Curse of the cold.

It’s a very cold October morning; its 5am and I am in work! Why, oh why, have I left the warmth of my bed? Two words - the BBC……………………………………

Cameraman and sound engineer recording Neil Oliver around the Great Bath.

I have been asked to stand guard over 5 lead curses, as they are presented as part of a new BBC series, ‘The Ancient History of Britain’. The outdoor piece is presented by Neil Oliver (that guy from Coast) and discussed with Dr Roger Tomlin (a really cool and clever Roman Historian).

A cold crew including me!

Filming begins at 6am in front of the Temple Pediment; Neil Oliver delivers his piece quickly and succinctly to camera (a trait which has earned him the nickname of ‘the one hit wonder’). We are soon joined by Dr Tomlin, who is probably one of the most intelligent and enigmatic men I have ever met. Now that the two are together, filming of the curses by the Great Bath can begin……

Vilbia curse tablet

The two men don their gloves, as requested by me, and begin handling and talking about the lead tablets to camera. Filming wraps up by 9:30am and I go in search of a hot mug of tea to warm me up from the cold. I am smiling at the unusual experience I have just had while the rest of the world had been sleeping……….

The series is due to be aired in 2012 so, if like me, you are a bit of an archaeology geek, I suggest you look out for it because it’s going to be good!


Helen Harman - Collections Assistant

P.S. A Happy New Year to you all!

UPDATED 26TH APRIL 2011 - Programme to be aired tonight at 9pm BBC2 series name change 'A History of Celtic Britain' Don't miss it!

My Time Team Discovery

I was digging through the archive records and stumbled upon an entry for the ‘Time Team Dig archives and finds,’ from 2002. The entry contains a description which reads, ‘Dig to find ‘missing’ parts of Fosse Way at St Andrews Church, Julian Road and Crescent lawns.’

The Time Team episode associated with this archive entry is entitled ‘Death in a Crescent’ and according to the Time Team website on Channel 4¹ it aired on 16th February 2003. The material from the dig was accessioned on 3rd September 2002 which shows you how far in advance they film these programs to have good weather and allowing the television making process to do its work before the episodes make it to TV screens.

Time Team describes their excavations as taking place at the Royal Crescent in Bath, with a Roman cemetery ‘round the back' of the Crescent and the Fosse Way ‘at the front’¹ in the lawns of the Royal Victoria Park.² The Time Team Diggers were in search of archaeological evidence relating to parch marks in the Royal Victoria Park and for archaeology associated with the Victorian discovery of a Roman sarcophagus behind the Royal Crescent.¹ Parch marks are areas of grass where the growth is effected by the presence of buried archaeology. As per usual, things didn’t go exactly as planned on Time Team and things weren’t exactly where they expected them to be.²

The episode can still be seen on Channel 4 On Demand (4oD)²

I took the opportunity to look through the material archives and in the object stores and found the boxes and material from the Time Team dig.

The Paper Archive Record Books

There are always neat things to be discovered while searching through the archives. I bet you didn’t know that the Roman Baths are associated with most archaeological activity in the area and are the repository for artefacts from and materials relating to archaeological excavations in the local area. The stores and archives here are full of fascinating material and much of it is not Roman or associated with the Baths. Outside of the Roman Period I think my favourite time period is either the Anglo-Saxon or Georgian Period. I just can’t decide. What is your favourite period in England outside of the Roman Period?


¹http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/2003_bath.html
²http://www.channel4.com/programmes/time-team/episode-guide/series-10/episode-7


Katrina Elizabeth