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Dig Announcement & Site Wrestle: West Country Village
🕑 Added 2023-06-01 12:16:06 +0000 UTCAs announced in our earlier update, we're gearing up for our next three-day dig, and it's happening later this month!
In June, Time Team will be descending upon a West Country village, working closely with the local community on classic back-garden archaeology. Together, our investigations hope to reveal more about the village's development, while exploring the local architecture, Civil War links, and overseas connections.
In this Site Wrestle session, Tim Taylor, Dani Wootton and Dr Richard Parker explore some of the themes that Time Team will address.
We're thrilled to be joined again by Richard, who some of you may remember from our earlier Patreon masterclasses, Dani's tour of a Dartmoor longhouse, and Time Team's Dig Village project in Dunster, Somerset.
The Dig Village approach provides a useful model for this new investigation, so it's great to have Richard on board.
Richard is not only an historic buildings expert and incredible architectural illustrator, he also knows his way around the best pubs serving a crisp West Country cider. We reckon that makes him perfectly qualified!
Of course, you'll be with us again with daily Dig Watch updates from the site, so keep a look out for more news very soon.
Comments
Kathie Mae Carwile
How do I get Patreon to show up on my TV ? I can watch on my phone, iPad, and computer, but haven’t yet been able to get to on the smart tv! I too am and American, my ancestors were Jamestown settlers, and my husband is descended from Powhatan, through John Rolfe and Pocahontas’ only son. We loved the episode long ago where Phil and the group came to Jamestown…that was wonderful! Maybe you should come back to Virginia!
Kara Cunningham
Elaine. As another descendant of a Block Island family. I am excited to hear about your history. We are Scottish as well and have traced the line (Eddy) and had family living on Block Island until the 1940s. We are linked to the Gordon clan in Scotland. If you still visit the island, you can see a church window to the Eddey / Eddy family. Though the church was a book shop last time I visited.
Larry Besel, Jr.
Doni is looking GREAT, however her background needs to be worked on… empty pots need plants in them!
Elaine P
I've finally had a chance to watch this, and I cannot wait! Another American here, Mayflower descendant from both parents, and a descendant of original settlers of Block Island, RI (including a Scottish POW from Battle of Dunbar during the English Civil War), plus Virginia settlers on my father's side. I remember reading in college that the very orderly street layouts and architecture in Puritan settlements reflected a strong Dutch influence, which indicated most of the settlers in those areas were from the eastern parts of England as those areas were in turn greatly influenced by Dutch practices due to strong trade relationships and proximity. In contrast, areas in North America settled by those from Devon and Cornwall and environs were developed more organically, with much less structured town plans. I am excited to of course see what parts of the U.S. this dig site has links to, but am also VERY curious to see if anything is discovered that corroborates or disproves this snippet of info that for some reason made such in impression on me. Super excited, and looking forward to living vicariously once again through people with so much history in their own garden.
Charlotte Edmonds
Sounds great! I wasn't quite so keen on this type of dig when we were only going to get two but as one of three it'll be really nice variety, and it sounds very interesting. Some of my favourite Time Teams are ones exploring how the existing village/town relates to its older origins, and looking at the architectural features of older buildings (especially with Beric, much missed in the latter half of the original run). Exciting!
Doug Mackey
Could scarcely be happier with all this TT goodness!
Andy Quick
It will be great to see how test pits and documents can unravel the medieval history of a village. I'm also looking forward to the Anglo-Saxon cemetery dig when that comes out.
Rob Rowles
remembering my brief "running from the heat" sojourn with Richard to help him get into roofs!
Rob Rowles
Oh thank you for my tummy featuring on the splash screen whilst I was talking to Ivan lol 😂
Janette Menhennet
Here in Australia we have many West Country descendants too. My s/o' s mother's family hail from Pitney in Somerset so I have a special interest in this upcoming dig as well. (Maybe related to David Boon who posted above as Pitney is not a large village. Their name is Vigar.)
Susie Stockton-Link
This is great news. I alwys thought that the best of the old style Time Teams were those digging in folk's back gardens. I'd love to be following Tim around - my M.A. involved vernacular architecture with tutor Ron Brunskill, and I'm always aware of the clues to the history of the common man's buildings. Can't wait!
J. Andrew Lockhart
Sounds good!
Elizabeth B Hess
How interesting to learn that the architectural style referred to as "center hall colonial" in the US is an import from the West Country.
Time Team
Hi Bron, good news is this site is confirmed and we can't wait to share more with you!
Bron Lloyd
Brilliant! I hope this one gets through! (mind you I say that about them all)
Patricia Amero
Thank you Dani. Richard & Tim. This community appears to have all the elements for an engaging, educational and emotional connection to the past. I'm 100% up for this. Bring on the attics, basements and backyard test pits. btw... 😍 Richard's chair...!
David Boon
Wow, what a prospect. I think Richard may have given away the chosen county when discussing pubs and throwing in Somerset as an afterthought rather than in the original comment. Think we are going to Devon. As an Australian I am interested because I have West Country origins. The Boon/es were in Curry Mallet, Somerset in the early 1600s. One William Boone was the church warden in the 1620s. Y-DNA testing has shown those with the surname Bown in Somerset share an ancestor prior to that. One line of Boon/es went to Northern Ireland possibly during the plantations of Ulster, another ended up in Huntingdonshire, a third went to South Carolina later in the 17th century (John Boone) of Boone Hall Plantation, and my line remained in Somerset until they moved to Australia from Pitney, Somerset in 1841/42. There were also Boones in Devon who were ancestors of the famous Daniel Boone. Y-DNA has proved this line are not directly connected to mine. DNA is an under-utilised part of the puzzle of connecting the movement of people. I am an administrator of the Boone project on FTDNA and am aware of the other projects there. It would be wonderful if you find some families that connect to the USA if we can establish more using DNA of those who may have already tested.
Stephen Walls
I love the digs where the community is involved.
Murray M Wagnon
I am intrigued! As a American, my earliest immigrant ancestors landed in 17th century Virginia and New England.
choklityum
I love the backyard digs! It's so fun to see the community get involved and their surprise when something cool is found in their test pit or house.
Rick Doner
Dani!!!!!!!!!!! Always love seeing her.
Kate Dillingham
My ancestors came from England in the 17th century and settled in Massachusetts and Maine, so I'm very excited about this news!
Jon Colcord
New Hampshire here! My earliest ancestor on my paternal line to come here was Edward Colcord of Bovey Tracyey DEVON! (1615-1681). He emigrated to New Hampshire from Devon in 1628. I am very excited to find out some more history concerning the people that I come from! Someone else mentioned Salem, Massachusetts. I have ancestors who passed through that area as well, including 10 women accused of witchcraft between the lines of myself, my wife, and my daughter-in-law.
Peter Blay
I found in church records it is usually the well of who are mentioned or have monuments.
James Matney
same Question was before How can A home own even plant flower AND not Dige up some kind of ARCHACOLOGY?
Eggs Ackley
Sounds very intriguing. Just curious, is this the same Site Wrestle site from February 23, 2021? Would love to see all of Richard’s chair. Danni looking very svelte!🫶
Mechanical Muse
Sounds great! I've always loved the back garden efforts.
Richard Kaskeski
I am from Massachusetts and am very excited about this. Thank you Tim and team!
Ann H
Another list for the interested. Salem houses incl. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_oldest_buildings_in_Massachusetts
Jude Edling
This is going to be very interesting.
Ann H
Earliest houses in New England were extremely simple. Peake House in Medford 1677–1680 is one room. First Period houses were expanded so obscure or demolished the more medieval room with central fireplace/hearth. Many extant ones are not listed. For an incomplete list with more complex ones see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_period_houses_in_Massachusetts_(1620%E2%80%931659)
Kerry Hennigan
Looking forward to it!
Richard Seaton
This sounds like an intriguing site. Can't wait!
James D Speckart
Fantastic news, and as an American who has learned just a small amount about the complexities of early American colonial history, I'm excited to see what the heck you have in store!
