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Sunday 29 June 03
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Interview with Eddie Izzard
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Eddie Izzard has been a fan of Time Team for years: 'I've seen them all you know.' he says with a flourish, 'I've seen every one of them, some of them twice and some of them that I haven't even seen yet, which is strange. I just love it. I watch it twice a day when I can.'
Within moments of arriving on site Eddie was stuck into the archaeology: 'I don't want to stand around, give me some tools!' Soon he was wielding a mattock like a true professional. 'I'm looking for gold and swords and a wheel off a chariot. That's probably really going to annoy archaeologists. Actually digging is hard. I've been digging a big hole which could be a badgers Jacuzzi because there are badgers you know. The small stuff like digging with a trowel is much more delicate.'
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Whereas most people wish the usual three day format of Time Team was longer, Eddie's favourite part of the programme is the speed that it's done at: 'I just love speed archaeology, that's the way it should be done. I remember an Agatha Christy book that my brother said 'Ah-ha, you'll never guess the ending' so I just looked at the last page. Of course I realise that you can't just go crashing through, but wouldn't it be great to just do a borehole down to 200 feet and find a sword.'
At that moment Eddie's mobile phone beeped. 'Ah, that's my Time Team SMS update. I don't want to miss a thing. These are great fun. I have my own. I text people when I watch the game at Yankie Stadium and they can see what I type. Brilliant.'
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Roman Wall Discovered
Near the end of digging yesterday the first remains of a Roman Wall were uncovered. 'This is great.' said Time Team digger Brigid Gallagher, 'We're starting to get the real stuff now. I think Sunday will be a good day.'
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Reconstructing the past
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A popular part of Time Team is creating reconstructions to help bring the past to life. A combination of re-enactors, illustrations and 3d models are all used to help us understand what the past may have looked like.
'The live events are always interesting.' says Time Team illustrator Victor Ambrus, 'Two archaeologists rarely agree and new things are being found all the time so it's constantly changing.'
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Graphics expert, Maya Gavin, has come back to Time Team to help out on Big Dig in Swindon while Neil Emmanuel is based in Stogumber. Using a range of computer software she's been building maps and graphics with Raysan Al-Kubasi. 'It's been good to see everyone again.' says Maya, who worked on Time Team graphics up until 2001, 'It's been really interesting to work on the pottery reconstructions with Raysan and doing the maps with Stuart Ainsworth isn't bad either.'
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Scouting for finds
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Cub Scouts from the Seventh Swindon Abbey Meads Scout Group (http://www.wiltshirescouts.org.uk/county/CubIntro.htm) have come along to the Big Dig to help out and dig a test pit at Groundwell Ridge. Scout Leader, Ian Dallow, is very enthusiastic about the scheme: 'These lads are all aiming to get their Local Knowledge badge by doing the Big Dig.' he said, 'It's a really good opportunity for them.'
Martin Dallow (9), Bradley Garner (9), Daniel Alsop (10) and Adam Frampton (9) were all digging with gusto. 'I've watched Time Team for ages.' said Adam, 'My favourite parts are when they do the graphics with a bit of pot which becomes a spinning picture. I'd say Big Dig was pretty good.'
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Let them eat cake!
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Roman cake recipe to try at home!
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Drawing to a close
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Roman Gods Called to Swindon
To close the Big Dig at Groundwell Ridge, re-enactor John Davis takes the role of a Roman Priest and holds a special ceremony on the site.
'I'll be holding a blessing ceremony for the site.' says John, 'In Roman times people called in their priest to bless various things at different times, for example your crops or livestock. Priests weren't like they are today however, it would have been as common as calling in your plumber. The basic idea would have been to use the blessing as insurance against anything bad happening in the future.'
Click to hear John's blessing on the dig.
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The Conclusions: Groundwell Ridge
Guy de la Bedoyere, the highly respected Roman expert often used by Time Team as a specialist, has had an intriguing weekend looking at the finds that the people of Swindon have been unearthing. 'One of the things with this Swindon site is that a lot of people expected it to be incredibly rich in finds of a ritual nature. The sort of thing you would expect to find around a place like this, with lots of springs, would be deposits of coins, jewellery, statuettes and offerings, things like that. What we have actually found is some evidence of occupation which suggests some kind of settlement, but absolutely no evidence what-so-ever for any religious or ritual purpose. That in itself tells us something.
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Mick Aston ruminates on the Big Dig
Mick Aston has found the whole experience both informative, positive and thought provoking.
'I'd have to say that I think the people of Swindon have done a great job. They've helped us establish that we have Iron Age stuff on this Roman site and that gives us some more time-depth to the area. I have to say that I've been amazed by the fantastic reaction of people taking part all over the country. Their enthusiasm has been incredible. However, I've also been very disheartened by the reaction to Big Dig from some sections of the archaeological profession. I've seen no evidence for the massive destruction of archaeological sites by people taking part that some members of the archaeological community predicted. The fact is that educating and generating public interest in archaeology has to be a sound investment. We all depend on it to protect the archaeology of the future. In truth I think it's difficult to think it's been anything other than a success. The new enthusiastic and positive feeling that has been generated by people who just want to learn can only be a good thing for our archaeology.'
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