Having done a couple of stints on pot washing (cold water, no detergents and small toothbrushes - and don't DARE scrub the bones, shells, or metals) on a Time Team site (the one about Roman Castleford due to go out on March 10th) I was impressed with the care that was actually taken to ensure that as much info was gathered as possible with as little disturbance to the surrounding area as feasable.

Although they look huge on TV the trenches which were actually dug were remarkably small. The area was recorded carefully (something you don't see on the programme) and all finds were given, where possible,trench numbers and stratification designations.

I also learnt that most of the work was not done by the 'Experts' but by a team of hard working skivvies who were either fully qualified archeologists or experienced amateurs! Even us lowly pot washers were checked up on.

Yes there were the re-enactment lads wandering round with cold knees, but they would probably be doing it somewhere else on a weekend if not on Time Team.

This programme has probably opened a lot of eyes as to their own history - and future archeologists have to come from somewhere!!!

And Yes, there was a metal detector used for going over the spoil heap - it found various very interesting bits that had got missed/taken out in the very top layers - but it was ONLY used there.