Time Team Season 16 Episode 13 Skeletons in the Shed: Blythburgh, Suffolk

In the 13th episode of the 16th season of Time Team, the team heads to the picturesque village of Blythburgh in Suffolk, England to investigate an unusual discovery: five human skeletons found in a garden shed.

The team sets up their base camp in the nearby churchyard which provides a beautiful backdrop for the investigation. They begin by examining the skeletons and quickly discover that they are from different time periods, with the earliest one dating back to the Bronze Age. The team is intrigued by the fact that the skeletons were buried so close together and in a garden shed, which is an unusual place for a burial.

Tony Robinson, the show's presenter, interviews Dr. Rebecca Redfern, a bioarchaeologist from the Museum of London, who explains how skeletons can provide valuable insights into people's lives and deaths. She notes that the Bronze Age skeleton has an arrowhead embedded in his chest, indicating that he died from violent trauma. This discovery sets the stage for a fascinating investigation into who the people buried in the shed were, how they lived, and how they died.

The team turns to geophysics to locate any other potential burials in the area. They use ground-penetrating radar, resistivity, and magnetometry to create a detailed picture of what lies beneath the soil. Their findings reveal a surprising amount of activity around the shed, indicating that the site was once a busy hub for the local community.

In addition to the skeletons, the team discovers a number of artifacts including Roman pottery, medieval iron fragments, and a hand axe from the Neolithic period. These discoveries further enhance the understanding of the site and provide clues about what life was like in Blythburgh during different historical periods.

To learn more about the skeletons and their identities, the team turns to DNA analysis. They extract DNA samples from the bones and send them off to a lab for analysis. The results are revealing, providing insights into the genetic makeup, health, and even physical traits of the individuals. The team is able to identify the gender and age of each skeleton, and their analysis provides some intriguing clues into how the individuals may have lived and died.

As the investigation draws to a close, the team realizes that the story behind the skeletons in the shed is far more complex than they initially thought. They uncover evidence of ritualistic burials, violent deaths, and social upheaval. Their work sheds new light on the lives of the people who lived in Blythburgh and the surrounding area over thousands of years.

Overall, this episode of Time Team is a fascinating exploration of the mysteries of human history. Through careful investigative work and scientific analysis, the team uncovers new insights into a seemingly mundane discovery and reveals a rich and complex picture of life in Blythburgh.