Time Team

Time Team's Dr Helen Geake and Martyn Williams explore the world of archaeology. Featuring exclusive access to digs and interviews with experts to unearth the stories of the past.

We bring you a podcast here every Tuesday, with one available to watch per month on our YouTube channel.

Join our community of archaeology and history enthusiasts over on Patreon. Head to patreon.com/timeteamofficial to find out more.

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

20 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes20

Newest first

Tuesday · 34 min
Your Ness of Brodgar questions answered
Martyn Williams speaks to Helen Geake from The Ness of Brodgar on Orkney where Time Team's been carrying out a month-long excavation. The Ness is a neolithic site where 20 years of digging identified dozens of buildings just a stone's throw away from majestic stone circles and burial mounds. Following a geophysics survey our very own John Gater noticed a strange circular anomaly. The team were dispatched to work alongside Ness of Brodgar archaeologists to find out what it might be. Nick Card, one of the site's directors, answers some of the many questions sent in by Time Team members who are eager to learn more about this incredible site. There's another podcast from Orkney next week. In the meantime, why not check out more Time Team content from The Ness of Brodgar. We've been keeping you updated on the dig moment by moment. Head to patreon.com/timeteamofficial to become a member and catch up on what you might've missed.
July 21 · 32 min
Hidden Tudor tunnels at Henry VIII's palace?
In this week's Time Team podcast you'll learn about an exciting discovery at New Hall School in Essex, home to the Palace of Beaulieu which was once owned by King Henry VIII. Workers repairing a ha-ha (sunken wall) came across what are thought to be Tudor tunnels, once part of the original palace building. The site was once the subject of a Time Team dig back in 2009. Martyn Williams revisits to see the latest discovery for himself. Also today, John Gater speaks to Helen and Martyn from Orkney where Time Team's dig at The Ness of Brodgar continues. Time Team members can follow it as it happens on Patreon. You'll also hear about Orkney's unique rock art from expert Tertia Barnett and Derek Pitman and Lawrence Shaw check out a historic festival at Butser. To follow updates from The Ness of Brodgar, as well as getting access to ad-free and bonus episodes of the Time Team podcast, become a Time Team member. Visit patreon.com/timeteamofficial for all the details.
July 14 · 38 min
How did Romans grout their mosaics?
Helen Geake answers questions on archaeology and history submitted by Time Team members on Patreon. You'll hear about the items archaeologists take home from a site, the features that are crucial for an archaeological drawing and you'll learn how you can still be an archaeologist without digging in a trench. There's also Helen's Find, where Helen brings a historical object to your attention. You can see the one mentioned in today's episode at the following link: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/500107 Time Team's currently at the Ness of Brodgar on Orkney. You can follow our dig as it happens by joining us as a Time Team member. Head to patreon.com/timeteamofficial to support the work we do.
July 7 · 39 min
Orkney's hidden stone circle?
What could the mysterious circular anomaly be? Time Team geophysicist John Gater has scanned an area near the iconic neolithic site of The Ness of Brodgar. An intriguing circular pattern has revealed itself in the data, but what is it? Helen Geake shares her theory with co-host Martyn Williams. Time Team's Jackie McKinley also has her own idea of what might be hidden beneath Orkney. She shares her thoughts as she prepares to travel to the site herself. Also on today's podcast; you'll learn how AI is helping to unravel ancient scrolls, find out more about the skeletons discovered on an ancient Wars of The Roses battlefield and you'll hear what happened when Martyn visited Time Team's Meg Russell on a site in Dorset where archaeologists of the future are being trained. You can follow Time Team's dig at The Ness of Brodgar, with updates from site, by becoming a Time Team member. Head to patreon.com/timeteamofficial to find out more. Becoming a Time Team member supports the archaeology we do up and down the country and around the world. We couldn't do it without you!
June 30 · 36 min
When recovering finds goes wrong
Helen Geake answers more questions from Time Team members about archaeology, history and Time Team. You'll learn about the delicate process of recovering buried finds, ponder the merits of archaeological experience and hear about the Time Team moments Mick Aston would've enjoyed. In Helen's Find you'll learn about an object discovered through archaeology. This time it's a small sundial. You can see it here: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/502553 Become a Time Team member to ask your question on a future edition of the podcast. You also get access to ad-free and bonus content, 3D models, behind-the-scenes insights and the chance to join us on site. Head to patreon.com/timeteamofficial for more information.
June 23 · 37 min
Amazing Stonehenge discovery
Phil Harding tells the Time Team podcast about a remarkable discovery at a site just five kilometres from Stonehenge. Holes thought to have once contained huge wooden posts were discovered which date back 500 years before the stones at Stonehenge were erected. The posts at Bulford line up with the summer and winter solstices, in the same way they do at Stonehenge. It means this new discovery could have been an early prototype for the solar alignment seen at Stonehenge. You'll hear Phil talking to Helen Geake and Martyn Williams, alongside Fabio Silva, an astroarchaeologist, who helped to confirm the findings. There are also details of how you can contribute to Time Team's future research by suggesting sites for new digs. You can help Time Team unearth more of our past by becoming a Time Team member. In return you'll get access to ad-free and bonus episodes, 3D models, behind-the-scenes exclusives and the chance to dig with us on site. Go to patreon.com/timeteamofficial for more information.
June 16 · 37 min
Could an Egyptian mummy be hiding in a field?
Archaeologist Dr Helen Geake answers questions from Time Team members. You'll learn the archaeological significance of ditches, ponder whether climate change might destroy our buried ancient past and consider the possibility ground up ancient Egyptian mummies might be scattered across British fields! There's also Helen's Find. This time Helen's looking at two objects from the Portable Antiquities Scheme: 1) https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/512140 2) https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/912922 Time Team members can ask Helen a question for a future episode. Sign up on Patreon for ad-free and bonus episodes of the podcast as well as so much more from Time Team.
June 9 · 37 min
Who were the Picts, really?
Archaeologist Dr Helen Geake and co-host Martyn Williams take you deeper into the world of history and archaeology. On today's episode you'll discover the remarkable result of 10 years of research into the Picts in Scotland. Prof. Gordon Noble summarises a decade's worth of work! There's also an update from the Guildhall in King's Lynn where it's believed William Shakespeare performed, Time Team's Naomi Sewpaul explains why snails could hold the key to understanding our past and you'll meet some Time Team members! You can find more information on a decade of research into the Picts here: https://www.socantscot.org/news/new-society-book-transforms-our-understanding-of-the-picts/ Want to become a Time Team member and support the work we do? Get access to loads more from Time Team, including ad-free and bonus episodes of this podcast. Go to www.patreon.com/timeteamofficial for more information.
June 2 · 38 min
What nobody knows about hill forts
Time Team archaeologist Helen Geake is answering questions from Time Team members. Where did people who lived on Iron Age hill forts get their water? Did Anglo-Saxons live in buildings vacated by the Romans and which member of Time Team is most keen to get to the pub? Helen brings you her thoughts on the things you want to know. There's also a surprise guest in the form of Dr Michael Olsson from Uppsala University in Sweden. He's got in touch after hearing Helen and Martyn discuss a topic he knows a fair bit about! Everything we do on Time Team is made possible by the generosity of Time Team members. To join us, and get access to so much more from Time Team including ad-free and bonus episodes of this podcast, masterclasses, 3D models and a chance to join us on site, head to patreon.com/timeteamofficial.
May 26 · 34 min
Did we discover a medieval village?
Dr Helen Geake and Martyn Williams are back with another edition of the Time Team podcast on YouTube. In this episode Lawrence Shaw and Stewart Ainsworth make the tricky journey to a remote part of Northumberland. Might they have come across the site of a lost medieval village, or perhaps an ancient 'shieling' site? The pair debate how suitable the site might be for a larger Time Team investigation. Also, Time Team's Carenza Lewis gives an update on work following our dig in the village of Norton Disney and Time Team's graphics whizz, Matt 'Bear' Clark, shows us behind the scenes on some of the works of art he's creating for the programme. In Time Team News this month you'll learn about the discovery of a site for producing illicit whiskey, the medieval notebook lost in a toilet and the doomed 19th Century expedition to discover new trade routes. Links below. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx219pg5lpxo https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/05/medieval-notebook-found-preserved-in-latrine/158064 https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/more-doomed-franklin-expedition-sailors-identified-revealing-clues-about-how-they-tried-to-find-safety All of the work we do unearthing the past and making programmes, including this podcast, is funded by the public. Becoming a Time Team member and supporting us on Patreon directly funds excavations and the programmes we make. Head to patreon.com/timeteamofficial to discover the benefits you'll receive when you join us.
May 19 · 35 min
What were ancient roofs built from?
It's a question and answer edition of the Time Team podcast. Dr Helen Geake puts on her thinking cap as Time Team members grill her on subjects such as the prevalence of ants on a dig, the relationship between archaeology and other fields, and the way to determine what an ancient roof might have been constructed from. Helen's Find also makes a comeback. This time Helen's looking at a stylus. You can see the item for yourself here: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/900647 Time Team members get to ask Helen a question. Just head to the 'chat' section on Patreon at patreon.com/timeteamofficial Becoming a member is a great way of supporting the archaeology we do and the programmes we make. All our digs are funded by you! In return we bring you ad-free and bonus episodes of the podcast as well as behind the scenes films, 3D models, masterclasses and the chance to join us on site. Consider becoming a Time Team member today and thank you for supporting what we do.
May 12 · 39 min
Secrets of neolithic artificial island revealed
Helen Geake and Martyn Williams find out more about a crannog in a Scottish loch which has been hiding a secret about its construction. Dr Stephanie Blankshein from the University of Southampton explains the findings from exciting new research. You'll go behind the scenes of a conservation lab at Birmingham Museum where ancient objects are restored to their former glory. Jacq Barnard from the Sutton Hoo Ship's Company gives an update as work continues to reconstruct an Anglo-Saxon ship. Ahead of the release of a classic episode of Time Team, you'll learn more about a stone age tsunami which could have been partly responsible for making Britain an island. Get ad-free and bonus episodes of the podcast by becoming a Time Team member. You'll also get loads more exclusive content from Time Team, including 3D models, masterclasses and the chance to join us on site. Go to patreon.com/timeteamofficial to find out more about how you can support the archaeology we do.
May 5 · 32 min
Plaque to the future
Archaeologist Dr Helen Geake answers questions from Time Team members in this episode of the Time Team podcast. Co-host Martyn Williams shares some of the ideas the production team have been coming up with on how to mark the moment the Sutton Hoo Ship's Company launch their reconstructed Anglo-Saxon ship. There are questions on identifying dental work on skeletal remains, the future of large scale archaeological excavations, telling a person's profession from their bones and the Time Team project Helen's most proud of. You can submit your question for a future episode, plus get ad-free and bonus episodes of the podcast by becoming a Time Team member. Your support on Patreon allows us to make more programmes and carry out more archaeology. Go to patreon.com/timeteamofficial for more information.
April 28 · 37 min
The maps that unlock your family tree secrets
Helen Geake and Martyn Williams bring you more from the world of archaeology. In this episode of the podcast Derek Pitman shares some of the results from a geophysical survey of the Mapperton Estate. Could the grainy blobs on the data be a lost Roman building? As Suzannah Lipscomb takes you behind the scenes at Broughton Castle, our chief metal detectorist, Keith Westcott, reveals how he discovered a huge Roman villa nearby. Mark Bayley from The Genealogist demonstrates how you can use maps to research your family tree. There's also Time Team News, where you'll get Helen's thoughts on the following archaeology stories in the news this week. Cave discoveries: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8ejjw7377jo Homer's Iliad: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/egypt-mummy-homer-iliad-gut-b2961509.html Red hair genetics study: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/16/red-hair-gene-favoured-natural-selection-study Time Team members have access to a bonus podcast where osteo-archaeologist Jackie McKinley gives you an in-depth insight into research done into the double burial at Cherington. Cutting edge DNA technology has revealed a boy and girl, buried together, were brother and sister. Jackie explains why the discovery is changing what we know about Anglo-Saxon burials. That's available at patreon.com/timeteamofficial
April 21 · 38 min
The archaeology of language
Helen Geake and Martyn Williams are in conversation with linguist, writer and broadcaster Danny Bate. His new book, 'Why Q Needs U', invites you to get to grips with the complexities of language and how tracing its roots can help us discover more about the past. You can get much more from Time Team and the podcast by becoming a Time Team member. Get ad-free and bonus episodes as well as 3D models, masterclasses and early access to new Time Team episodes. Head to patreon.com/timeteamofficial to learn more.
April 14 · 36 min
Has Time Team discovered a lost Roman site?
Time Team's expedition crew have been on the Mapperton estate in Dorset where they've been excavating a mysterious structure in a field. Helen Geake and Martyn Williams take you to the heart of the dig and wonder whether the discovery could be a long-forgotten Roman building. There's also exciting news from Time Team's Jackie McKinley who's received some remarkable information about the bodies of a young boy and girl found buried together in a grave in Cherington, as featured in our 'Princely Burial' dig. For ad-free and bonus episodes of the podcast why not join us as a Time Team member on Patreon. There's loads more from Time Team there. Your support means we can fund more archaeological right across the UK and around the world.
April 7 · 36 min
Understanding Brancaster's Roman fort
Time Team have just finished a three day excavation of the Roman fort at Brancaster in Norfolk. On the evening of our second day on site the team headed to the local village hall where people in the community gathered to hear about some of the discoveries archaeologists had made. Recorded in front of a live audience you'll hear from the podcast's own Helen Geake, Angus Wainwright from the National Trust, Dani Wootton, Matt Williams and Carenza Lewis as they answer questions put to them from people who live just a short walk from the iconic Roman site. There's lots more from Brancaster on Patreon where you can also get ad-free and bonus episodes of the podcast. Support the archaeology we do by becoming a Time Team member at patreon.com/timeteamofficial
March 31 · 37 min
Excavating the Roman fort of Branodunum
Helen Geake and Martyn Williams are on site with Time Team in Brancaster, Norfolk. Archaeologists are excavating the Roman fort of Branodunum following some amazing geophysics results, whilst filming a new Time Team episode. Helen and Martyn will take you behind the scenes as the dig takes place. You'll meet the team of experts and volunteers who are all working hard on a very cold and windy site. Time Team members at the Project Supervisor tier and above have access to a bonus episode recorded on site. Helen and Martyn are joined in the Time Team dome by Carenza Lewis, Dani Wootton and John Gater to answer some of the questions you've been sending in via Patreon. For ad-free and bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes videos, masterclasses, 3D models and so much more visit patreon.com/timeteamofficial to find out how you can support the archaeology we do and the programmes we make.
March 24 · 33 min
The truth about The Celts
In a special edition of the podcast, Helen Geake and Martyn Williams sit down with John Waddell, author and former Professor of Archaeology in the University of Galway. He's just released 'The Celtic World: A History', which looks at what life was really like for The Celts of Europe. John helps to dispel myths and tells you things you never knew about their culture, language and lifestyle. You'll finish listening to this podcast with a far deeper understanding. 'The Celtic World: A History' is now available to buy in the Time Team shop at https://shop.timeteamdigital.com/collections/books Time Team members can get even more from the podcast, including ad-free and bonus episodes. Head to patreon.com/timeteamofficial to find out how you can help support the archaeology we do and the programmes we make.
March 17 · 37 min
Hadrian's Wall and more at Current Archaeology Live
We're at Current Archaeology Live at UCL in London. Guest speakers from the world of archaeology are presenting to a packed audience. Helen and Martyn have been chatting to some of them. You'll hear from the event's keynote speaker, David Breeze, who knows all there is to know about Hadrian's Wall. There's also a conversation with the winner of the Archaeologist of the Year award at the Current Archaeology Awards, Dr Jane Kershaw. Time Team members at Project Supervisor level and above can listen to a bonus episode recorded in the pub after the event, where more archaeologists share their research with Helen and Martyn. To find out how to access ad-free and bonus episodes of the podcast head to patreon.com/timeteamofficial