Image: Digital recording of skeletons at St James’s Gardens burial ground – HS2 courtesy of MOLA Headland Infrastructure
Finds such as neolithic tools, medieval pottery and Victorian time capsules made by archaeologists on the HS2 project are set to be featured in a new four-part BBC documentary.
Over 1,000 archaeologists are set to explore 10,000 years of British history across more than 60 separate sites as part of the enabling works ahead of the construction of the 150-mile, high-speed rail route from London to the West Midlands.
Ranging from the prehistoric and Roman Britain to the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods, and the Industrial Revolution and World War Two, HS2’s archaeology programme is Europe’s biggest dig.
The archaeology programme is part of HS2’s ground preparation works for Phase One of the project – London to Birmingham. HS2, its contractors and supply chain are already underway with a programme of work, clearing sites, ahead of main construction works next year.
Early finds from the archaeological works that precede construction include prehistoric tools in Buckinghamshire, medieval pottery in Stoke Mandeville and two Victorian time capsules.
Image: Archaeologist excavates a human skeleton in Birmingham – HS2, courtesy of MOLA Headland Infrastructure
Image: Temperance time capsule excavated in London
Mark Thurston, HS2 chief executive said: “How we build HS2 is as important to us as what we are building and we are committed to sharing as much of our cultural heritage as possible. Before we bore the tunnels, lay the tracks and build the stations, an unprecedented amount of archaeological research is now taking place between London and Birmingham. This is the largest archaeological exploration ever in Britain, employing a record number of skilled archaeologists and heritage specialists from across the UK and beyond.
“As well as improving connectivity, generating 30,000 new jobs and creating a network of new wildlife habitats, our archaeology programme shows that HS2 is more than a railway; it’s an opportunity to tell the story of our past, create opportunities in the present and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.”
Highlights along the line of route include:
- exploring a prehistoric hunter-gatherer site on the outskirts of London
- researching an undiscovered multi-period site (Bronze and Iron Age, Roman, Anglo-Saxon and medieval) in Northamptonshire
- excavating a Romano-British town in Fleet Marston, Aylesbury
- uncovering the remains of a medieval manor in Warwickshire
- finding out more about the Black Death and its impact on medieval villages
- re-telling the story of a Buckinghamshire village through the excavation of a 1,000 year old demolished medieval church and burial ground
- comparing and contrasting the lives of the buried population in two Georgian/Victorian burial grounds in London and Birmingham
- discovering a WW2 bombing decoy in Lichfield
HS2 has granted BBC Two access to the project, to be documented in a new series made by Lion TV, due on air in 2019/20 presented by professor Alice Roberts.
Helen Wass, HS2 head of heritage, said: “The sheer scale of possible discoveries, the geographical span and the vast range of our history to be unearthed makes HS2’s archaeology programme a unique opportunity to tell the story of Britain.
“All artefacts and human remains will be treated with dignity, care and respect and our discoveries will be shared with communities in a variety of ways through open days, expert lectures, the BBC documentary and online.”
The archaeological investigation is expected last around two years.
