Abstract

In June 2004 Channel4's Time Team broadcast nine days
of live archaeological investigations on more than 1,300
sites across the United Kingdom. This broke a number of
records, including the number of siles investigated and
the number of people involved, and as such was called
'Big Dig'. One of the guiding principles of Big Dig
was that it should allow members of the general public
the chance to excavate in their 'own' patch - for most
this mean! digging in their gardens, while others had
the chance to dig in their local park or school grounds.
It is therefore not surprising to nOle that most of the
sites investigated were with in settlements which were
in existence in the Middle Ages, and many of them
were medieval rural settlements. Publication here of
details of the 1,300 Big Dig test pits is not possible, for
reasons of both space and the rights to privacy of those
involved. Details of the locations oflhe test pits in each
county are however available on the Channel 4 Website
(www.channeI4.com). and lists of the test pits are held
by county archaeological officers to allow results to be
accessed. However, a few general poims can usefully
be made.