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The Best Episodes of Time Team

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Every episode of Time Team ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Time Team!

The Best Episodes of Time Team

Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on British Channel 4 from 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented...
  1. Background image for Warriors - Figheldean, Wiltshire
    8.8/10(19 votes)

    #1 - Warriors - Figheldean, Wiltshire

    S20:E5

    Tony and the team work with veterans of the war in Afghanistan, investigating the ancient Barrow Clump on Salisbury Plain, where they discover burials from 2000BC and rare Saxon finds.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  2. Background image for Seven Buckets and a Buckle - Breamore, Hampshire
    8.7/10(23 votes)

    #2 - Seven Buckets and a Buckle - Breamore, Hampshire

    S9:E13

    A Byzantine brass bucket was found during a 3-day live dig in a Saxon cemetery a year ago. Time Team returns to find out more about the people who lived and died here. Metal detectorists are called in to find non-ferrous metals, to complement Geophysics' magnetometer survey. They are joined by Anglo-Saxon specialist Andrew Reynolds, paleopathologist Alice Roberts and celebrity Sandi Toksvig. Sandi's ancestors were from Jutland, and Robin Bush argues that this whole area of Hampshire was actually occupied by Jutes before they were defeated by the Saxons under King Cadwalla in 686 AD. Ray Walton replicates a brass bucket, complete with inscriptions and silvering, from scratch. Osteoarchaeologist Margaret Cox tries to make sense of the burials including rare double burials – one of which uniquely has a child placed between two men. Finds include weapons and an exquisite enamelled belt buckle; and three more of the mysterious buckets, which all fit one inside the other.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  3. Background image for The Roman's Panic - Ancaster, Lincolnshire
    8.6/10(22 votes)

    #3 - The Roman's Panic - Ancaster, Lincolnshire

    S9:E2

    Ancaster has yielded numerous Roman finds as well as a large cemetery with several sarcophagi from the period. In addition, the church is known in British archaeology for a Roman inscription dedicated to the deity Viridius. Phil finds the cemetery level, while Carenza discovers a layer filled with jumbled up human remains mixed with other bones. In the cemetery, Phil eventually uncovers the lid of a possible sarcophagus, and its excavation could thus require certain precautions due to the potential for lead poisoning and presence of biological hazards. However, the object proves to be a cist burial, as well as hazard-free. Incredibly, one of the cist slabs also turns out to contain yet another inscription to the god Viridius. In the end, the archaeologists suggest that the massive defences were ordered to be put up by the Roman central administration in Britain, and completely disrupted the original town layout.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  4. Background image for The Puzzle Of Picket's Farm - South Perrott, Dorset
    8.6/10(23 votes)

    #4 - The Puzzle Of Picket's Farm - South Perrott, Dorset

    S12:E10

    Time Team heads to South Perrott in Dorset, inspired by the intriguing discovery of Roman brooches and coins in a hilltop field. The Team are pretty sure they're going to uncover a Roman Temple, but the search gets off to a bad start when all the pottery turns out to be medieval and there's no sign of any buildings. Something has clearly been going on in this field, but it's not what they thought. The trenches gradually reveal their contents, painting a very different picture from a very different period. Have the Team stumbled across a Stone Age burial site that had, extraordinarily, been honoured for thousands of years right into Roman times? Prehistory specialist Miles Russell explains some aspects of Bronze Age features.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  5. Background image for Time Team's Greatest Discoveries
    8.6/10(9 votes)

    #5 - Time Team's Greatest Discoveries

    S19:E13

    Revisiting digs that produced rare and fine jewellery, gold coins, huge and intricate mosaics - and some extraordinary archaeological fakery - Mick Aston, Phil Harding and Helen Geake defend and debate their choices for Time Team's greatest discoveries.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  6. Background image for The Mosaic at the Bottom of the Garden - Cirencester, Gloucestershire
    8.5/10(33 votes)

    #6 - The Mosaic at the Bottom of the Garden - Cirencester, Gloucestershire

    S7:E2

    In 300 A.D. Corinium Dobunnorum was England's wealthiest city next to Londinium. Now it's the pleasant Gloucestershire town of Cirencester, and Time Team are visiting the leafy suburban Chester Street, where they hope the back gardens will yield clues about the bustling Roman city and its main highway, Ermine Street. Could a Roman temple have occupied this site - or even rarer, an early Christian church? They need to knock on a few doors to ask about digging up their plots. There is a bottle of champagne for anybody who can find a tessellated pavement. They are joined by Roman architectural historian Tom Blagg, coin expert Richard Reece and mosaic expert David Neal. The Ermine Street Guard offer Tony venison stew, and use a wooden crane to erect a stone column, fashioned by mason Giles MacDonald. In the public presentation, Stewart outlines a picture of the whole city, ably assisted by Victor's drawing. Among many Roman finds are coins, a brooch, a spoon and a bone die.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Time Team

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  8. Background image for A Roman Temple in Sight of the Millennium Dome - Greenwich Park, London
    8.5/10(28 votes)

    #7 - A Roman Temple in Sight of the Millennium Dome - Greenwich Park, London

    S7:E11

    The team dig for Roman remains in Greenwich Park, London. They are joined by Hedley Swain from the Museum of London, Harvey Sheldon from the University of London and Mark Hassel from University College, London. Chris Owen (reconstructor) demonstrates Roman plastering techniques and ingredients, and paints a fresco with Victor. A remarkable find creates much excitement, boosting their hopes of identifying a Roman temple. Stewart suggests that Watling Street may have run through the park. For results and reconstruction see https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/greenwich-park/things-to-see-and-do/ancient-greenwich/roman-remains

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  9. Background image for An Ermine Street Pub - Cheshunt, Hertfordshire
    8.5/10(23 votes)

    #8 - An Ermine Street Pub - Cheshunt, Hertfordshire

    S9:E6

    It is 40 years since amateur archaeologists dug up Roman remains near Ermine Street, now hidden beneath Cheshunt Park. Time Team tell the story of the original excavation, using the detailed plan to conduct their own investigation. They believe the site's proximity to the road is the key to this dig. With some brilliant work by Stewart and John, they soon locate part of the road. Though frustratingly they cannot find any trace of it beneath the surface, they do find a brewery and possibly a pub. The brewing process is described by ancient technology expert Peter J. Reynolds. They conduct a mini-experiment comparing Roman surveying techniques with Henry's modern equipment. They are also joined by Roman experts Rosalind Niblett and Harvey Sheldon.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  10. Background image for Steptoe Et Filius - Yaverland, Isle of Wight
    8.5/10(17 votes)

    #9 - Steptoe Et Filius - Yaverland, Isle of Wight

    S9:E12

    Two years ago, local archaeologist Kevin Trott discovered Roman remains in a trench being dug for a water pipe. Unfortunately the trench had to be closed, and now Time Team are having trouble finding it. While Phil and the diggers look for the original trench, a full-scale field-walking exercise reveals many finds, both Roman and Iron Age; including a lot of bronze jewellery, seeming to show industrial activity. There are hints that enamelling was carried out here, so they decide to make their own enamelled hare brooch. Mick and Tony visit a nearby Roman villa with a detailed mosaic floor. On day three, Stewart spots some potential earthworks in a neighbouring field; so they decide to dig some exploratory trenches there. They end up with examples of activity from the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman occupation, and Anglo-Saxon period. To cap it all, at the end of day three they find a rare Iron Age burial. The team are joined for the first of many digs by Anglo-Saxon expert Helen Geake.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  11. Background image for Brancaster - Brancaster, Norfolk
    8.5/10(18 votes)

    #10 - Brancaster - Brancaster, Norfolk

    S20:E2

    Featuring the Team's largest ever range and number of items from Roman Britain and their most ambitious geophysics project to date.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  12. Background image for A Lost Roman City - Castleford, Yorkshire
    8.4/10(21 votes)

    #11 - A Lost Roman City - Castleford, Yorkshire

    S9:E10

    The medieval castle of Beaudesert in Henley-in-Arden suddenly vanished without trace, leaving a single stone on top of a mound. The people want to know what it looked like. "The Mount" as it's called by the locals, is a popular beauty spot and has suffered from erosion. Also, as it's a scheduled monument, there are limits to what digging can take place. The castle was built by the de Montforts in the early 12th century. Henry and Stewart create a simple 3D clay model of the building, which follows the natural contours of the hill. It looks as if the castle was demolished and the pieces sold off in the 15th century. Using authentic tools, bowyer Steve Ralphs makes a medieval longbow, which is tested against a crossbow of a similar period. Castles expert Sarah Speight describes daily life in the castle. Finds include a section of carved pestle and mortar.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  13. Background image for The Monastery and the Mansion - Nether Poppleton, Yorkshire
    8.4/10(27 votes)

    #12 - The Monastery and the Mansion - Nether Poppleton, Yorkshire

    S12:E2

    The villagers of Nether Poppleton, near York, join Tony Robinson and the team for some extensive digging as they try to determine the exact age of their village. The current layout follows a typical medieval pattern but a reference to the village in the Domesday Book has the experts thinking that it could date back to Saxon times at least.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  14. Background image for The Bombers in the Marsh - Warton near Preston, Lancashire
    8.4/10(19 votes)

    #13 - The Bombers in the Marsh - Warton near Preston, Lancashire

    S12:E3

    On 29 November 1944, two US Douglas A-26 Invader bombers crashed in Warton Marsh. Both planes, along with a number of others, had left Warton Airbase in formation, en route to join forces in the preparations for the Battle of the Bulge. Only one minute off the runway and 1,000 feet into the air, the aircraft collided and came to rest in the marsh. All the crew died. Their bodies were recovered from the planes, but an investigation into the causes of the crash was inconclusive. For this programme, Time Team enlisted a veteran air crash investigator, along with the RAF's 'crash and smash' team and other experts to try to find out what caused the crash. Each of the planes, including the engines, was believed to be relatively intact and, it was hoped, would provide the necessary information to determine why these two planes collided.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  15. Background image for The Lost Castle of Dundrum - Dundrum Castle, County Down
    8.4/10(17 votes)

    #14 - The Lost Castle of Dundrum - Dundrum Castle, County Down

    S20:E9

    Tony and the Team search for the remains of a renegade knight's Norman castle in one of Northern Ireland's most picturesque spots.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  16. Background image for An Englishman's Castle - Upton Castle, Cosheston, Pembrokeshire
    8.4/10(22 votes)

    #15 - An Englishman's Castle - Upton Castle, Cosheston, Pembrokeshire

    S20:E11

    When Steve and Pru bought pretty Upton Castle in Pembrokeshire they weren't sure if it was a Victorian folly or an Anglo-Norman castle, built to defend 'Little England beyond Wales' from the locals.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  17. Background image for A Bronze-Age Barrow and Walkway - Flag Fenn, Cambridgeshire
    8.3/10(28 votes)

    #16 - A Bronze-Age Barrow and Walkway - Flag Fenn, Cambridgeshire

    S7:E9

    The team have their work cut out in the Cambridgeshire fenland, looking for remnants of an ancient culture in the flat landscape. The long wooden track would function as a barrier, defence and ritual passage where votive offerings were placed in the water. At the end of it they hope to find a barrow - a circular Bronze Age burial mound. Dave Chapman constructs a bronze axe in a primitive furnace; while wood expert Maisie Taylor looks for a suitable handle in nearby woodland.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  18. Background image for The Naughty Monastery - Chicksands, Bedfordshire
    8.3/10(20 votes)

    #17 - The Naughty Monastery - Chicksands, Bedfordshire

    S9:E4

    The team are invited to investigate the officers' mess of a military base in Bedfordshire, once home to monks and nuns of a 14th century Gilbertine Order. It was an experiment in unisex living. Jenni of Time Team volunteers to live like a nun during the dig, and is initiated by nunnery expert Roberta Gilchrist. John Ette from English Heritage monitors proceedings, and they are also joined by historian Richard K. Morris and osteoarchaeologist Margaret Cox. Robin Bush tells the miraculous tale of the Nun of Watton.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  19. Background image for A Prehistoric Airfield - Throckmorton, Worcestershire
    8.3/10(21 votes)

    #18 - A Prehistoric Airfield - Throckmorton, Worcestershire

    S9:E9

    Hoping to uncover Bronze Age burials, the team descend on a disused airfield. But initial finds suggest the Iron Age, while geophysics shows plenty of circles and some larger rectangular enclosures. Jacqui Wood makes prehistoric cheese, and cooks a fish stew. Bronze Age enthusiast Francis Pryor gets excited about some faint track marks. They are joined by Malcolm Atkin and Robin Jackson from Worcestershire County Council, Ian George from English Heritage, and Iron Age expert Jeremy Taylor.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  20. Background image for Mosaics, Mosaics, Mosaics - Dinnington, Somerset
    8.3/10(25 votes)

    #19 - Mosaics, Mosaics, Mosaics - Dinnington, Somerset

    S10:E2

    Time Team travels to Somerset to investigate the discovery of an exquisite Roman mosaic in a field. The geophysical survey clearly indicates the presence of a substantial and well-preserved villa on the site. One of the main problems they tackle is the development of the building complex through time. By targeted examination of the structural remains, the archaeologists uncover evidence of several phases from a more humble early timber building to a two-story grand villa with two large ranges and a courtyard gate structure. In the end, the site turns out to contain one of the largest Roman villas in the UK.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  21. Background image for Peak District Practices - Carsington, Derbyshire
    8.3/10(25 votes)

    #20 - Peak District Practices - Carsington, Derbyshire

    S10:E3

    Time Team examines a mysterious cave in Derbyshire where cavers have found several skeletons, some of them newborn babies and the earliest dated to the Stone Age. Finds from the cave have also provided dates from the Iron Age and the Roman period. The excavation proves potentially quite hazardous, as the chambers and tunnels are filled with precariously heaped stones which threaten to scree if the safety shoring moves or breaks, and some areas are considered just too unstable to work in at all. The archaeologists also investigate a nearby Bronze Age barrow, which previously has been subject to illicit excavation. In the cave they find more human and animal remains, although how these got there remains subject to some debate. The mound gets confirmed as a barrow and undisturbed secondary burials are discovered as part of the structure.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  22. Background image for A View to a Kiln - Sedgefield, County Durham
    8.3/10(23 votes)

    #21 - A View to a Kiln - Sedgefield, County Durham

    S10:E12

    Roman finds from Sedgefield prompt Time Team to visit a field and subject it to investigation. Air photographs and geophysical survey show tantalizing signs of activity below the turf, while fieldwalking provides even more finds. However, these finds lead to some confusion, as the archaeology suggests a low-status site with farms or workshops, but the coin finds are of high quality and value. The coins are decided to originally have formed a hoard, presenting certain bureaucratic issues for the metal detectorists who brought Time Team to the site. The experimental part of the program investigates how Roman coins would have been mass produced. In the end, the archaeologists discover a well-preserved pottery kiln in a settlement complex they suspect represent a civilian industrial site supplying the Roman market in Britain – all of which Phil gets to show the local MP, Tony Blair.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  23. Background image for Norman Neighbours - Skipsea, East Yorkshire
    8.3/10(22 votes)

    #22 - Norman Neighbours - Skipsea, East Yorkshire

    S12:E11

    For years Time Team fan Frances Davies has been collecting finds from the field outside her back door in Skipsea in East Yorkshire. She has uncovered Neolithic, Roman and Saxon items, but her best finds are medieval pots dating from the Norman Conquest. It's clear that there was some habitation in the area 1,000 years ago, but a geophysics plot of the site reveals incredible results, far beyond the team's expectations. Could Frances have had a whole Norman village in her field, a village lost to the records? And could there be a clue in nearby Skipsea Castle, the seat of power of the Norman overlord of the whole area? The Team have three days to find out.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  24. Background image for The First Tudor Palace? - Esher, Surrey
    8.3/10(22 votes)

    #23 - The First Tudor Palace? - Esher, Surrey

    S13:E4

    The team visit Wayneflete Tower which is all that remains of a palace. Over three days they piece together the story of a site that evolved into one of the most stunning buildings of early Tudor times. They are joined by historic buildings expert Jonathan Foyle, John Guy (historian) and dendrochronologist Mick Worthington.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  25. Background image for Finds on the Fairway - Isle of Man
    8.3/10(29 votes)

    #24 - Finds on the Fairway - Isle of Man

    S14:E1

    The team battle the tail end of Hurricane Gordon to investigate the last keeill standing, preserved beneath a golf course on the Isle of Man. A thousand years ago the island was dotted with these keeills, or small stone chapels, most of which have completely disappeared. Mick, an avowed enthusiast for early Christian buildings, is in his element. Sensational finds keep coming, including perfectly preserved plaited human hair, and a specimen of Ogham script. The team are joined by local archaeologist Andy Johnson, keeill expert Nick Johnson, and Viking specialist Dawn Hadley

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  26. Background image for Gold in the Moat - Codnor Castle, Derbyshire
    8.3/10(22 votes)

    #25 - Gold in the Moat - Codnor Castle, Derbyshire

    S15:E1

    The crumbling ruins of Codnor Castle are a sad remnant of the imposing home of the De Grey family - knights who saw action in almost every important medieval battle including the crusades and Agincourt. Today Codnor Castle lies in ruins and there's almost nothing known of how it looked in its prime. As the remains above ground get an overdue renovation, the Time Team risk the dangers of hidden mine shafts in the Derbyshire coalfields to dig into the heart of a building that once dominated the landscape to trace the castle's history. It lives up to the team's hopes as they strike gold with a 600-year-old gold noble coin as well as uncovering a huge round tower and, for the first time in the history of the programme, a drawbridge.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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Best Episodes Summary

"Warriors - Figheldean, Wiltshire" is the best rated episode of "Time Team". It scored 8.8/10 based on 19 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/27/2013. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Seven Buckets and a Buckle - Breamore, Hampshire".