No time like the present

Camera crews, archaeologists and scientists descended on York today to start the biggest dig ever televised.

The 150-strong Channel 4 Time Team crew are in the city until Sunday, aiming to unearth new clues about the history of York with the aid of some enthusiastic local young helpers.

The three digs - at St Leonard's Hospital in the Museum Gardens, the Royal York Hotel and in Walmgate - all started today.

Members of the York Young Archaeologists' Club were helping with the Walmgate dig. And children from Fishergate Primary School in York will be helping wash pots outside the Time Team's temporary base in the Museum Gardens tomorrow.

As he prepared to broadcast live to three million viewers, presenter Tony Robinson said he wasn't going to make any predictions about what the team might find.

"One thing I have learned is that with archaeology you mustn't decide what you are looking for. We'll find what we find," Tony said. "The great thing about the show is that people of all ages are enjoying it."

Rehearsals for the programme started last night and today the team's "incident room" headquarters in York's Museum Gardens Hospitium was buzzing with activity.

A web site, using live web cameras, was being updated by a team of staff. It can be found at www.channel4.com/timeteamlive

Crowds gathered in the sunshine this afternoon to watch archaeologists dig at to the two sites open to the public. By lunchtime evidence was suggesting there was a Second World War air raid shelter at the St Leonard's Hospital site.

An image resembling the shape of a shelter was thrown up by a geophysics survey, backing up the anecdotal evidence of local people. At the Royal York Hotel site, a small piece of Roman pottery about the size of a domino was found within two hours of the dig starting. A geophysics survey also showed a large angular structure.

See Time Team

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