TIME TEAM - PROOF OF THE ROMAN ROAD IN BATH?

Cinemavixion Review

This installment of Time Team plunges viewers into the heart of Roman Bath, embarking on a quest to uncover the elusive Fosse Way and a suspected Roman cemetery. The episode, featuring familiar faces like Tony Robinson, Phil Harding, and Mick Aston, alongside Romanist Guy de la Bédoyère, masterfully illustrates the unpredictable nature of archaeological discovery. What begins as a search for sarcophagi behind the Royal Crescent unexpectedly yields a substantial Roman building, later identified as a workshop, revealing the extent of Roman suburban expansion. The true revelation, however, emerges from the area in front of the Crescent, where the unearthing of a significant Roman road, accompanied by the poignant discovery of human remains, ignites a fervent debate about its identity as the legendary Fosse Way. The narrative arc compellingly shifts expectations, presenting buildings where burials were anticipated and vice versa. Battling adverse weather conditions, the team's meticulous excavation exposes Roman walls and evidence of pottery manufacturing, painting a vivid picture of urban redevelopment. The discovery of a prehistoric Bronze Age ditch, a first for Bath archaeology, and the poignant burial of a male in a coffin within the road's ditch, offer profound insights into the lives and deaths on the periphery of Roman Bath, ultimately rewriting the historical narrative.