How Do They Know Where To Dig?

All of the sites that Time Team choose for their digs are researched very carefully first and all of them are chosen because the Team is pretty sure there is something to find. They don't just go and choose any old empty field!

The researchers at Time Team are all archaeologists, so they keep their ears to the ground (ha ha) and make sure they know what's going on around the country in case any interesting sites come up.

Can you see all the finds in the trays and buckets? This photo was taken at another dig.

© Time Team.

The dig we're visiting is just outside a village called Northborough, near Peterborough in the East of England. Underneath this big, empty field Time Team are hoping to find evidence of a Neolithic causewayed enclosure.

A 'causewayed enclosure' basically means a farm, an area of land that has been fenced off, lived in and used by farmers. 'Neolithic' is the word used to describe a period of time about 4,500 years ago.

This is one of the aerial photos taken in 1996. Can you see the circular shape marked out on the field?

© English Heritage (NMR) Pickering Collection.

Several years ago a photograph of this field was taken from an aeroplane. It is much easier to see marks and patterns in the ground from way up high than it is from standing at ground level, so archaeologists often use aerial photos to identify interesting sites.

The photo of this field showed traces of the enclosure, but today's dig is the first chance archaeologists have had to find out for sure.

Archaeological sites are found in all sorts of ways. Often sites in towns and cities are found when new building work takes place and builders dig deep into the ground to lay foundations.

Sometimes sites are discovered by farmers ploughing their fields, or by metal detectors, searching land for finds.

Keep your eyes open when you're out and about - you never know, you could stumble upon the next big discovery!