Rescuing Our Past

Buried evidence from the past can easily be destroyed and lost for ever; and not only town or city sites of archaeological importance come under threat. Country sites are in danger too, and from more than just motorway construction or mineral extraction. Modern farming uses deep plowing that can be very destructive, especially as most archaeological evidence in the countryside lies only inches below the surface of the ground. This video centers around `rescue archaeology' at an Anglo-Saxon site in North Yorkshire which is about to be plowed up. After an introductory section it divides into three parts. The first, Discovery, shows the main methods archaeologists employ in deciding where to dig. The second, Recovery, explores the main techniques of excavation, showing the different ways of recovering information about buildings, the remains of people, their clothes and personal belongings, and environmental evidence. Computers are used more and more in the field, in conjunction with electronic surveying techniques. In the third section, Reconstruction, all the information gathered during the excavation is put together to give a picture of the past, showing us what kind of houses these Anglo-Saxons lived in. A reconstruction illustration shows an Anglo-Saxon woman wearing clothes and with other possessions including brooches and her handbag, and accompanied by a dog, all of which were discovered in the dig.

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