Meet the Ancestors

Season 3

Meet the Ancestors aka Ancestors was a BBC Television documentary series that documented the archaeological excavation and scientific reconstruction of human remains. The series was introduced by archaeologist Julian Richards and often included facial reconstructions by Caroline Wilkinson.

Where to Watch Season 3

7 Episodes

  • Princess of the City
    E1
    Princess of the CityRichards investigates the significance of the archaeological dig at Spitalfields where experts have uncovered an elaborate Roman sarcophagus with a decorated lead coffin inside, and remnants of clothing and objects never before found in Britain.
  • The French Connection
    E2
    The French ConnectionRichards investigates the lives of three men whose remains were found on an island just off the coast of Guernsey to find out how they ended up in such a desolate place, and whether they could have been monks.
  • The Domesday Fire
    E3
    The Domesday FireRichards examines the remains of a medieval execution victim discovered in one of 600 graves surrounding a ruined Saxon church in Cambridgeshire.
  • The Chosen One
    E4
    The Chosen OneRichards investigates the seemingly bound body of an Iron Age teenage girl found in a rubbish heap in the Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Water to reconstruct her life more than 2,500 years ago.
  • A Roman Plot
    E5
    A Roman PlotRichards explores the stories behind two Roman burial sites excavated in the centre of Bath. He attempts to discover why the deceased were laid to rest contrary to normal Roman custom with one actually placed in a lead coffin and he retraces events from the time when Christianity was gradually taking root in Britain to the final days of Roman rule.
  • The Lost Souls
    E6
    The Lost SoulsRichards recruits local schoolchildren to investigate a mysterious burial ground found among the foundations of the Victorian village school in Buckinghamshire. The project provides a revealing insight into the history of the area and the people who lived there 1,000 years ago.
  • Skeleton in the Crypt: The Pilgrim Trade
    E7
    Skeleton in the Crypt: The Pilgrim TradeProfessor John Butler investigates the mysterious disappearance of the remains of murdered Archbishop of Canterbury St Thomas Becket, killed by Henry II's soldiers in 1170. How much truth is there in the popular belief that he was cremated and his ashes scattered during the Reformation? Plus, an examination of the town of Canterbury itself as a place of pilgrimage and tourism.

Cast of Season 3

  • Julian RichardsSelf - Presenter

 

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