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00:00This week we've travelled north to the stunning Scottish lowlands.
00:07We are following in the footsteps of legends as we conduct a very special field search.
00:16Over the next hour with our team of archaeological experts and our fantastic detectors,
00:22we're going to be peeling back this landscape.
00:25We're also going to be scuba-tecting, diving underwater in search of lost archaeological treasures.
00:34And through these artefacts, we hope to tell you the story of the people who lived here for thousands of years.
00:42It's going to be a good one. Welcome to Digging for Treasure tonight.
00:55Welcome to Scotland. Good evening everybody. Lovely to have you.
01:12Lovely to see you. Thank you for coming.
01:14Let's do some introductions because who needs Mary Queen of Scots when you've got Raksha Queen of Pots?
01:21I know there's more to it than pots.
01:23There's so much more to it than that.
01:24It rhymes though, Raksha.
01:25Oh, I'll let you off this time.
01:27Okay, talking royalty, in the presence of greatness, this is the one and only Dr Alison Sheridan.
01:32Our very own Queen of the Stone Age.
01:34Yeah, Alison is an expert in Scottish prehistory and material culture.
01:38We're going to keep you very busy tonight.
01:40Also, a warm welcome to our team from Metal Detecting Scotland, who are all around us.
01:46It's a good job you can hear them, because you can't see most of them.
01:48They're in so much camo, apart from Hi-Vis Harry. There he is.
01:52Nice to see you, Harry.
01:53He's actually called Jimmy, but don't worry about that.
01:55And also, we're so busy today, we've had to draft in extra help.
01:58This is producer James, who is very busy going to find.
02:03And all these guys have been involved in our field survey and talking about surveying fields.
02:06Let's go this way, because Michaela is out there. Let's see what she's up to.
02:11Dan, it's been incredibly busy out here.
02:13We've already had 50 artefacts that have been dug up, including this one that James has just handed me.
02:19We think this is a Mary Queen of Scots coin dating back to the 16th century.
02:25It may not look like much, but on there would have been Mary Queen of Scots head.
02:29Now, we've got to get that analysed.
02:31Ewan has found this. We think it's Victorian jewellery.
02:35We've got Mary found this, and she thinks this is a George V at sixpence.
02:41And hopefully, we're going to find lots more, because we haven't randomly just picked this field.
02:47We've done our research, and we've come here because it has such a rich history.
02:53Just beyond our base camp lies Loch Leaven, Scotland's largest lowland loch.
03:04Upon it stands Loch Leaven Castle.
03:07In 1305, it was stormed by William Wallace during the First War of Independence.
03:13Eleven years later, Robert the Bruce turned this island fortress into a prison.
03:19And it was some 200 years on that those walls kept Mary Queen of Scots captive.
03:24She was forced to give up her throne before eventually escaping across these very fields, never to return.
03:30This place has witnessed seismic events, cornerstones that have shaped our history.
03:36It looks like a head of the first. It's a cracker.
03:40Maybe they were going to see Mary at Loch Leaven.
03:42Well done you.
03:44Oh, I'm delighted with that.
03:46We're going to build a timeline of those who lived here, worked here, loved here.
03:53Look at what has just been discovered, this tiny watch winder.
04:00We think it dates to the late 18th century when this was a large bustling estate.
04:05You can just imagine, can't you?
04:07The lords and the ladies trotting out to survey their land.
04:11Could this have been dropped on one of their outings?
04:15We're unearthing remnants of our past, stories lost in time.
04:20Within our field search lies which node, this innocent-looking patch of ground belies its gruesome past.
04:28Which trials were held here and executions took place?
04:33This copper borby is a coin that was found right here and it dates from that time.
04:39You look at it and you think, what did it buy? Who lost it?
04:43It can tell us so much about the history of this area and to think it's been untouched for 400 years.
04:50This place is fascinating. It's exciting.
04:54With such a rich and varied history, who knows what else we might discover.
05:03It's amazing to think, isn't it, that there is so much history beneath our feet.
05:07Plenty more of that to come, but also on the programme for you tonight.
05:10Raksha is going to be visiting a big dig in Hull as they reveal the ruins of medieval port defences built to keep out marauding pirates.
05:18We're going to join a detecting club as they break new ground and meet farmers who own the land,
05:23who are very keen to try detecting themselves for the first time.
05:26And we'll tell you the story of a man who, through a combination of research and determination,
05:31helped solve a mystery from the Second World War and also got a commendation from the President of the USA.
05:38One more thing to say about our field survey is obviously we've got permission to be here tonight.
05:43We've followed all the rules and the guidelines.
05:45And if you'd like to know a bit more about that in your area,
05:48and to make sure that if you are wanting to get involved you can do it responsibly,
05:51there's loads more information on our social media.
05:54Just to let you know where we are, we're in East Scotland.
05:57Loch Leaven is about half a mile that way.
06:00We are about a 30 to 40 minute drive north of Edinburgh.
06:03We are searching here, but there's another satellite search going on about 100 miles west in Loch Goyle in the Trossocks National Park.
06:10And that was actually a really popular spot for Victorian tourists.
06:14So what we're doing is trying to search for evidence of that using a technique called scuba-tecting,
06:19which does exactly what it says in the tin. It's looking for artefacts with scuba gear.
06:23The man we need for that is Toddy, and we can speak to him right now.
06:26And Toddy, lovely to see you. How's it going at Loch Goyle?
06:30Hi, Dan.
06:31What are we hoping to find, Toddy?
06:33Well, I've got my metal detector with me, Dan.
06:36I'll maybe hopefully find some coins and maybe the odd Victorian bottle if I'm lucky.
06:41I've got the cameraman with me.
06:43I've got the microphone in here, so hopefully you can see and hear me.
06:48OK, I'll catch up with you and have it.
06:55Let's hope the technology gods are smiling down on Toddy.
06:58But we've had loads of finds coming in. James is really busy. He's scribbling away.
07:02And this is the oldest. Can we have a look at that, please, Alison?
07:06That's right, yes.
07:07Shove it under that macro. Let's have a look. Oh, gosh, that's gorgeous.
07:11This is a silver penny of King Edward I, Edward Longshanks of England.
07:17So he is the baddie of Braveheart, isn't he?
07:19He is indeed, yes.
07:20This particular coin was minted in Canterbury, and so we can narrow down when it was made between 1272 and 1307.
07:28So it's highly likely, then, that somebody who was within Edward I's army was here fighting with the Scottish and most probably dropped that coin in this field.
07:40Yeah, absolutely.
07:41Well, what I really love, though, is this teeny tiny spoon. Can we have a look at that as well?
07:46Yes.
07:47Small but perfectly formed, I would say.
07:50Yeah, it's the sort of thing that you wish you'd been born with one of these in your mouth.
07:54So what can you tell us about this spoon, then?
07:56Well, it's so teeny that it would have been a salt spoon.
08:01So it may be related to the big house here, would have been on the main table, but we can say a bit more about it as well.
08:09So it's got hallmarks on the back.
08:12Oh, look at those. Beautiful.
08:14Yeah, and so we know that it's sterling silver. It's got the lion pestle. We know that it was assayed in Chester.
08:22So what does assayed mean?
08:23That means they tested it to test the purity of the silver. And then you have a date stamp on the end, and so we're pretty sure that it was 1778.
08:35That's pretty spectacular, isn't it? So do you think that that was made in Chester?
08:39Well, it was assayed in Chester, so it could well have been made in Chester as well.
08:43And then it's just made its way all the way up to Scotland to sit on this grand table by the shores of Loch Leven.
08:49Exactly.
08:50Beautiful.
08:51I love the spoon. It's fascinating, isn't it, that we're sort of diving into history. We've found that link between William Wallace and Edward I.
08:57And if you studied history at school, you might remember that it was Edward I who eventually had William Wallace hung, drawn and quartered at the start of the 14th century.
09:04We've got another fine to talk about. Where is Alex? Alex? Oh, give Alex a nice warm welcome. Come and join us, Alex.
09:10Now, I don't often say this, but get your teeth out. I mean, look at this. This is a set of gold dentures. Because you just think, this is gold. I mean, going through my mind is why somebody would take these.
09:22Yes. They must have been having a particularly chewy lunch to take those out. Yes, and somebody with plenty of money, because it must be about £300 to make them in the day.
09:30Okay, so back in 1850, because you had it dated a record. Yes, 1850 because it's Vulcanite in it.
09:35Okay, so, Alison, I mean, you think about £300 back in 1850. What's that in modern money?
09:41That's about £25,000 in modern money. Expensive dentistry.
09:45Was that common back then, to have teeth like that? Made of gold?
09:48No. I mean, it was only very, very rare. Only special people could afford to have that.
09:53I don't know if you saw Raksh's face when you brought these out. You're not keen on these, because of where they've been.
09:57No, no, no, no. That's given me a massive trigger. I think I need to go and book a dentist appointment straight away.
10:02Well, Alex, it's an amazing find. Thank you very much for bringing it in.
10:05And, you know, you, like everyone else here, has that ability, don't you, to transform what we know about the past,
10:09which is an amazing situation to be in. And Michaela's back out in the field. She's got immaculate teeth.
10:14But, Michaela, if you ever want a spare set, Alex, here's your man.
10:18Thanks, Dan. I'll bear that in mind. I actually fancy a bit of bling on my teeth.
10:22Oh, you've got a good signal there, haven't you, Ian?
10:25So, get digging and let me know if you find something good.
10:29Meanwhile, Tom has already been digging and looking rather pleased with yourself.
10:34What have you found?
10:35It looks a bit like a ring brooch or an annular brooch.
10:40It's got a little bit of detail on it.
10:42OK, can I take it from you? Of course you can.
10:44Let's have a close-up look against here.
10:46What sort of colour would it have been, I guess?
10:48Well, I think it's a kind of coppery-based.
10:51Probably, you know, a brighter colour, bright green or a coppery green or something like that, perhaps.
10:56And any guess at what, the date?
10:58Possibly 13th century.
11:0113th century? Yeah.
11:03And would that be on ladies' clothing, probably?
11:06The size of the brooch kind of makes me tend to think it might be ladies'.
11:10But, I mean, you get very, very tiny annular brooches, so it could easily be a man's brooch.
11:15Oh, really? Yes.
11:16My guess is that it's a man's brooch and it fell off in battle.
11:19How about that?
11:20No, I think that would work. I'll go with that.
11:22I like that, yeah.
11:23I'll go with that, don't we?
11:24Well, we need to obviously get that analysed, don't we?
11:26Of course.
11:27And hopefully we'll learn a little bit more about it.
11:29Yeah.
11:30That's a really good find. Thanks so much for that.
11:32We're going to keep detecting here.
11:34We'll be back after the break when Raksha meets up with some volunteers in Hull
11:39and they're trying to uncover a medieval ruin.
11:42And we'll also be seeing what Toddy's got with his scuba-tecting.
11:45So, we'll see you in just a minute.
11:47Welcome back to Digging for Treasures.
11:55If you've just joined us, we are coming to you from Scotland this evening.
11:59We're not too far away from Loch Leaven, but we've got another search going on over in Loch Goyle,
12:04which is about 100 miles west from here.
12:06That's where our friend Toddy, who actually runs this local group,
12:09we're helping us at the moment. He's there.
12:11Toddy, have you found anything?
12:13OK, I've got nothing to report yet. I haven't found anything, but hopefully soon.
12:19Thank you for that, Toddy. A man of few words, I think it's safe to say,
12:22but you don't always hit the archaeological jackpot.
12:25We'll be back with him a little bit later on.
12:26Let's get an update on our timeline,
12:28because we've already had like a window into some of the brutal history around here
12:32and also a slice of everyday life as well, haven't we?
12:35Well, we do. We're looking at the soul of the people living in this landscape.
12:38A story of love brought to us by Scott.
12:41Well done, Scott. Lovely, gorgeous Scott.
12:44And if we look here, this is a love token.
12:47This is what Scott found.
12:48This is what Scott found.
12:49And you can kind of just see the light glinting off it because it's bent.
12:53And actually, if we can get Alison to pop that under the macro,
12:58we can have a really close look at it.
13:00I mean, surely there would have been something written on there.
13:02Yes, originally. I mean, basically what this is is a very, very worn silver sixpence from William III.
13:08It dates to around 1690.
13:10And it was deliberately bent.
13:13So it was a practice of the day for young men.
13:15If they fancied a young lady, they would bend a coin and they would give it to her.
13:20And if she was interested in them, she would keep it.
13:22And if she wasn't, she'd just chuck it away.
13:24Oh!
13:25Oh, dear.
13:26That's actually quite a sad story behind that, really.
13:28Maybe she dropped it out of her pocket.
13:30Michaela's out there.
13:31Michaela, can you feel the love tonight?
13:33Dan, if that was a cue for me to start singing, then I'm happy to oblige.
13:38Can...
13:39I'll stop.
13:40I'll stop there.
13:41I'll stop there.
13:42Now, detecting is a bit like a box of chocolates.
13:44You don't know what you're going to get.
13:46You can get something really exciting or you can get something a bit disappointing.
13:50David, you've had a bit of a disappointing morning so far, haven't you?
13:53I have so far, yeah.
13:54What have you found?
13:55So we have a selection of iron, which is essentially rubbish, and...
13:59Oh, look at that!
14:00Yeah, the bottle cap is silver bits of rubbish, which give the same signal as a coin.
14:04Sounds really promising.
14:05Tiny bits of foil, a milk cap there, bottle lid, and all your usual iron.
14:10So that's circa 2021?
14:13It's got to be, yeah, 10, 20 years at most, I think.
14:16And of course it's really important not to put this back in the ground, because essentially
14:20it's rubbish.
14:21Even plastic that you find in the process, just remove it.
14:23Okay.
14:24Anything that shouldn't be there.
14:25I'm going to put that in your pocket then.
14:26Okay.
14:27But you have found something.
14:28Hopefully, yeah.
14:29You've got a signal.
14:30You've been beefing away here.
14:31So I'm feeling lucky.
14:32I'm feeling that your luck is going to change today.
14:34It's got to be.
14:35I've not had a single good one yet today.
14:36Go on then.
14:37Let's see what it is.
14:38Right, I'll pop the flag out.
14:39And...
14:40I'm good.
14:43Yeah, right in there.
14:44So...
14:45This is where it is exciting.
14:49I mean, you don't know what you're going to get.
14:50This might be another bottle cap.
14:52Literally anything, yeah.
14:53Might be a pool ring from a can.
14:56Or it could be something really interesting that tells us something about the history of
15:00this place.
15:01Still in there.
15:02Okay.
15:03Oh, there.
15:04Strong vibration.
15:05Do you want to have a little lift or will I...?
15:06It's almost a key for another song, isn't it?
15:07Good vibrations.
15:08No.
15:09I'm going to let you do it again.
15:10Okay.
15:11Because that might be somewhat quicker than me.
15:12There's something, look.
15:13There we go.
15:14And that is not very exciting at all, I'm afraid.
15:16That looks like something has probably come off the farm equipment.
15:17It has, yeah.
15:18It's silver.
15:19It's not rusty.
15:20It's not iron, so it gives the same signal as a coin or any other thing, but another one
15:23to the scrap pile, unfortunately.
15:24But as I say, that's part of the fun, isn't it?
15:25Absolutely.
15:26I mean, you're going to find quite a lot of stuff that's not particularly interesting
15:27before you find something that's absolutely fascinating.
15:28Absolutely.
15:29When you're digging these things, you're getting the right sort of target, the right sort of
15:30signal, and it's just a case of plodding on.
15:31And it's just a case of plodding on.
15:32Oh, there we go.
15:33There we go.
15:34And that is not very exciting at all, I'm afraid.
15:35That looks like something has probably come off the farm equipment.
15:36It has, yeah.
15:37It's silver.
15:38It's not rusty.
15:39It's not iron, so it gives the same signal as a coin or any other thing, but another one
15:40to the scrap pile, unfortunately.
15:41But as I say, that's part of the fun, isn't it?
15:42Absolutely.
15:43I mean, you're going to find quite a lot of stuff that's not particularly interesting
15:48before you find something that's absolutely fascinating.
15:50Absolutely.
15:51When you're digging these things, you're getting the right sort of target, the right sort of
15:54signal, and it's just a case of plodding on.
15:56Keep going.
15:57By the end of the day, I expect you to come up with something really interesting.
16:00I'll let you know.
16:01I will do.
16:03Meanwhile, a couple of weeks ago, Raksha went off to an absolutely brilliant dig
16:09in Hull, which really inspired some of the local volunteers.
16:22The Humber, a magnificent tidal estuary flowing out into the North Sea.
16:28And for thousands of years, the strategically important waterway dividing the north from
16:34the south has been fought over and protected.
16:37And evidence of this turbulent history has been discovered here, right in the heart of
16:43the city of Hull.
16:48These are the remains of a 16th century fort called the Blockhouse.
16:53And I'm here to meet archaeologist Peter Connolly, working with a team of volunteers
16:59to reveal its secrets.
17:02Peter.
17:03Raksha.
17:04May I join you?
17:06Yeah, certainly.
17:07Come on down.
17:08I've even bought my trowel.
17:09Good stuff.
17:11Oh, the sound.
17:12I love it.
17:13How does it feel?
17:14I love it.
17:15What did the fort actually look like?
17:17I actually have a plan here.
17:19Oh, that's pretty impressive.
17:21It's a huge construction where the walls are four metres thick and the foundations are three
17:26metres deep.
17:27It's constructed on the eastern side of the river to keep control of the harbour.
17:32This is all funded by Henry VIII.
17:36Henry's basically upset so many people with...
17:39Of course he has.
17:41Yeah, of course he has.
17:42And so he's worried about Catholic uprising.
17:44He's basically saying, try your damnedest but we can stop you.
17:47This is the armory of the north.
17:49So in the 97 excavation you actually found a cannon, is that right?
17:53Yeah, we did.
17:54We found it just outside of the building.
17:57It's a huge cannon.
17:58It's about two and a half metres long.
18:00So what, they just like literally just chucked it over the side because they couldn't be bothered
18:05to have it anymore?
18:06It had become entirely redundant.
18:07It didn't have the range that was required.
18:10Somebody must have found a convenient place to dump it onto the ground.
18:13Stunning thing.
18:15I think people think that archaeology is only for the likes of me and you, but actually
18:22we want communities to be involved and that's what you're doing here.
18:25Yeah, if you're from Hull and you want to get your hands on your heritage
18:29and your archaeology and your history, come along, see us, get involved.
18:32Archaeology doesn't care about your background.
18:34It's there for everybody.
18:37I love the fact that the community have come together to excavate this site
18:42and find out who was here, what they were doing.
18:47It is amazing.
18:51Hello.
18:52This is Roger.
18:53Hello.
18:54I'm Jer.
18:55I'm Raksha.
18:56You seem so invested in your trench.
18:58It's addictive, isn't it, Roger?
19:00It is.
19:01First of all, it was just bone and a little bit of pottery.
19:04But then we discovered musket balls.
19:07And it was...
19:08What?
19:09We just couldn't stop.
19:10No!
19:11We were on a roll.
19:12I love it.
19:13There's like about 30 of them.
19:15Yesterday, 68.
19:16And today, 20.
19:18So is this your motivation then?
19:20Absolutely, yes.
19:21We didn't want to go home last night.
19:23Yeah.
19:24Were they, like, kicking you offside?
19:26Yes.
19:27We need to go home.
19:28We would have stayed here with floodlights if they'd let us.
19:30So, it's contagious.
19:32But it's not about finding.
19:33It's just uncovering that next layer of ground and seeing the building take shape.
19:39I just think it's such a monumental experience to be part of.
19:43Do you know, when you say that, it kind of gives me goosebumps because it's really lovely
19:47to see people walking off the streets and actually doing archeology.
19:52I think it's brilliant.
19:53It's the human story behind it, isn't it?
19:55You can almost imagine people walking around in here and chewing on a chicken leg and dropping
20:00the burn and the soldier who kicked his musket balls to the edge of the wall because he
20:04wasn't using them.
20:05And it's not just old bricks.
20:07People lived and worked here.
20:09I can see that twinkle in your eye.
20:11I have definitely got the bug.
20:13It looks like you had a lovely day.
20:23I had a great time.
20:24I had a school project once when I had to come up with a new tourism strapline for Hull
20:28and we went for it's never dull in Hull.
20:30And you know that now, don't you?
20:31It is never dull in Hull.
20:32And Henry VIII, who'd have thought?
20:34I know, you had a great day there.
20:35We're having a brilliant time here on Digging for Treasure.
20:38It's getting busy, isn't it?
20:39Finding stuff all the time as well.
20:41On our table of chronologies, what's the latest one?
20:43Well, the latest is this little beauty here.
20:46It's like twinkling and shining at me.
20:48So I'm going to get Alison to pop it under the macro.
20:51And it looks like a lion's head, doesn't it?
20:54And I think it's the end of a belt.
20:57And it was found by Jim.
20:59Well done, Jim.
21:00Hi, this Harry, as we like to call him.
21:02Alison, what more can you tell Jim and the rest of us about this?
21:05Because it looks, as Raksha says, it's quite elaborate, isn't it?
21:08It is, yeah.
21:09We're pretty sure it's Victorian.
21:11It's a piece of militaria.
21:13So it would have adorned a soldier, probably a high-ranking soldier's uniform.
21:19It's a copper alloy.
21:21But the silvery bit is probably tin.
21:24It's probably tinned just to make it look shiny.
21:26So it would have been very elaborate and ostentatious when they were walking around with it.
21:30Yeah, it's one of those items as well.
21:32You'd probably like to spend a bit more time with it and learn a bit more about it to find out how it ended up in a field like this.
21:37Exactly, yes.
21:38I'm sure experts on militaria will be able to tell us chapter and verse.
21:41I'm sure they'll be getting in contact with the programme as we're doing it.
21:44And another thing to mention is if you were here doing a full archaeological survey, you'd probably be here a lot longer, wouldn't you?
21:50And be spending a lot more time, because we're just picking things up from the surface at the moment.
21:54Yeah, exactly. So what we're doing is a field survey, really.
21:57We're just looking at the finds that are on the top.
22:00We call it unstratified layers.
22:02So basically, we're just in the plough soil.
22:05As you said, if we're doing an excavation, we would be spending weeks here unpicking the layers, looking at houses, looking at features.
22:12We've got our metal detecting master with us, because Scott was on earlier and he's found another one.
22:16Scott, give us a nice round of applause. Do you want to bring this in, Scott?
22:20Pass it over to Alison. What have you got here? Talk us through this, Scott.
22:23So we've got a silver Georgian brooch.
22:25That's beautiful, isn't it?
22:26I think it's a foil-back Cairngorn stone.
22:29OK, so you've got a bit of the history of it yourself. And Alison, you're having a look at it for the first time.
22:33What do you think?
22:34It's a pendant, it's very beautiful, and the foil will have made the stone sparkle.
22:39And then the casing is silver, with an engraved design on it.
22:44And on the back, you see, there's a bit of a kind of a hole here.
22:47Something's fallen out of that, you think?
22:48Something has fallen out, so it could have been some kind of a keepsake, possibly even a lock of hair.
22:52Could be about, sort of, 1820s, possibly 1830s or so.
22:56OK, and actually, it seems like it's quite a sad story, isn't it?
22:58Because you think something as beautiful as that, if you lost that, you'd spend ages searching for it.
23:02I mean, Scott's found it again, but...
23:03I mean, I'd be devastated if I lost anything in this field.
23:06Yeah.
23:07And I feel, you know, whoever was wearing that would have been pretty annoyed.
23:11And, Scott, that's what it's all about, isn't it?
23:13It's that adrenaline of what you're going to find next.
23:15Is that what drives you on?
23:16Oh, yeah, definitely.
23:17And the thought of you could be the first person to hold this item in over 200, 300 years.
23:22Yeah, that's magical.
23:23I can see everybody nodding behind you as well.
23:25They understand that buzz.
23:26And we've felt that today, haven't we?
23:27Yeah.
23:28We just keep finding things all the time.
23:30Well, we do.
23:31And Michaela's still out in the field searching.
23:33Raksha, I am literally searching now.
23:38I mean, I've got the T-shirt, so I might as well get the metal detector.
23:41And you never know, it could be my lucky day.
23:46Still to come, we'll be breaking fresh ground with a detecting club in Cumbria.
23:52We'll see you in a minute.
23:53I'm feeling lucky.
23:54I am feeling lucky, lucky, lucky.
23:57I've come back in with an artifact, which I want you to have a look at.
24:12Because I would like to think that this is a leg of a witch's cauldron.
24:17Look, there it is.
24:18And, Alison, we went through a lot of Hubble bubble toilet trouble.
24:22Yes, Michaela.
24:23Yay!
24:24So, dig it up.
24:25Oh, no.
24:26So, let's just put it there on the timeline.
24:27Fantastic.
24:28And I'd like you to have a look at it.
24:29It's a leg of a bronze medieval cooking pot.
24:32So, could it be a witch's cauldron?
24:34No.
24:35Alison, don't let the facts get in the way of a great story.
24:38No.
24:39So, if you imagine a kind of a globular pot with three of these legs there.
24:44And these were used mainly between about 1300 and 1500 AD for cooking.
24:49So, it's a great find, though.
24:50It is indeed.
24:51Oh, absolutely.
24:52It might not be witches, but it's still good.
24:54Yeah.
24:55And we're finding these artifacts all the time, adding them to our timeline here at Base Camp.
24:59And we've had loads of people from all over the UK who've been sending us in photos and videos.
25:04Thank you for all of those.
25:05We've got one going to come up now on the screen.
25:08This is from Emma.
25:09Emma, what have you got for us?
25:10My name's Emma Yule.
25:11I'm from Kent.
25:12I've been a detective for seven years.
25:14While I was metal detecting in a field in Kent, I found this.
25:17I have no idea what it is.
25:19It appears to have a lady's face on it or the bust of a lady.
25:23There is a piece of metal that appears to run through the object.
25:27I have no idea what it is or what it was used for.
25:31Well, I put you on the spot there, Alison. Emma doesn't know. Any ideas?
25:34OK, well, it looks as if it could have been a very elaborate fibula,
25:38which is the forerunner of our safety pins.
25:41They were brooches used to fasten clothing.
25:44And if you look at either end, there was iron coming out of it.
25:48So you could imagine there would be an iron pin from one end
25:51and then a catch plate from the other end.
25:53So that is my best guess.
25:54But I would urge Emma to take it to her local fines liaison officer
25:59to get it properly identified.
26:01OK, but still a decent fine, isn't it?
26:02Oh, it's lovely.
26:03Fascinating.
26:04Yeah, and probably from way back as well.
26:05Could be Roman.
26:06Yeah, exactly.
26:07We've also got Dale who sent something in for us.
26:09Dale, what have you got?
26:10Hello, I'm Dale Gowing.
26:12I've been metal detecting for about seven years now.
26:15I find everything from sort of Bronze Age
26:18through to Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Georgian, Victorian,
26:21even Viking things in Suffolk.
26:24I've had a find recently because I'm not sure what it is.
26:27I think it's silver.
26:28Can anyone help identify this beautiful object?
26:31It's gorgeous that, Alison, isn't it?
26:33It's lovely.
26:34It's puzzling.
26:35There looks to be a little hole at the top.
26:37So it could be a pendant, 19th century possibly.
26:41And once again, take that to your local fines liaison officer.
26:43Absolutely.
26:44And they will be able to give you a chapter and verse.
26:46And if you'd like to know anything more about protecting heritage,
26:48some of the rules and guidelines around what we're doing today,
26:51it's all available on our social media.
26:53I've got a bit distracted because I've just noticed that Hi-Viz Harry
26:56is no longer Hi-Viz.
26:57He's just Harry.
26:58Still nice to have him here with us.
27:00Are you OK about the cauldron thing?
27:02Listen, in my imagination, there are three witches,
27:04there's a black cat, there's toads, there's all sorts of things.
27:07OK, listen, while Michaela comes to terms with all of that,
27:10have a look at this.
27:11We've got an expert detectorist called Graham
27:13who's taken his crew onto virgin land
27:15and also the farmers who own that land,
27:17he's given them a crash course.
27:19Right, folks, everybody's here, I think.
27:25So this morning, it's such a big farm, this,
27:27and we've made the mistake in the past
27:29of opening up too much land.
27:31We spread out too far and we don't find anything.
27:33So if we keep as a team in a smallish area, we'll find more.
27:36Let's go for it!
27:41My name's Graham Rushton.
27:43I've always had a fascination with history, ever since I was a child.
27:46I run organised digs here in Cumbria for groups of metal detectorists.
27:51We open up farms for them to detect on
27:54and the reason why we do it is we want to uncover the history
27:57of particular farms.
27:59It's a historic area where we are today.
28:01We're expecting Bronze Age, we're expecting Roman,
28:03there could be a better medieval.
28:05Today is the first time we've been on this farm
28:07and everybody's extremely excited about it.
28:10Do you want me to set it? Do you want me to set it?
28:12Is this your daughter?
28:13Yes, this is Grace.
28:14This is Graham.
28:15No swearing in front of the daughter then.
28:17Grace.
28:18We've got Scott and Megan here today.
28:20They're the farmers and landowners.
28:22The plan is to rig Scott up with a detector,
28:25get him out in the field to see if he can uncover history
28:28from his own land.
28:30Hi guys.
28:31Hi Greg.
28:32Are you okay?
28:33Yes, thank you.
28:34Are you ready for a bit of detecting?
28:35Yeah, I will give it a go.
28:37What sort of history have you got on the farm?
28:38How long has it been in the family?
28:40Well, I'm a third generation here.
28:41There was my grandad and then me and my dad farm it today.
28:44It's a whole family run affair really.
28:47Well hopefully, fingers crossed,
28:49we'll be able to find something of note.
28:51Today you may get bitten by the bug.
28:52Yeah.
28:53You never know.
28:54Let's go.
28:55There's your spade.
28:58Obviously you need your spade to dig with.
29:00And it's important for me to get this machine balance,
29:04which is comfortable for you to use.
29:06How does that feel?
29:07Yeah.
29:08Pretty good.
29:09That's good.
29:10So how far can you detect with it?
29:12The depth is interesting because it all depends on the size of the object.
29:15Right.
29:16So for something like the size of a Victorian penny,
29:18this metal detector will pick that up 12 inches down.
29:21The bigger the object, the rule is the deeper the detector will go.
29:25Just like you're streaming the grass and you've got the perfect technique.
29:28One thing I would say, Scott, is just relax.
29:31And I can see you're quite tense.
29:33There's no need to go fast.
29:34The coins and artefacts aren't going anywhere.
29:36Just so easy.
29:39I've just got a passion for uncovering history.
29:41It's just a fantastic hobby and you never know what you're going to find.
29:46Oh wow.
29:47Aye.
29:48That's unbelievable.
29:49So you've found two bronze-age spears,
29:50the tip of one and the body of one,
29:52almost full and almost complete.
29:53Excellent.
29:54You're talking 3,000 year old.
29:55Wonderful.
29:56At least.
29:57Wonderful.
29:58I'm so made up for you, Bill.
29:59Yeah, me too.
30:00I'm so made up for you.
30:01Well done.
30:02It's like fishing on dry land.
30:03Sometimes they bite, sometimes they don't.
30:09So that is Henry III silver penny.
30:13So that's probably 1,200.
30:161,216.
30:17Oh yeah.
30:18It's a nice 700 year old.
30:19What a nice coin.
30:20Well done, mate.
30:21Well done.
30:22If you want to get into metal detecting, you need to have patience.
30:26Don't go in it for making money because it's not about the money.
30:27Don't go in it for making money because it's not about the money.
30:29It's the last person that's touched that bit of history.
30:33And everything's got a story to it.
30:36So it's lead.
30:37It could be the handle of a spoon or a fork.
30:41150, 200 year old, possibly.
30:42Oh wow.
30:43It's cool, isn't it?
30:44Yeah.
30:45I didn't know whether I'd find anything or even get a Lyco signal.
30:47So I'm pretty pleased that I wanted to dig something out.
30:52You've found a few bits and pieces.
30:54Can we have a look at them?
30:55I've found a very old spoon that's been bent over.
30:58A bit of iron.
31:00An old screw with a bit of edge to it.
31:03A shotgun casing.
31:04Well you've done really well.
31:05Yeah.
31:06So how did you feel about actually detecting on your own farm?
31:09Yeah, it was brilliant.
31:10It's really interesting and quite surreal to think of how many people have been here before us.
31:15So the burning question is, would you have us back for a day's detecting as a group?
31:20Yeah, definitely.
31:21It's been really good.
31:22There's plenty more ground to go at, so yeah, more than welcome to come back.
31:24It's been fantastic.
31:25Thanks for having us.
31:26It's been a pleasure.
31:31Isn't it lovely that the farmers want to know a lot more about the history of their land?
31:36But I've come down to the search area and I've just found this gorgeous metal Victorian mount.
31:43Now, it's possible that this had jewels on it or it was even gilt with gold.
31:49And if you look really carefully, just there, you can see a little knob there.
31:55That's possibly where a jewel could have been.
31:57And you can see this kind of really intricate filigree that's coming through.
32:02I'd really like to get this cleaned up to have a closer look.
32:05Now, this would have been attached.
32:07It's not a piece of jewelry.
32:08It would have been attached to either a box or a fancy piece of furniture.
32:13Now, I think Alison's going to be really excited about this.
32:17Well, while we wait for Raksha to bring that back here, we're going to look at something
32:21that you found earlier on with Tom.
32:22Where's Tom?
32:23There he is.
32:24Give Tom a nice round of applause.
32:26You know, he's the brother of High Vs, Harry.
32:29He's not called Harry at all.
32:30Don't ruin it.
32:31Don't ruin it.
32:32This is what Tom found and we think that it's from a brooch.
32:36I say we, Tom thinks it's from a brooch.
32:38Alison, do you want to have a closer look and tell us what you think?
32:41Yeah.
32:42It is beautiful, Alison, isn't it?
32:44It really is lovely.
32:46You can see the zigzag decoration on it.
32:48So, it's actually half of a medieval annular brooch and it would have had a pin that runs
32:55right across it.
32:56These things would have been worn by men and women, possibly one on either side of Europe.
33:01Okay.
33:02And the pin would have gone through the clothing there.
33:05Date-wise, between about 1200 and 1400 AD and it's a copper alloy.
33:09Shall we put it back on our timeline?
33:11Yeah.
33:12And let's catch up with Toddy, who's been swimming in the depths of the loch, looking for artefacts
33:17from the Victorian tourist industry.
33:20Toddy, how are you getting on?
33:22Hi, Michaela, how are you doing?
33:25I think I've found a couple of interesting items.
33:28I'm going to the surface and let you see.
33:33Well, we'll look forward to seeing what Toddy has indeed recovered from the depths.
33:38It's a bit like Darth Toddy, wasn't it?
33:39It does.
33:40It's a bit like that.
33:41After the break, we'll also be finding out about the story of a man whose research and
33:49dedication has uncovered a secret World War II operation in Devon, which sounds really
33:55cool.
33:56Can't wait.
33:58Welcome back to Digging for Treasure tonight.
34:04I see a flag.
34:07Lynn, is this your flag?
34:08It is, yes.
34:09Oh, that means you've found something.
34:10Shall we dig it up?
34:11Let's go, I'll take the flag out for you.
34:14And let's see what you've got.
34:16Are you feeling lucky?
34:18I hope so.
34:19Yeah.
34:20I think it's like, no, I'll see it.
34:21You're obviously hearing it beeping away.
34:22Yeah, it's opening.
34:23In your ears.
34:24Let's see if we can find it.
34:25Oh.
34:26So it's in here somewhere.
34:27Yeah.
34:28So obviously we don't know whether this is going to be a bottle top, a coin, a brooch,
34:40or something.
34:41Oh, have you got it?
34:42Oh, there it is.
34:43Oh, well, it's a coin.
34:45Let's see.
34:46Is it revealing itself to you at all?
34:49Yeah, it's a hammer coin.
34:50What exactly is a hammer coin?
34:52It's silver.
34:53It's a long cross.
34:54I mean, this is good, isn't it?
34:55It's a silver bind.
34:56That's what you want, isn't it?
34:59Yeah.
35:00Next stop, gold.
35:01Hopefully, yeah.
35:02So you're pleased with that?
35:04Yeah, that's what we all hope to find when we go out to Texas.
35:07What date is that from?
35:08The 1200s, something like that.
35:10In the time, I mean, I'm presuming that would have been quite precious.
35:14Not something you really want to lose.
35:16No, not at all.
35:17It's a tiny coin and yet tells us so much.
35:20There's so much history in that little coin.
35:23And in fact, sometimes very small finds lead to bigger secrets, as we found out when we went to Devon.
35:36My name's Dean Small.
35:39We moved here as a family in the early 70s because my father, Ken Small, wanted to get out of the rat race.
35:46He chose to take up metal detecting and it was always fascinating because when he had come back, he'd have quite a lot of stuff.
35:55ID bracelets, tunic buttons, shell cases, pieces of shrapnel, and it didn't make sense that this should be on a beach.
36:03And that's when he started to ask locally, you know, why he's finding this.
36:10I'm Tony, a retired fisherman.
36:13Ken was a great friend of mine.
36:15And he said, what's all these bullets?
36:18I said, well, it's D-Day London's practicing.
36:22He learned that there were a series of rehearsals called Exercise Tiger on Slaps and Sands to practice for the upcoming invasion of France on the 6th of June on D-Day.
36:40But what he discovered was that during these live fire practices, a group of American landing ships were attacked by German torpedo boats.
36:54And that caused loss of life of 639 American personnel.
36:59And my dad just became really emotionally involved with the whole thing.
37:05My name is Laurie Bolton. I live in California.
37:09My uncle, Sergeant Lewis A. Bolton of the 607th Graves Registration, died on April 28th, 1944.
37:18My family knew that he had been in the English Channel and that he was on a ship when he was killed, but we didn't know any of the details.
37:28It was hidden. It was hidden in documentation and paperwork for no one to see.
37:35My grandparents, you know, never knew what happened and it really bothered them to their dying day.
37:42All of the men were told not to speak of the disaster and they continued the practices.
37:47And these are some of the things that my dad found on the beach.
37:51I think the thing that stands out for me is the pieces of shrapnel.
37:55Imagine metal that size flying around at horrendous speed. It must be so scary.
38:02And I said to him at the time, I said,
38:04Well, there's something we think. It's a big landing craft. Half a mile out in the bay.
38:08He keeps nagging the nets in it. I said, It's something big.
38:11My dad just sort of said, Well, you know, aren't you curious to know what that is?
38:16And eventually, over time, my dad persuaded Tony to go out on a boat and have a look.
38:23Dived down at the track and they couldn't believe our eyes.
38:27There was this tank sitting there on the CBA with a barrel up 45 degrees and we couldn't believe it like in a shock.
38:36It was actually an American Sherman tank, which was amphibious.
38:40It sank three quarters of a mile out in 60 feet of water.
38:471984, the tank was recovered.
38:52My dad's determination was that he didn't want those 639 American soldiers and sailors who died to be forgotten.
39:01I knew what had gone on here during the war and I just wanted, I just wanted your help.
39:07And put on somewhere where people could see it.
39:09We just didn't know, you know, the details.
39:12And then to find out what did happen is what brought those veterans to the surface.
39:17And they started speaking about it, even though they were told never to speak of it, even after the war, which was tragic and very hard on them.
39:26If it wasn't for my dad's journey of discovery, exercise tiger and the disaster and that horrendous loss of life would have been kept secret for many more years.
39:36He did it to ensure that the memories of those who lost their lives would never be forgotten.
39:48He received a letter of thanks from Ronald Reagan.
39:52It means so much to the family to have the Sherman Tank Memorial.
39:57It gives all of us a tangible place to come and pay tribute, especially for those of us who don't have a burial place.
40:05The families are so grateful to Ken Small. Words can't express it.
40:09I miss him every day and I'm very proud of what he did.
40:14A huge thank you to Dean for telling his dad's story so powerfully.
40:22It just shows, isn't it, that emotional connection and the number of people who have been affected by his dad's incredible hard work for all those many years.
40:28Dan, I think we should catch up with Toddy.
40:31Yes.
40:32We're Darth Toddy, as you've been calling him.
40:34Hopefully he's come up to the surface.
40:35Yeah, that's the one thing we've not tidied up yet.
40:37He's been searching for this Victorian history, all part of the paddle steamships on Lot Goyle.
40:42Toddy, what have you found?
40:44Hi Dan, how are you doing?
40:46I'm doing no bad.
40:47I didn't do too good in the metal detecting front, but I got what I came for, a nice Victorian bottle.
40:52These were thrown overboard by the Victorians.
40:55They would come up the river on a Sunday, because you weren't allowed to drink on land on a Sunday, but you could drink on the boats on a Sunday.
41:04So they would come away up and they'd be drinking all the way up and by the time they got to their destination,
41:09they would be falling off the boat, steaming drunk.
41:11And that's where the saying comes from, steaming drunk.
41:14And they would throw the evidence over.
41:16And that's how we found this bottle.
41:18Brilliant work from Toddy.
41:19I mean, it is Victorian trash, but wonderful story.
41:22I suppose it does bring us to that murky area of value.
41:25Because I know that there'll be lots of people watching at home who are looking at these amazing things we've found and wonder,
41:30OK, it looks nice, but how much is it worth?
41:33How do you, Alison, address that issue of value?
41:36It's not about commercial value at all.
41:39The treasure that people are finding is the treasure of information.
41:43It's information about the past.
41:46And information is invaluable.
41:48Can I add to that?
41:49Because the value for me is where these artefacts can take your imagination.
41:54Are we going witchy again?
41:55Into the world of witches and battles.
41:58So, you know, I know we're coming on to our favourites.
42:00So, any guesses what my favourite artefact is?
42:03Yes, it is the leg of the witch's cauldron, or whoever's cauldron it might have been, OK?
42:09But I like that, I like that.
42:10What about you, Alison?
42:11Well, a lot of buttons have been found.
42:13My favourite one is this one.
42:15It's an 18th century dandy button, which would have been worn by a well-dressed man about town.
42:20I'm going to pick something that we haven't talked about yet.
42:22I'm intrigued by the musket balls here, but I know we've found an awful lot of those.
42:25I'm going to pick that little watch-type thing over by your left hand, Alison.
42:29Can you put that under the macro for us and tell us a bit about it?
42:32Yeah, sure.
42:33Well, it's a strapless watch.
42:35And you can see here the winding mechanism has become rusted to the body.
42:40But you can see the numbers on the dial.
42:42And on the other side it says, Swiss made anti-magnetic.
42:47And it's going to be 20th century.
42:49OK, so the hands are still out there in the field somewhere.
42:51But that's basically a little Swiss pocket watch.
42:53Yeah.
42:54OK, well, that's my pick of the week.
42:55They must have had very good eyesight because it's tiny, isn't it?
42:58Rachel, what about you?
43:00It's got to be this love token.
43:02The old romantic you.
43:04Well, you say that, it's like the 17th century equivalent of a side swipe on a dating app.
43:10OK.
43:11I don't know what you're talking about.
43:12That's not your world, that, Michaela, is it?
43:14But, Alison, let's have a look at this timeline, though.
43:17It's huge, isn't it?
43:19So we've got 700 years here on this board.
43:21That's right, yes.
43:22From about 1200 to about 1970.
43:26And in total we've found over 60 things in this field today.
43:29That's right.
43:30Which is an incredible amount to locate on just a few hours looking round.
43:33Absolutely, yeah.
43:34Yeah.
43:35So basically next time that's the target to go for.
43:37Yeah.
43:38Let's see if we can get more.
43:39We're going big.
43:40Because we're going south, actually, south east next week.
43:43We're going to Norfolk, which is a fantastic place, to metal detect.
43:46So no doubt we will come up with a smorgasbord of artefacts.
43:50If you've got any questions or you need any information, you can find everything on our social media.
43:54The hashtag is DFTT.
43:56A few thank yous to say before we go.
43:58To our magnificent team of detectorists, thank you so much.
44:01Especially my favourite.
44:04Aren't this Harry?
44:05There he is.
44:06Come on.
44:07What did you call Alison earlier?
44:09Queen of the Stone Age.
44:10The Queen of the Stone Age.
44:11Doctor Alison, thank you so much.
44:13I know we've kept you very busy today.
44:15And also thank you to producer James.
44:17Thank you to everybody.
44:20Thanks for watching.
44:22And we'll see you next week.
44:23See you next time.
44:24Bye.
44:25And digging for treasure tonight is back next Friday at 9.
44:38Revealing the full extent of one of London's worst ever tragedies.
44:41The Great Smog.
44:42Winter of 52 is brand new Wednesday at 9.
44:45Coming up there's Dirty Cops and then there's Dirty Harry.
44:48Starring Clint Eastwood.
44:49Classic crime action thriller Magnum Force is next.
44:52We're all down to this in the spotlight.
44:53We'll see you next time.
44:54In the description.
44:55We'll see you next time.
44:56End of the description.
44:57Thanks to everyone.
44:58I've got a great name.
44:59I'll see you next time.
45:00I'd love you.
45:01To have someone else.