Joust dig it

Five hundred years ago, Greenwich Palace in London was inherited by Henry VIII when he became king in 1509. With England having a secondary reputation among armourers in the 15th century, Henry set about building the most prestigious armour works in Europe and recruited some of the best armourers from across the continent in an attempt to rival the leading German and Italian manufacturers.

Henry didn't only want to make outstanding armour. He also sought to impress both his own subjects and the rest of Europe by staging fantastic pageants at the palace, to which he invited the most powerful and influential people of the day. These pageants included jousts and tournaments, which took place in a specially constructed 'tiltyard' overlooked by two huge towers for the spectators.

There is nothing left above ground today of Henry's grand palace, the armoury and tilting yard at Greenwich, which is the site of the former Royal Naval College and more usually associated with Britain's maritime history. So could Time Team discover anything dating from the time of the Tudors?

Churned-up stratigraphy
In terms of actual finds, this was not one of Time Team's more productive digs – although it did produce part of a Tudor horseshoe, which may have been worn by one of the horses in the tilting yard. Indeed, the first couple of days yielded very little from the Tudor period at all. One of the big problems of archaeological work in London – or any built-up area – is the churned-up stratigraphy. Centuries of building and demolition activity usually mean that it's necessary to dig through metres of modern rubble, services and culverts before reaching any older remains. Even then, they are likely to be badly damaged or disturbed. The chances of finding a suit of armour, or even a piece of it, of course, are slim.

Nevertheless, despite the difficulties, with the help of a detailed search of historical documents it did prove possible to locate both the armoury and the tiltyard and its associated banqueting hall and other buildings. Further excavations are being carried out following Time Team's departure to advance our knowledge about this neglected aspect of the history of this world-famous site at Greenwich.

Time Team at Greenwich: free exhibition
'Greenwich Palace Revealed' is a free exhibition describing the search to uncover the royal armoury and tiltyard of Henry VIII. The display is located in the Greenwich Gateway Visitor Centre, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich; open 10am-5pm. The site also provides a history of Greenwich and information for visitors to Greenwich.

Further information is available on the Greenwich Foundation website at www.greenwichfoundation.org.uk/greenwich_gateway.htm

Time Team fans might like to combine a visit to this exhibition with one to 'Elizabeth', a major exhibition taking place at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, where Elizabeth was born, from 1 May to 14 September 2003. Involving guest curator David Starkey, this will be the major national event marking the 400th anniversary of her death in 1603. It brings together over 350 personal items, paintings, manuscripts and other exhibits relating to Elizabeth I, many of which have not been on public display before. The exhibition is open from 10am-5pm (6pm in July and August).

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