What historical features were found in the field?

Crop Marks indicating human activity.

What is the significance of the Anglo-Saxon Hall?

Rare feature in British archaeology.

Potential 3,500-year-old burial mound and Anglo-Saxon Hall.

Largest in England, Royal Riverside complex.

The field in Sutton Courtney, Oxfordshire, holds significant archaeological potential, with Crop Marks suggesting thousands of years of human activity, potentially including Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Anglo-Saxon features, making it a rare and crucial site for British archaeology.
The excavation led by Helen uncovers the largest Anglo-Saxon building in England, a Royal Riverside complex with possibly the biggest Great Hall ever built by the Anglo-Saxons, showcasing the site's royal connections and historical significance, exceeding expectations and marking a significant milestone in understanding Anglo-Saxon life and status.

What historical features were found in the field?
Crop Marks indicating human activity.
What is the significance of the Anglo-Saxon Hall?
Rare feature in British archaeology.
Who invited the team to investigate the field?
Dr. Helena Hamaro.
What did the team uncover in the trench?
Potential 3,500-year-old burial mound and Anglo-Saxon Hall.
What did the team discover about the Anglo-Saxon building?
Largest in England, Royal Riverside complex.

00:00

The field is full of Crop Marks indicating 3,000 years of human activity, potentially including Neolithic and Bronze Age features.
Archaeologists hope to find a massive Anglo-Saxon Hall in the field, a rare feature in British archaeology.
The village of Sutton Courtney in Oxfordshire holds the first identified Anglo-Saxon settlement in the British Isles.
Dr. Helena Hamaro invites the team to investigate the field with significant archaeological potential.
E.T. Leeds identified pit-like features with Anglo-Saxon Pottery, suggesting Anglo-Saxon buildings in the area.
The team, led by Helen, decides to target Crop Marks for excavation, hoping to find a Bronze Age Barrow and an Anglo-Saxon Hall.
The team puts in a large trench to uncover a potential 3,500-year-old burial mound and an Anglo-Saxon Hall.
The team is limited to digging 250 square meters, with half already committed to trenches on the first day.
Phil uncovers a ditch with bone fragments and pottery, potentially indicating a Bronze Age cremation site.
The site is believed to be an estate center where the king's officials administered the land, possibly connected to the Ywissa dynasty.

14:45

The West Saxon Kingdom is located at the heart of the Kingdom of Wessex, suggesting a significant Anglo-Saxon site, possibly a royal one.
The team uncovers a prehistoric ditch, likely a barrow, indicating prehistoric activity.
A Foundation trench reveals an Anglo-Saxon Wall cutting through the prehistoric ditch, hinting at later construction.
Post holes in front of the team may indicate another building, potentially part of a complex.
Additional trenches are planned to investigate a grouping house and its relationship to the main hall.
Geophysical surveys suggest prehistoric and Anglo-Saxon activity, possibly including a Great Hall.
The team diversifies their excavation, searching for an Anglo-Saxon Grub Hut and investigating the context of the main building.
The team discovers structural evidence of wattle and daub construction, a classic timber building technique.
Despite challenges and minimal finds, the team remains hopeful for significant discoveries, including insights into Anglo-Saxon life and status.
Excavations reveal antler combs, internal posts supporting a massive hall, and potential Anglo-Saxon pottery, providing glimpses into the past.

29:31

The excavation reveals a large pit resembling a post hole, possibly for a totem pole or flagstaff near a building.
Anglo-Saxon artifacts like pottery and animal bones, including a seventh-century knife, are found in a potential Gruben house.
The main wall of a hall or building is identified, along with a sunken feature building, possibly a round structure.
The team extends the trench to uncover more of the hall, aiming to find the entrance and understand its construction.
Evidence suggests the hall could have been a royal site, with comparisons to other Anglo-Saxon royal locations.
The site's proximity to the River Thames and an old road indicates it may have been a significant riverside location.
A 9th-century strap end is found, hinting at later activity on the site, while a Roman artifact surprises the team.
Ritualistic closure of the Grub Hut is suggested by the discovery of a dog skull, possibly to make way for the hall.
The team focuses on the hall, believing it to be crucial in proving the site's royal connections, despite limited evidence.
Comparisons to other Anglo-Saxon royal sites and the site's strategic location near a river and road support the theory of its royal significance.

43:45

The site reveals two phases of Anglo-Saxons living in grub Huts initially, evolving into a series of Halls, indicating a royal site with a Great Hall, showcasing the scale and grandeur of the structure.
The excavation uncovers the largest Anglo-Saxon building in England, a Royal Riverside complex with possibly the biggest Great Hall ever built by the Anglo-Saxons, exceeding expectations and marking a significant historical milestone.