Time Team S20 Special - 1066 The Lost Battlefield
741,304
Published 2013-12-12
Time Team set themselves the task of uncovering the true location of England's most famous defeat.
For decades there has been dispute over the site, even though Battle Abbey is supposed to stand exactly where Harold fell. In 2012 a bestseller claimed that Caldbec Hill, a mile away, was the real site. But most historians still believe the main focus of the fighting was in the fields below the Abbey.
Time Team excavate both sites to seek evidence of either one being a battlefield.
Digging alone is inconclusive. But a cutting edge aerial technology called LIDAR to map the terrain proves that the traditional battlefield would have been too boggy for William's Norman cavalry.
So military analysts study the data to see where Harold, a skilled commander, would most likely have mounted his defence against William's invading army.
They identify the only ideal battlefield. It seems Harold's fearsome Saxon shield wall straddled a narrow strategic pass that is on today's A2100.
It leads to a surprising conclusion about where the heart of the battle was fought, and why William won and Harold lost.
All Comments (21)
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As we get older, we appreciate history more. Tony and the team bring history to life in a much better way then my old teachers did when I was in school. Thank you Time Team!
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I like Sir Tony Robinson, he did two important things in his life - made people laugh and gave them knowledge of their own History.
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I really enjoy this episode, it goes to show that history as it actually happened is not always remembered or cataloged accurately thru time, but comes to be a common story told, be it factual or legend, and so places can be misunderstood a bit.
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I've watched a few documentaries about the Battle of Hastings, but this is the first one I can remember where they brought in a modern military commander, had him look a topographical map of the area and say, "I'd put my men here."
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I'm binge watching my favourites: Time Team and Mock The Week to stay "sane", during covid-19 quarantine! Anyone else? Stay healthy everyone!!
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Phil really is the heart and soul of this show for me.
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I, an American, visited the site of the battle with my husband, a New Zealander. I had promised my British history professor, Dr. Jack Collins, that, if he would give me a certain grade, I would always remember the year of the battle of Hastings. He agreed, did give me the grade, and I have never forgotten. I even saw Jack at a cocktail party some years later, and I yelled across the crowd at him, "Jack, 1066!" So, it was truly delightful to see the actual site. Also, the field, or pasture, was the home of copious flowers. This instantly reminded me of the Peter, Paul, and Mary song, "Where Have Aall the Flowers Gone?" This was the perfect site to represent that song. Look up the words if you don't know them! We then flew to France to see the original Bayonne tapestry. I heartily recommend this trip in toto to anyone and everyone. We often can't see these places that drive the point of the actuality of history home to us in such a strong visual, deep in our gut way. Would that we could see these and more as children. It would enhance our perspective as adults! Incidentally, there is a show of all this on YouTube from the Time Detectives. Worth watching. But, I also recommend reading about these locations and events.
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This is fascinating. I like how they do more than just dig. With advancements like aerial Lidar technology, using landscape archeology, knowledge of how the area looked at that point in history, and getting professional advisors to determine probable battle tactics, a more complete picture is formed. It’s like bringing the history to life.
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Phil would chop you in half if met in Battle. I think his great great great great great great grandfather stopped the viking invasion back in the day.. singlehandedly. However i hope for a reboot of this series! Very informative, well executed tv production. British quality.
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I really miss this program
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Good grief that is exactly where I was brought up - house with the For Sale sign - 1 Lower Lake = no roundabout in my day or indeed in 1066 but it does all make sense - I played in those fields too and sledged down the steep hill in the snow.
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One of the best history series EVER to grace our screens.
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I was wondering where the heck Stuart was! He could have Narrated this show with Tony. Love that Stuart!
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Amazing to see these new developments - we went here in 2018 and it was already thrilling to be on one of the most important battle site areas in the world ever. Hope that future excavations will shed even more light on this site.
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I was there for the re-enactment in 1966 - Battle Abbey fields - great pork roll, but no one actually killed! The roundabout - far more dangerous!
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When I had history of civ in 1964 Prof Pearce called him Bill the Bastard. We are fortunate to have Sir Tony as the presenter of this series. Thank you and all of the time team.
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If William invaded today the potholes alone would have prevented him getting far on our roads.
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This is extremely relevant to me because my ancestor was William's head standard bearer
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I have been waiting for this for years... I remember another dig, somewhere close from Time team where they also mentioned the battle of Hastings, and where I first got into looking for my one Great ancestors, William Chanertelle [ Cantrell, but spelled so many other ways ] BUT his name is supposed to be in the records of THIS battle, and He is supposed to have supported King Harold's but also fought with him, and survived, the battle to be given lands for his support [ but by whom?? ]. THIS episode goes into more detail, just such a shame that with all the history of this place, that there was not much on the digs themselves. The Remaining question is: I will give that a LOT of the weapons were stolen from the battlefield, along with anything else that could be re-used, BUT with all those that died, where did the remains go? Are those remains UNDER that city round a about?? Will there ever come a time, for the sake of history and archelogy, that spot is dug up and a dig to find out where if any, the bodies went??
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I can't help thinking that an army that had just fought a battle and then had a forced march of 200 miles, might not be at its best?
