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No Stone Unturned (Moss Brow Farm, Warburton, Greater Manchester) | S14E08 | Time Team

Time Team Classics・41 minutes read

Local enthusiasts in Manchester discover artifacts spanning over 8,000 years, sparking interest in Roman activity with finds like coins and brooches. Despite extensive efforts, conclusive evidence of a Roman fortlet remains elusive, leaving archaeologists puzzled about the site's history.

Insights

  • Extensive archaeological efforts in Manchester reveal over 8,000 years of human activity, including Roman artifacts like coins and brooches, sparking debates on the site's nature as a fort or farm, with inconclusive evidence causing uncertainty about its history.
  • Despite challenges and limited finds, the discovery of lynchets by Phil sheds light on Roman and medieval activity, offering insights into earlier agricultural practices and the evolving landscape, demonstrating the team's valuable discoveries and understanding of the site's historical significance.

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Recent questions

  • What historical artifacts were found in Manchester?

    Roman coins, brooches, snake bracelet, Bronze Age items.

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Summary

00:00

Uncovering Manchester's Ancient Roman Mystery

  • In 1998, a local enthusiast in Manchester began field walking after finding various artifacts, accumulating evidence of over 8,000 years of human activity.
  • The Romans were notably active in the area, with finds like coins, brooches, and a snake bracelet, sparking interest in the site's archaeological mystery.
  • Local archaeologists suspect a fort at the site, but not all finds are military, covering over 250 years of Roman occupation.
  • Warburton, near Manchester, has origins dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period, with evidence pushing its history further back.
  • Discoveries at the site include prehistoric stonework, Bronze Age artifacts, and Roman military items like brooches and coins.
  • Speculation arises about the site being a fort or a farm, with debates on the purpose of the Roman presence in the area.
  • Field walking and geophysical surveys are conducted to uncover the site's nature, with trenches dug to investigate potential military features.
  • A Punic-style ditch is identified, raising questions about the site's military significance and potential as a trap for enemies.
  • Excavations reveal challenges in determining the site's true nature, with conflicting evidence and lack of significant finds causing uncertainty.
  • Despite extensive efforts, including multiple trenches and geophysical surveys, conclusive evidence of a Roman fortlet remains elusive, leaving archaeologists puzzled about the site's history.

15:26

"Uncovering Metal Work: Trenches and Discoveries"

  • The team extends the survey to investigate noise in an area that may indicate metal work, leading to a decision to dig a trench.
  • A trench is placed over a geophysical survey to uncover evidence of metal working, potentially explaining the presence of Roman materials.
  • Concentrations of metal work in the field prompt the team to target those areas for excavation.
  • A trench is planned to intersect the metal work concentrations and the ridge to assess soil thickness.
  • The team considers extending a trench to connect with previous excavations to explore potential archaeological features.
  • An archaeometallogist replicates a Roman snake bracelet using beeswax modeling.
  • Despite initial disappointments, a trench reveals modern nails, possibly due to modern activities eroding older features.
  • Examination of a trackway suggests a plow headland, indicating the direction of plowing and potential reasons for the lack of finds.
  • Soil acidity tests challenge the theory that high acidity is responsible for the lack of pottery finds.
  • The team faces a lack of archaeological discoveries, prompting a shift in strategy to survey a neighboring field for potential finds.

30:24

"Uncovering Roman Artifacts: Field Excavation Success"

  • The team has been searching for Roman artifacts in a field near Manchester for three days but has found nothing so far.
  • They are moving to a new field on high ground, hoping for better results, using metal detectors, archaeologists, and field walkers.
  • Geophysics and metal detecting are being used to create a pattern on the ground to determine where to dig trenches.
  • Shovel pitting is being done to recover artifacts from the topsoil to characterize the field quickly.
  • Time is limited, so everyone is busy except Phil, who is focused on a previous trench, and Helen, who is double-checking finds.
  • Phil's tenacity pays off as he discovers lynchets, an old field system, indicating Roman and medieval activity.
  • The lynchets reveal a different landscape in the past, showing evidence of earlier agricultural practices.
  • The team discusses the historical significance of the lynchets in understanding the landscape's history.
  • The team continues excavations, finding a seal from a 19th-century seed bag and analyzing the soil layers for clues.
  • Despite some empty trenches, the team feels they have answered their initial questions about the site and made valuable discoveries.

45:34

"Archaeologists search fields for historical artifacts"

  • The archaeologists will continue searching fields for artifacts, using metal detectors and field walking techniques, with the knowledge that the fields have been farmed for 2,000 years, leading to the discovery of various artifacts that hint at the presence of different historical structures like a Victorian building, Roman villa, or prehistoric settlement. Through 400 meters of trenches, they have come to understand that many sites exist based on limited findings and speculation, highlighting the background noise of antiquity. Despite their efforts, after 160 programs, they humorously admit to finding absolutely nothing.
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