Film notes

“Time Team: Cirencester”

Britain’s Channel 4, 2000

Sample Test Questions

  1. In class and in the book, you have seen some of the usual methods of archaeological field work. Which of these methods did the Time Team use? Give specific examples.
  2. We have spoken about archaeology being science. Review the “tools of science” we discussed early in the semester. Which of these tools did you see the Time Team use? Give specific examples.
  3. We have spoken about the goals of excavation directing the way we excavate. Consider the excavations at The Firs and in Trench 2 (the garden of 50 Chester St.). How do these excavations illustrate the goals and methods discussed in class? Be specific.
  4. The Time Team kept proposing ideas about the structure uncovered in Trench 2 (50 Chester St.). What were these ideas? Is it more accurate to call them “hypotheses” or “theories”? Why?
  5. Trench 1 (the garden of 56 Chester St) revealed items interpreted as representing a high-status Roman house. Why? Include information about a few artifacts and the most important feature.

Episodevocabulary (terms in box are not on test)

“Around 1700 years ago, Corinium - modern day Cirencester - was the second most important city in Roman Britain after Londinium. Time Team arrive to excavate in the gardens of properties in Chester Street near to the centre of old Corinium.”

British English in the video
Garden = back yard
Car park = parking lot
Crazy golf = miniature golf
A few bob in their pocket = they had money
Backfill, spoil = soil removed from trench
Skips – skiploaders, heavy equipment

Victorian – during the reign of Queen Victoria, 1837 - 1901

Corinium (Roman name, 1700 BP or around 300 to 400 C.E.= 4th century. Lost road.

Cirencester (modern name), Chester St.

Geophys = various remote sensing methods

Jupiter column – a Roman column that held a statue of the god Jupiter.

Roman game piece

Tesselated pavement - Roman mosaic tile floor

Lost road – was it found? Where?

The Firs – Building, large old Victorian house that with a parking lot and large gardens

Hypocaust – Roman heating system of narrow spaces within walls, distributing hot air from a fireplace

Brooch, pronounced “broach”. Pin used to hold a cloak together. (no buttons yet!)