.

[@clf8668]

I'm am to related to Alfred and finding out there's lots of us!

[@BritishTexan]

Mick Aston RIP He was part of what made Time Team great!

[@davidvincent8929]

AYE, WE LOVE 💕 THESE CHAPS!!

[@Beemer917]

This is the REAL time team! Before the spokesmodels.

[@BoyProdigyX]

Prof. Aston was _the_ most easy going mad archaeologist. A genius brain with a constant grin, in a colorful jumper 🟦🟧🟩🟪🟥🟩🟨🟪🟧🟦🟥

[@brianduval1225]

The farmer is the most brilliant character of this episode. His land and his work is disrupted, yet he's grinning along with the rest of them when the geophysics come off the printer. A man proud of his history.

[@hectorplz2813]

Tony Robinson's is so good. Instantly puts me in a happy mood

[@P0GFLIPPER]

The first episode!!!... Legendary!... ♥

[@christofferthunberg5479]

Missing time team on the historical channels here in sweden :) My dad when he was alive used to record the episodes while i was in school so i could watch them later :)

[@christinecole330]

I really love the introduction of the team in the early episodes

[@kirkmattson4014]

Vh.

[@omarra6781]

After watching hours of Time Team of the last year or so, I finally came across the first episode! I am so excited. Then I realized it's mighty close to 30 years ago and I suddenly feel really old. LOL

[@aaronleverton4221]

"And what do you do, sir?" "I own the Kingdom of Wessex."

[@chasee1563]

Love that all of these episodes are free on KZbin. Fantastic stuff

[@pontiuspilot9301]

I was born in England but the family moved when I was 5 to Canada. Missed out on all this history and geography. One reason I love Time Team and KZbin. Great stuff.

[@brandoncyoung]

That drawing tablet is great.. didn't even know ones like that existed in 93

[@Tmanaz480]

I did CAD on one in the late 80s

[@paddyneill1964]

Notice how in the early shows Tony is the one wearing the colorful sweater and Mick is in a denim shirt 🧐😎

[@Missangie827]

Vintage time team-the Bill Cosby sweaters,all the hair and Robin being Tony's history tutor-I love it

[@gordonhulcombe9604]

Wow, a young Tony Robbins! His voice has not changed!

[@kcsunshine4008]

They’re so young... great team

[@iyamnobaudi4851]

Great to see Baldrek again.

[@williamlove3087]

I'm glad that I came across this channel. I discovered that Alfred is one of my forefathers.

[@smudge7629]

Earliest Time Team I've ever seen. Awesome to see the team in their younger years

[@hildaalderton4513]

Amazing!!!!! This was 30 years ago !!!! Absolutely amazing and I wonder if there are new discoveries related to this site..... I love the history of UK and my grandfather was an Englishman who came to Uruguay back in 1900s !!!!

[@conradfisher2563]

36:40 "And there's chaps throwing scorn and derision on you"

[@wildlifecorner9138]

Love watching time team

[@BedeLaplume]

Really interesting documentary interesting documentary video about King Alfred.. Who seems to be one of the few, if not the only monarch, who successfully stood up against the vikings against at a point overwhelming odds during the early middle ages . Thanks!

[@Nebulasecura]

@Josh Traffanstedt he was *the* great’

[@RyanRostron]

He surely was a great king but we only know of his exploits as he had someone writing it all down. I wish other kings had the foresight to of done this also.

[@BedeLaplume]

@@RyanRostron Agree.. He was a scholar and encouraged literacy I believe also..

[@BedeLaplume]

@@Nebulasecura Agree!

[@michaelconnor5378]

@@RyanRostronEngland getting overran and having to give the Danes half of England (Danelaw). The Danes held that land throughout the Viking Age and dominated England. At the same time, the Irish stomped almost every Viking campaign in Ireland and sent the Danes back to Denmark without their heads. This is history that is never explained. The Danes don’t want it known that Ireland obliterated them each time. They got smart and left Ireland alone but were able to hold off n to trading ports. English never took this policy and were always trying to overtake Ireland and repeatedly beaten until they built a castle system but still expended more time and resources in Ireland than if they left Ireland alone. Elizabeth stated more money and resources were spent in Ireland than anywhere else. English always have to put their beaks where they don’t belong!!!

[@markvines7308]

Tony was looking the full nerd here

[@MonkeyspankO]

he looked a lot like John Oliver!

[@markvines7308]

@@MonkeyspankO You're right, he really does

[@thelilbrans]

OMG Sir Tony, looking good as always

[@emdaughtry2576]

Mick was so hungry at breakfast on day 2. But, who doesn't love a yummy bacon role or 3? I would have eaten as many as I could and then I would have wrapped up the rest in some napkins to take them to the field. :) Now I'm dying for a bacon roll.. lol. The most delicious thing I have seen them eat is Paella in Malta.... omg

[@rosecedar8484]

Amazing & delightful to see John Gator get his well deserved recognition /reward. That oddly fades or at least is used to raise the tensions & complain against his findings, thx to the wise actor, Sir Tony. The Danes! such a violent spirituality. I've always been struck by Norse myths but this... But then we are reminded with am visual, "with his lungs up around his ears", Tony! looking back in 2021, always fun but cool to see the younger years & dinner at Carenza's with Mick, Phil & Victor and everyone plus Robin explains some critical information I'd missed! Love seeing the arguments between Carenza & Mick, and all. That fades out with time too, sadly.

[@philaypeephilippotter6532]

Every *Time Team, Time Team Special* and most *Time Team America* programmes have been posted on YT by *Fillask, Reijer Zaaijer* and the _official_ *Time Team* channel.

[@joangordoneieio]

TY!

[@mikecook8712]

As an American who stumbled across time time 10 years ago... I became a huge fan... I even thought wow Carenza, Helen, and Raksha, so pretty and smart

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you

[@bosse641]

Love Time Team. Enjoyed it so. Miss it.

[@joakimloch2800]

If you guys want to see all episdes look up Reijer Zaaijer he has them all

[@justanotherbrickinthewall2843]

True. But lower quality.

[@bosse641]

@@justanotherbrickinthewall2843 and not all.

[@bimbette4892]

I’ve just discovered Time Team recently with what I now assume are more recent episodes. I had no idea the show was around for so long.

[@christinebiada1292]

Same!! Love this show!!

[@mac2312]

Ancient England is just fascinating.

[@cabbking]

Cool. More please.

[@brightonbabe2139]

They all look like archaeologists. It’s great to see Tony with hair.

[@digginz8603]

I love this show!!! It makes me sad how far the British Empire has decayed just in my lifetime :-(

[@philroberts7238]

I too love this show and always have done. It's totally unrelated to the British Empire however. It makes me sad how much history everywhere, at all times and in all societies, is misinterpreted to fit whatever nationalistic agenda people wish to hear. History should not be propaganda, but that is how it is taught to children everywhere. The Brits are no better and no worse than anyone else in this regard.

[@digginz8603]

@@philroberts7238 I think it's time to cast a White man to play Nelson Mandela

[@philroberts7238]

@@digginz8603 Presumably you must have a reason for thinking that would be a good idea, but I have to confess I am baffled by it!

[@digginz8603]

@@philroberts7238 Post racial society. It's just a social construct

[@philroberts7238]

@@digginz8603 Ah, ok, fair enough.. (Everything's just a social construct of one forn or another when you get right down to it, isn't it?)

[@bigfootclouds]

“It’s a bit round isn’t it” 😂😂

[@madladpjl]

WOW has it been that long ago, i saw that when it was on the telly. think it was on channel four .

[@billie-jobenway8658]

yep. Channel 4.

[@TTeamFan]

Thank Heavens - Time Team back again :)

[@perrydowd9285]

Excellent 😊

[@moniquelegarda1842]

I love Time Team!

[@libbys.1708]

I’ve ALWAYS loved this show. I’ve ALWAYS hated how they interrupt the women team members in the earlier episodes.

[@angelorasmijn7306]

Yes, I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed that.

[@marcogram1216]

I'm "digging" the diesel Land Rover. Pun intended. Great show.

[@ThisTrainIsLost]

Pardon me but I believe that you have the Blood Eagle literally backwards. The victim was slit open down their spine and the ribs were cut from the spine. The ribs could then be spread open, revealing the lungs which were then pulled out through the back, creating the image of a man with his lungs as his wings. This image would be impossible to achieve if attempted through the sternum. If the blood eagle was done carefully, the victim might actually live for a (very) short while, as there would be no need to sever any major arteries or veins. Again, this would be unlikely to succeed if you worked inwards through the chest. Unfortunately I don't know anyone with experience enough with the procedure to ask, though I have confidence in my view of the act.

[@juliaforsyth8332]

@Josh Traffanstedt Latest findings have found that it was rarely done at all.

[@ThisTrainIsLost]

@Josh Traffanstedt The point is that the result described can't be accomplished from the front. Try it sometime.

[@nicolavalone]

@Helaan Örth he's just jealous he couldn't explain it as you did... hahaha...but I got your point and I agree with you. Perfect explanation!

[@ThisTrainIsLost]

@@nicolavalone I do thank you indeed! 😊

[@nitotech]

I think you just watched Viking lol

[@jypsywith_a_jae7575]

I thought blood eagles started with a back cut and ribs were pulled from the back out like wings....but hes the historian I guess

[@00BillyTorontoBill]

i thought that too. i might be poisoned by Vikings...they showed it done, but cant remember if a back cut was done...

[@Kaziklu]

remember that it most likely never actually happened. And was a way to make the Viking seem evil to the contemporary Christians the stories were aimed at.

[@jypsywith_a_jae7575]

@@Kaziklu I think if it is true it was a badass way of showing somebody you ain’t playing around. They probably would tell the stories to their kids like “don’t be a jackass or a coward or you will mess around and find out if it’s real”

[@Kaziklu]

@@jypsywith_a_jae7575 which is why it likely didn't happen. As there are no accounts of it until several hundred years later. It would be like you or I writing stories about Napoleon and how he used to ride a horse draped in the cloth of the uniforms from dead Prussians forming faux Pegasus wings to intimidate the enemy. Never happened but it is would be a way to show he was kinda nuts.

[@ArmchairDeity]

This one is so old it entirely pre-dates a permanent geophysics presence on the team!

[@jrjubach]

This is so cool. Tony looks so young. He's the only one I recognize.

[@IridescentPigsie]

TIME TEAM!!!!

[@thetawaves48]

The owner of the land looks like King Alfred himself.

[@dvorok]

Silwy Wabbit! :)...Let's see the Polaroid of Alfred ya' got. 🙂🙃🙂

[@miaomiaochan]

I actually kind of prefer the earlier, less polished episodes of Time Team.

[@ianlambert8034]

Moebym, if you are still watching, how do you mean"earlier"? This is epsode N° 1.

[@damond4]

A wonderful story. God bless England.

[@danq.5140]

How far technology has progressed since 1993.

[@mick7even]

Tony with that hair!!!!!

[@robertellis2473]

Love Mick rip. 🇺🇸💙

[@mattiasandersson9639]

So young...

[@RyanRostron]

Love this show but i have to say, with the tech they used at the time it seems like they were grasping a lot to make things fit into what they wanted

[@czamman]

I wish they had another go with modern equipment

[@markatkinson614]

If the land was flooded with water: it was a moat.! Quite formidable for an approaching army in horses or foot travel . Let alone wagon carts..

[@markmitchell450]

The whole area was Marsh bog and Reed beds with small areas above the water it still floods during heavy periods of rain now

[@Yup71719]

So.cool

[@nevillekeen4497]

look how young they all are

[@Ryan8311d]

Forget get the avengers! Time team assemble!

[@EctoFunctrs]

Intro gives me Tom Scott vibezz

[@TheGreatSatan_]

Whoa! A dot matrix printer!

[@pfrstreetgang7511]

There is no historical evidence that the blood eagle was ever performed by any Viking and certainly no evidence that they were pursuing Alfred with that intent. It is still agreed upon that they were a myth associated with the Viking Sagas.

[@ethanstrong]

Long Live Tony Robinson.

[@jrjubach]

If these folks are still knocking about, I hope they watch The Last Kingdom on Netflix!

[@littleredhen976]

He has the Blood Eagle all wrong. It's the back, not the front.

[@suzannebelanus9061]

28:15 some hipster is wearing the guy on the right’s sweater right now.

[@manuelkong10]

Very interesting....they used to think that hill was Alfred's fort...now they know it isn't....shame they can't use the same logical mindset to Hastings

[@peterscrafton5592]

Lovely to see this and to learn from it - but my enjoyment was spoilt by the plethora of strings of ads which interrupted the film at intervals shorter than five minutes - most tiresome!

[@AnotherSale]

Use adblock for your browser.

[@peterscrafton5592]

@@AnotherSale Thank you: the ads in this video came unusually thick and fast

[@jacksimper5725]

That farmer looks damned creepy

[@Beemer917]

They are sure quick to separate themselves from the Vikings, however, they could just as easily be Vikings themselves! Most people in England have a good portion of Scandinavian blood in them.

[@katiekat4457]

Phil kept reminding of someone and I couldn’t place it. All of a sudden I realized who he reminded me of. Sarah Ferguson. It’s not just the red hair because there are 2 other guys on here with red hair. It’s phil specifically. They could be brother and sister. I know they aren’t but they look like they could be. I have never had this thought with any other redhead. Just Phil right now. Maybe it’s the red hair, big faces with big teeth that do it.

[@markmitchell450]

So baldrick has a cunning plan To search for turnips in the Somerset levels

[@richard66754]

These British archeologists are quite the impressive lot! Mrs. Lewis could easily pass for one of my great aunts. They all are either red haired or blonde. It’s very likely my ancestors came from these isles, but are quite a bit taller in stature than the folks that make up time team. I’ve heard my great grandfather speak of Wales and Wessex, but outside of that, really have no clue of my ancestry. Perhaps it’s time to order the DNA test and satisfy my curiosity.

[@boogiesmell5181]

I love this. Massive respect to Robin Bush. However the main reason why Alfred would have wanted to baptize Guthtrum and convert him into a Christian was left untold. The Vikings had no respect for the Christians or their religious houses, or their religious feast days during which they often attacked. Alfred had already tried forcing Guthrum to leave earlier, but instead Guthrum instantly broke his promise and went to occupy Exeter instead. Alfred knew that he could kill Guthrum since he had surrendered for a second time and already betrayed him once, but then what? The Vikings clearly could not be trusted. The next ruler would be just the same. The Vikings would remain his neighbours no matter what. Which is why he took this brilliant gamble by christening Guthrum and luckily for him, Guthrum respected this and chose to honour this non-aggression pact and became a more peaceful ruler. Perhaps he felt entitled to abandon his Gods, who had abandon him? He even turned down the next batch of viking raiders that came to see him seeking an alliance against Alfred. Guthrum had become tired of fighting and enjoyed Alfred's new deal.

[@theangryaustralian7624]

Why does Tony look older when he's younger also new idea for a million subscribers upload others documentaries with ads

[@horyzengaming3935]

I have never seen an ad on youtube for the past 6 years, are you not using an ad blocker? Its free from google as an extension. As for Tony i have no answer.

[@theangryaustralian7624]

@@horyzengaming3935 i watch on a phone dont have a computer

[@horyzengaming3935]

@@theangryaustralian7624 You can get adblock on your phone aswell mate, i have it on mine. Just google it and install, its totally safe. It works as an extension in your browser. Its an ad-on that is downloaded from google themselves. So its safe to use.

[@theangryaustralian7624]

@@horyzengaming3935 oh right cheers dude

[@kiwibird8441]

@@horyzengaming3935 why don't you provide a link to this mobile ad block with youtube application, im pretty sure that's horse shyte mate. Unless you're talking about youtube run through your mobile Browser, which technically is not youtube mobile or what people mean when they say they watch it on mobile.

[@williamh123456789]

Tony Robinson at his best

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Lyng means heather in Danish, that island might have had heather on it..

[@juliaforsyth8332]

That's probably where the word "ling" comes from. Another word for heather.

[@rachaelskibbe7899]

Tony had hair?!!

[@triciasomogyi5431]

❤️👍

[@sforza209]

Omg he has hair holy shiat.

[@TeamKuukiFoodGames]

Baldrick?? :O

[@icsedge1]

Not a single trench. A big change from later episodes.

[@cyanmegafauna5038]

Sounds like Tony Robinson but doesn't look like him!

[@IridescentPigsie]

Time's a funny thing isn't it LOL He's got hair!

[@sgk2511]

"Time"=Ti +Me... Ti=Hill A...Me=Falcon... >>Ti-Ara word... 🤭🤭🤭😅😅😅

[@redj59]

“Badger Act”? Ha

[@jfjoubertquebec]

Oh! Boy George!

[@deborahfielder4163]

Phil looks odd without his hat!

[@delawarre7469]

I love Timelline, but these blasted commercials that constantly interrupt the progress are a terrible distraction, which borders on psychological abuse.

[@happyreeds]

view KZbin in a browser with an ad blocker

[@markmitchell450]

Then simply drag the video to the end then hit replay ads dissappear it's not rocket science but clearly to you it's a big big issue

[@pumbar]

Double denim

[@manuelkong10]

che guevara is NOT some "man of the people" he was a murderer

[@f_youtubecensorshipf_nazis]

Did tony walk in and eat someone else's croissant?