4th January 2022:

Oxford Archaeology’s excavation of a nationally significant cemetery site in Hull features in the new series of Digging for Britain, broadcasting on BBC Two this week.

Last year, Oxford Archaeology with Humber Field Archaeology completed the largest scientific excavation of a post-medieval burial ground in northern England, as part of National Highways’ £355m A63 improvement scheme. Trinity Burial Ground was in use in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when the city flourished in a golden age of whaling and shipping. The remains of around 9,500 burials were carefully and respectfully excavated by our archaeological team and analysed on site before being reburied within the grounds of Hull Minster. This excavation has provided a wealth of information about Hull as commercial and industrial activity intensified in the Victorian period, but discoveries of trauma and injuries to some of the human remains reveal the dangers of the emerging technologies of the Industrial Revolution.

Digging for Britain is hosted by Professor Alice Roberts. She visited Trinity Burial Ground to meet the team and go behind the scenes at our on-site laboratories to find out more. The project will feature in episode 3 of the series, being broadcast at 8pm on Thursday 6th January and available afterwards on demand on BBCiPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00135s7/digging-for-britain-series-9-episode-3

With our partners National Highways and Balfour Beatty, we shared regular insights into the archaeological works and wider heritage of Hull and profiled new finds each week. You can catch up on all the news and information on the archaeology of the A63 online here: https://highwaysengland.co.uk/our-work/a63-castle-street-archaeology/