1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,000 She is both a mother, a wife, and a killer. 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:11,000 This is solid gold. 3 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,000 Get out of here. 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,000 They got ahead. 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,000 This is just the tip of the iceberg. 6 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:22,000 For Voodooca! 7 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,000 For Voodooca! 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,000 Oh, my word! 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,000 Another silver coin. 10 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:35,000 Number three. 11 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:36,000 Cool. 12 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,000 This is insane. 13 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,000 Yeah. 14 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,000 When you look at a list of history's most famous military leaders, 15 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,000 Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, 16 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,000 there's one thing they all have in common. 17 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:02,000 They're men. 18 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:07,000 But one of the most fearsome generals you might not be familiar with 19 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,000 was a female warrior named Voodooca. 20 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,000 When the forces of Rome conquer Britain in the first century, 21 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:18,000 they end up going toe to toe with 150,000 Celtic rebels, 22 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:23,000 led into battle by a warrior queen who torches Roman cities 23 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:28,000 and very nearly defeats their legendary army. 24 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,000 Roman historians describe Voodooca as a merciless foe, 25 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:37,000 responsible for barbaric acts of torture. 26 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,000 Yet today she's considered a British folk hero. 27 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,000 So who was she really? 28 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,000 Savage murderer or righteous freedom fighter? 29 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,000 And there's more to Voodooca's legacy than just bloody revenge. 30 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:54,000 There could also be treasure. 31 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:57,000 And lots of it. 32 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:02,000 Her people buried offerings to the gods known as hordes, 33 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:08,000 priceless caches of coins, jewels, and golden artifacts. 34 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,000 Now a team of archaeologists has secured special access 35 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,000 to search one of the most sacred sites in all of ancient Britain. 36 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:20,000 And an investigator is using cutting-edge technology 37 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:25,000 to discover the location of Voodooca's last battle and lost tomb. 38 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,000 Join me on an expedition to dig up the past 39 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,000 and reveal the story of one of history's fiercest women 40 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,000 and to search for her legendary golden treasure. 41 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,000 My name is Josh Gates. 42 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,000 Explorer. 43 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,000 Adventurer. 44 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:54,000 And a guy who ends up in some very strange situations. 45 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,000 That was exciting. 46 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,000 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for the unexplained, 47 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:06,000 I travel to the ends of the earth investigating the greatest legends in history. 48 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:10,000 This is Expedition Unknown. 49 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:19,000 My journey in the footsteps of a warrior queen begins on the streets of London, England. 50 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,000 Today London is one of the world's great capital cities, 51 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:28,000 a metropolis of 9 million people, a hub of business, education, and culture, 52 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:33,000 a place where you can find everything except sunshine. 53 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,000 But 2,000 years ago London wasn't a capital at all. 54 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:43,000 It was a muddy frontier settlement with a scrappy little commercial port known as Londonium. 55 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,000 OK, time circuits on. 56 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,000 The year is 43 AD. It is the Iron Age. 57 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:54,000 At this time, Britain is populated by a bunch of distinctly different tribes. 58 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:58,000 But to keep it simple, people like to lump them all together and call them the Celts. 59 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:02,000 Rome, who has expanded across Europe on their signature policy of 60 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:09,000 hey, that looks nice. I think I'll take it, has finally conquered Britain and set up shop right here. 61 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:15,000 In fact, sections of Londonium's original defensive wall still stand to this day. 62 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,000 And it's not the only reminder of the battle for ancient Britain, 63 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:22,000 hidden in plain sight on the streets of modern London. 64 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,000 You know, I've visited London more times than I can remember. 65 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,000 I've driven its streets. 66 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,000 So much traffic. 67 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,000 I've marveled at its monuments. 68 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,000 I gotta tell you, I don't know why they call this thing Big Ben. 69 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,000 It's tiny. 70 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:42,000 I've even embraced its fashion. 71 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:46,000 So considering how many times I have stood in this exact spot, 72 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,000 in between the Thames and Parliament and Big Ben, 73 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:54,000 how is it that I never, ever noticed her? 74 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,000 And it turns out I'm not the only one. 75 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,000 A bustling city has shot up around Boudicca's statue, 76 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:09,000 with a tourist chachki shop all but obscuring her base. 77 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,000 Do you know who that is? The statue? 78 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,000 No? Do you know who that is? 79 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,000 I don't know, my friend. 80 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:18,000 Who is that? 81 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,000 I don't know. 82 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,000 I'm not a fan of her. 83 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:23,000 I guess. 84 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,000 Yeah, anything. Statue of Liberty. That's correct. 85 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,000 Statue of Liberty. 86 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,000 Does anyone know who this woman is? 87 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,000 Who is it? 88 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,000 A warrior queen with her daughters. 89 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,000 A warrior queen with her daughters? 90 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:38,000 I think that... 91 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,000 Okay, enough fooling around. Who is it? 92 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,000 I think it's a priest. 93 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,000 High five. 94 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,000 You're the smartest person in London today. 95 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,000 Nobody knew! 96 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:56,000 Meet Boudicca, or Baudiccia as the Brits like to call her. 97 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,000 Often depicted on a chariot with her daughters by her side, 98 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,000 she was the queen of the Isini, 99 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,000 the wealthiest and most powerful of the Celtic tribes. 100 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:10,000 After nearly two decades of suffering under Roman rule, 101 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,000 Boudicca leads a rebellion. 102 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:18,000 When it's all over, 103 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,000 Londonium here is burned to the ground. 104 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,000 To find out how she did it 105 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,000 and whether she left a vast treasure behind, 106 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,000 I catch a ride out of the big city 107 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,000 at London's iconic King's Cross station. 108 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,000 Long before this was King's Cross, 109 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,000 this area was known as Battle Bridge. 110 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:48,000 And there's always been a rumor that Boudicca waged her final campaign right here 111 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:53,000 and that she's actually buried in between platforms 9 and 10. 112 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,000 There's just one problem with that. 113 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,000 It's bullc***. 114 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:59,000 But if the idea of something special 115 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,000 located between platforms 9 and 10 sounds familiar, 116 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,000 that's because it happens to be where you catch the train to Hogwarts. 117 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,000 Ow! 118 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,000 I love you! 119 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,000 I got it. 120 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:21,000 Or in my case, the Muggle Express to the region of East Anglia. 121 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,000 In a few hours, I'll be pulling into the city of Norwich. 122 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,000 It's the perfect place to follow the trail of Boudicca 123 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:33,000 because this was once the heartland of the Isini people. 124 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,000 We steam out across the wide open fields of the English countryside 125 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:42,000 on a journey a hundred miles north of London and centuries back in time. 126 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:46,000 Today, Norwich is the best preserved medieval city in the UK. 127 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:50,000 But long before that, it was Boudicca's stomping ground. 128 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,000 To learn more, I head to the local pub 129 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,000 where I meet historian Vanessa Collingridge. 130 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,000 Vanessa! 131 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:57,000 Hi! 132 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:58,000 Great to meet you. 133 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:00,000 Who's waiting for me by a crackling fire? 134 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,000 Now, first of all, are you sure you're not related to Boudicca? 135 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,000 No, I could be, couldn't I, with this hair? 136 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,000 And in fact, that was my entree into Boudicca 137 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,000 because growing up, there weren't many female role models 138 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,000 for a kid who loved history. 139 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,000 A kick-ass warrior queen. What could you want? 140 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:17,000 Absolutely. 141 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,000 And yet, I think a lot of people, sadly, don't know her story. 142 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,000 The only things we do know come from the Roman histories. 143 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,000 The ancient Britons didn't have a written language. 144 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,000 They didn't have a culture of writing things down. 145 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:33,000 Are the Romans impressed by her, do you think? 146 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,000 I think they're terrified by her. 147 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,000 They really hated women in power. 148 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,000 Let's talk about the king. She's married to a guy named Prazutagus. 149 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,000 He is ruler of the Isini tribe. 150 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:49,000 They have together two daughters, and everything seems to be going along quite well. 151 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:54,000 And when Rome arrives in Britain, he's allowed to stay in power. 152 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:59,000 What they would do is make individual treaties with individual kings or rulers. 153 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,000 They are basically ruling on behalf of Rome, 154 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,000 they're allowed to keep their tribal lands, 155 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,000 and they're existing ways of doing things. 156 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,000 And so when does all that fall apart? 157 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:17,000 Round about 8060-61, King Prazutagus dies. 158 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:24,000 He has left half of his estates to the emperor Nero for Rome, 159 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,000 and the other half to his daughters. 160 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,000 So this goes over with Rome like a lead balloon. 161 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:37,000 It is abhorrent, because Rome expects everything to be handed back to them. 162 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,000 And so the Romans come in and do what? 163 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:44,000 They go to Boudica's seat of power, they raid it and destroy it. 164 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:49,000 And then they take Boudica out and they flog her. 165 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:53,000 She's a queen to these people and she is publicly beaten by the Romans. 166 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,000 But then it gets even worse if that were possible. 167 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:01,000 Her daughters, they would have been children still, are taken out 168 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:03,000 and they are raped by the Romans. 169 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:10,000 It's incredible that Rome has this viewpoint of these people as barbarians. 170 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:14,000 And yet that's about the most barbaric thing you could imagine. 171 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,000 When it comes to low behavior, it's hard to find a worse example. 172 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:22,000 And the Isini who have been going along with Roman rule up to this point, 173 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,000 they react to this how? 174 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:25,000 They've had enough. 175 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:29,000 And they quickly mass an army. 176 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:36,000 And Boudica leads this army to rise up and take the Romans on and seek revenge. 177 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,000 And why do you think it's important that we remember Boudica today? 178 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,000 Why celebrate her story? 179 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:51,000 She is a really clear exemplar of how differently we have considered women in power throughout the ages. 180 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:57,000 Because we still find it really uncomfortable to consider women as the givers of life, 181 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,000 but the bringers of death. 182 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,000 And a figure like Boudica can marry the two. 183 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:06,000 She is both a mother, a wife and a killer. 184 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,000 But Boudica and her people weren't just fierce fighters. 185 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:17,000 They were skilled traders and master artists who literally buried treasure. 186 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,000 To learn more about the legendary riches Boudica may have left behind, 187 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:29,000 I head to Norwich Castle, a medieval fortress turned museum that houses a stunning collection of Isini hordes. 188 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:33,000 Ceremonial treasures made up of their finest creations, 189 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:38,000 which were offered to the gods by being cast into rivers or buried in the earth. 190 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:42,000 In the heart of the gallery, I've arranged to meet with curator John Davies. 191 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:47,000 Walking around these galleries, this metalwork is really phenomenal. 192 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:51,000 They're making beautiful ornamental jewellery. They're also making coins though, right? 193 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:55,000 Indeed, very sophisticated coinage. They have very complex imagery. 194 00:11:55,000 --> 00:12:00,000 Some of them show suns and moons and depict the faces of tribal chieftains. 195 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,000 We have coin hordes, we have metalwork hordes of jewellery. 196 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:09,000 One of the exciting things is that new discoveries are being made continuously. 197 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,000 Hordes like this are still being found. 198 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:15,000 I can guarantee you that every month of the year we'll have another horde. 199 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,000 Wow, incredible. 200 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:23,000 John grants me special access to the museum's archive, 201 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:28,000 where he's set aside a few of the most precious objects in the collection. 202 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:33,000 This is a unique item, a very highly decorated end of a drinking horn. 203 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,000 Excessively rare. 204 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,000 This is really, really pretty. 205 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,000 And I do love drinking horns. 206 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:46,000 This ornamental piece would have been fused to the bottom of an animal horn 207 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,000 and used for ceremonial drinking. 208 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:51,000 I feel like drinking horns need to make a comeback. 209 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,000 It's a drink you can't put down. You have to drink it. 210 00:12:55,000 --> 00:13:00,000 When we're talking about hordes, there is one that really does stand head and shoulders above all of the others. 211 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,000 It is called the Snetisham Treasure. 212 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:07,000 It is the largest collection of iron age gold and jewellery in the whole of Western Europe. 213 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,000 And you have a piece of it here? 214 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:10,000 Yes. 215 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:11,000 Wow. 216 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:15,000 In 1948, a farmer plowing his field in the town of Snetisham 217 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,000 accidentally uncovered an astounding find. 218 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:21,000 Soon, archaeologists revealed even more. 219 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:26,000 A royal Isini treasure trove worth hundreds of millions today. 220 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:34,000 Here we have one of the most important pieces from the Snetisham treasure. 221 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,000 This is solid gold. 222 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,000 Get out of here. 223 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:49,000 I'm in the UK on a quest to understand the Celtic warrior queen known as Boudica. 224 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,000 To the Romans, she was a barbarian. 225 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,000 To the British, a heroine. 226 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:57,000 Her people, the Isini, buried treasure hordes. 227 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:00,000 Exquisite artifacts offered to their gods. 228 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:05,000 Now, curator John Davies is showing me the Norwich Museum's pride and glory, 229 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,000 the Snetisham Horde. 230 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,000 First discovered by an unsuspecting farmer in his field 231 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:14,000 and predating Boudica's reign by almost a century. 232 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:18,000 It's the biggest treasure trove ever uncovered in the UK. 233 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,000 And here we have solid gold. 234 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,000 Get out of here. 235 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:29,000 It is known as a torque, which is the type of jewellery. 236 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:33,000 And a torque was something which was morn around the neck. 237 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:38,000 I know that you're talking, but I'm not hearing any of it, because my brain is melting. 238 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,000 But you can see that is very, very delicate. 239 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,000 Oh, my word. 240 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:48,000 It's really just beyond anything I have ever seen before. 241 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:55,000 Not only is it beautiful, but it would have been held and worn by a chieftain of the Isini tribe. 242 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:59,000 And Boudica herself would have worn something like this. 243 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:05,000 The idea of Boudica on a chariot wearing something like this around her neck, 244 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:08,000 it must have been awe-inspiring. 245 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,000 This is beyond jewellery, really. 246 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:11,000 It is. 247 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:13,000 You know, this is a statement. 248 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:19,000 It's likely that this priceless bit of bling was worn by one of Boudica's forebears. 249 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:25,000 But the lost ceremonial offering of the last Isini queen may be even bigger. 250 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,000 In what circumstances would you make an offering like this? 251 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,000 There was so much value that went into something like this. 252 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:35,000 It had to be once in a generation, really, but certainly before battles. 253 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:41,000 It's hard to get more once in a generation than trying to take down the Roman Empire. 254 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:46,000 And the staggering haul from Snedisham, tens of millions in gold and silver 255 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,000 buried in dozens of locations in the area, 256 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:53,000 suggests that it was the Isini tribe's most sacred site. 257 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,000 The idea that objects like this, at this very moment, 258 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,000 could still be sitting in the ground waiting to be found is amazing. 259 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:03,000 It certainly is, and they certainly are out there. 260 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:07,000 And there are some excavations and teams who are very active at the moment. 261 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:08,000 Wow. 262 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,000 And it turns out, I know them. 263 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:16,000 I joined Clive Bond and Kevin Elfleet a few years ago on the hunt for King John's treasure. 264 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:22,000 Now they've been granted exclusive access to survey the farmland where the Snedisham Horde was found. 265 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:29,000 To meet them, I quickly hop a train, which takes me from Norwich, 40 miles northwest, to the town of Snedisham. 266 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:35,000 And as is our custom, I find Clive and Kevin in the middle of an open field. 267 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,000 Great to see you, man. 268 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:38,000 Nice to see you guys. 269 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,000 So where exactly, Kevin, was this Snedisham Horde found? 270 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,000 You would not believe this right down where your feet is. 271 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:46,000 Under our feet? 272 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:47,000 Absolutely. 273 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,000 I mean, this is literally the spot. 274 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:50,000 Yep, yep. 275 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,000 It must have been a really significant ritual site. 276 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:56,000 It's just amazing, you know, over 200 gold talks have been found in the whole of Europe. 277 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:59,000 160 of them have come from this site alone. 278 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:05,000 And considering how important this place must have been to the Isini, does it stand a reason that Boudica herself could have been here? 279 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,000 I don't think it's wherever she could have been here. 280 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:10,000 I think she most definitely was here. 281 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:17,000 And I think because of her status, you'd have had to have been involved in these rituals of burying the Snedisham Horde. 282 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:24,000 These rituals of burying talks, creating hordes and doing other observances to the gods. 283 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:29,000 Now, the first horde was found here 70 some odd years ago. 284 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,000 What's going on here today? 285 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,000 Why are you two here? 286 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,000 There's still discoveries to be found in this area. 287 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:36,000 And we have one just over here. 288 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,000 If you'd like to follow me in the woods. 289 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:39,000 Yes, absolutely. 290 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:40,000 Yeah, sure. 291 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:50,000 Kevin and Clive lead me into the woods where an archaeological team is carefully surveying an ancient structure. 292 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,000 What am I looking at? 293 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,000 Looks like a wall. 294 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,000 Absolutely. This is a foundation of a Roman temple. 295 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:57,000 This was a Roman temple? 296 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:58,000 Absolutely, yes. 297 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,000 Wow. 298 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:02,000 And does this date from the time of Boudica? 299 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:03,000 Yes, we believe so. 300 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,000 After the uprisings, the Romans come along and they put their stamp on it. 301 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:19,000 The Romans would often erect temples atop other people's sacred sites, a way to co-opt cultural heritage and ensure that a rebellion like Boudica's would never happen again. 302 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:27,000 So no question we have this place that is really ritually significant, which means there must be more here to find. 303 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,000 This is just a tip of the iceberg. 304 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:36,000 We've got a lot of ground to cover, so we employ another famous Roman strategy, Divide and Conquer. 305 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:44,000 While Clive and his team search near the temple, Kevin and I use metal detectors to scam the edge of the woods. 306 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:51,000 Kevin, you got anything? 307 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,000 No, we've got nothing as yet. Still looking. 308 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,000 Guys, I got a head. Good head. 309 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:03,000 Hey guys. 310 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:04,000 Guys. 311 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:07,000 Hello? 312 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:14,000 Okay, I am, uh, I'm alone in the woods, talking to myself. 313 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,000 You got a head there, yeah? 314 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:17,000 Yeah, where would you go? 315 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,000 What was that there? Where was you? 316 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:20,000 I was here! 317 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:39,000 Oh, what is that? What is that? 318 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:46,000 It's a piece of iron slag for making weapons, for tools for the use. 319 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:54,000 Slag is the byproduct that remains after a metal has been separated from raw ore and is often found near furnaces. 320 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:58,000 So now does that mean that they were smelting metal right here? 321 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,000 Yeah, somewhere very close to this location, yeah. 322 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,000 A little remnant of the past right there. 323 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:04,000 Wow. 324 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:11,000 To figure out if the Iceni were just making metal here or burying it, Kevin brings out the big guns. 325 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:16,000 Hi. 326 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:17,000 Hi. 327 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:19,000 You're upping the ante here? 328 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,000 Yeah, well this is plan B. 329 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:27,000 In order to survey the site, Kevin needs to clear a thin layer of plant growth from the surface of the soil. 330 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:28,000 Would you like to have a go? 331 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,000 Yes, I would love a go. Let's do it. 332 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,000 Okay, jump in here. 333 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,000 Yes, so I turn this to start. 334 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,000 One bird of a vice. 335 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:40,000 Yeah. 336 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:43,000 If you're not quite sure what you're doing, you're starting to make a mistake or something. 337 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:44,000 Always am. 338 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,000 You take your hands off the controls, let's go, and we'll stop where it is. 339 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:48,000 I'm going to keep going. 340 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:49,000 Perfect, okay. 341 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:56,000 With instructions to give this ground a close shave, I'm quickly reminded of why I never became a barber. 342 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:03,000 All right, it's a little touch and go at first, but soon I get the hang of it. 343 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:04,000 Oh yeah. 344 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,000 That's it. Did a good job there. 345 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:07,000 Like a surgeon, Kevin. 346 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,000 Very good. That's good. That's good. Very good. 347 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:25,000 With the sun setting, I climb down from the rig and we get to work searching the area, which doesn't take long. 348 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,000 Got some hits in here for sure. 349 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:30,000 Some here and some here. 350 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:33,000 Some here for sure. 351 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:37,000 Oh, there is. 352 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:43,000 We've got something. 353 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:46,000 It's metal. 354 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:47,000 What is that? 355 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:48,000 What is that? 356 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:49,000 Ah! 357 00:21:53,000 --> 00:22:01,000 I'm in Snedisham, England, searching for evidence of a treasure hoard, buried on the eve of battle by Isimie Queen Boudica. 358 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,000 And we've just discovered an incredible clue. 359 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:07,000 Is that something? 360 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:11,000 Metal. 361 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:12,000 What is that? 362 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,000 Looks like a horse. Can you see that? 363 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:21,000 Yes. 364 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:22,000 Yes, it's a horse. 365 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,000 Yeah, it's an Isimie coin. 366 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,000 That's an Isimie coin. 367 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:26,000 It's a silver one. 368 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,000 Oh my word. On the other side. 369 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:32,000 Is it a face? 370 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,000 Is it got a nose? Lodge nose? 371 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,000 Yes, it does. Who am I looking at? 372 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:41,000 That face is Pesotagus, the king of the Isimie. 373 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:44,000 This is the face of Boudica's husband. 374 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:45,000 Yes. 375 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,000 That is unbelievable. 376 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:56,000 Nearly 2,000 years old, this Celtic coin depicting Boudica's husband was one of the first to be minted by ancient Britons. 377 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:58,000 It was also one of the last. 378 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:04,000 After Roman conquest, the practice was suppressed, making this an extremely rare find. 379 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:09,000 We continue searching, hoping this coin is part of a much bigger hoard. 380 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:15,000 But it appears this section of the site was for smelting metal, not making ritual offerings. 381 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:20,000 So it's not a hoard, but I would call this a little piece of treasure. This is astounding. 382 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:28,000 Kevin and Clive are going to continue investigating this sacred site for traces of Boudica's hoard, and they'll keep me posted. 383 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,000 But Snedisham is not the only place it could be. 384 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:38,000 To continue the hunt, I'm following the path of Boudica's rebellion south to the city of Colchester. 385 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:45,000 2,000 years ago, the Romans made Colchester the capital of their newly conquered territory, Britannia. 386 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:57,000 But it wasn't known as Colchester back then. The Romans called it Camulodunum. 387 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:03,000 Two hours later, I reach...let's just stick with Colchester. 388 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:09,000 A city that has a unique relationship with Queen Boudica. 389 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:15,000 In 1st century Camulodunum, she was seen as a dangerous revolutionary. 390 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:19,000 But in 21st century Colchester, she's a rock star. 391 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:28,000 From statues...to schools...to wine labels. 392 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,000 Today, Boudica is hailed by the locals as a freedom fighter. 393 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:38,000 So I decide to get a nice cuppa and settle in to read the Romans' description of her. 394 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,000 Good Lord! This woman's a monster! 395 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:52,000 Writing 150 years after the uprising, Roman historian Cassius Dio catalogs a horrifying list of Boudica's crimes. 396 00:24:53,000 --> 00:25:01,000 The wholesale murder of 80,000 Romans, prisoners boiled alive, and noble women tortured, mutilated and impaled. 397 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:08,000 So who was she really? Righteous rebel? Or cold-blooded barbarian? 398 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:16,000 Many modern writers have noted that Boudica gets a bad rap since her Roman enemies wrote her biography. 399 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:23,000 But in a quaint little coffee shop in the center of town, I'm exploring a secret that could set the record straight. 400 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:30,000 Beneath a newly installed glass floor, I step back in time 2,000 years. 401 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:36,000 These are the remains of the original Roman settlement, discovered by accident in 2016. 402 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:38,000 How cool is this? 403 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:46,000 Though today it sits in ruins, this was once a hugely important building, known as the Temple of Claudius. 404 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:58,000 More than a thousand local citizens hid inside this temple for two days, after Boudica defeated the 9th Roman Legion and attacked the city with her 150,000 rebels. 405 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:05,000 Once her forces breached the temple, they killed everyone inside and burned the entire city to the ground. 406 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:07,000 Boudica took no prisoners. 407 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:13,000 Pottery found down here is charred black from the event. 408 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:24,000 In fact, if you dig down anywhere in the city of Colchester, you find a line of charcoal-colored soil that is officially known as the Boudican Destruction Layer. 409 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:28,000 So there can be no question that Boudica's fight was merciless. 410 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:35,000 However, she probably gave as good as she got, fighting back against the brutality of Rome. 411 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:43,000 But how exactly did Boudica and her ragtag rebels take on Rome's storied 9th Legion in the first place? 412 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:48,000 And could Boudica's tactics reveal the location of her treasure? 413 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:58,000 To find out, I've arranged to meet a group of experts in ancient warfare, and they arrive in style, riding Boudica's secret weapon. 414 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:26,000 Good morning. Good morning. That was extraordinary. I'm Josh. I'm Claire. And I'm Rekha. Rekha? That's me. 415 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:35,000 I love that name. Nice to meet you, Claire and Rekha. You know, Boudica is always associated with this chariot. Did the Romans use them in war? 416 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:40,000 No, the Romans purely fought on foot. It was just the Isenians that used them in war. The Romans used to use… 417 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:44,000 Wait a minute. This is sacrilege. I have, like, Ben Hur visions in my head. Didn't the Romans fight on chariots? 418 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:48,000 No, they purely used them for racing. They never fought from their chariots. 419 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:53,000 Wow. In terms of Boudica, how would she have fought? Do you want to find out? 420 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:57,000 On there? Sure. Yes. Yes, yes, I do. 421 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:08,000 The next thing I know, Rekha sets up a dummy Roman soldier. Let's call him Targeticus. And an armorer brings out the Isenian arsenal. 422 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:12,000 Are you the weapon man? I am indeed. I'm Josh. I'm Chunk. Chunk? Chunk. 423 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:18,000 Rekha and Chunk. Yes. Okay, what's your last name? Cox. Your name is Chunk Cox. It is, yes. 424 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:23,000 That's not your birth name. No, no, no. I don't know. It's Richard. Or Dick, for sure. Your birth name is Dick Cox. 425 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:27,000 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, my parents didn't think that through, did I? No. No. 426 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:32,000 I'm not going to make fun of you. You're holding some serious weapons. Wow, yeah, no. Would this have been in Boudica's arsenal here? 427 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:37,000 Yeah, yeah, the spear would have been the most common weapon. Pretty much everyone had a spear. You'd use it for hunting. 428 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:44,000 Right. Also the axe was a very common weapon because everyone had one of Chupwood. The sword on the other hand would have been a lot more high status weapon. 429 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:49,000 Boudica herself would probably have one. So what do we start with? Well, spear. 430 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:53,000 Spear it is. How to crack. Okay, very lightweight. What's the technique on this? 431 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:59,000 You throw it like a dart. Really, it's just like a dart? Yeah, you just literally give it a lob. Okay. What could possibly go wrong? 432 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:03,000 I don't know. Well, we are about to find out. Okay, here we go. 433 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:18,000 Okay. Maintain at least three points of contact. So both feet and one hand at any one time. Okay. And as you go into a corner, transfer your weight to the inside or you could flip over. 434 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:22,000 If the carriage turns over, you're going to be skinned alive. 435 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:26,000 Well, you're really selling it, Claire. It's good fun. It's good fun, I promise. 436 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:31,000 Give me the spear. Okay. All right, let's rock and roll. 437 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:38,000 Go. Oh, boy. Okay, coming into the course. 438 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:42,000 Change your lane. Left, left, left, left, left. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 439 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,000 Come on. Claire navigates through the course. 440 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,000 Let's go. Shot that. Nice. 441 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:53,000 Picking up speed with each pass until we're approaching 30 miles an hour. 442 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:57,000 Woo-hoo! 443 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:00,000 Gonna go right to the bottom. 444 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:05,000 When you come out of the corners, the acceleration is amazing. 445 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,000 Right turn. Yeah. Yeah. 446 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:17,000 After the next corner, I want you to hold on with one hand, get your spear ready with your other hand. Yeah. 447 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:23,000 And we're going to try and take that rime in now. Okay. Go, go. Go, go. Go, go, go, go, go. 448 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,000 It's hard just to hold on with one hand. 449 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:33,000 I missed him. You really caught the fanny hole. 450 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:37,000 I didn't die hit though. I was nowhere near the horse. Give me a spear. 451 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:40,000 Okay, here we go. 452 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:49,000 You know, it's one thing to be doing this in an obstacle course, but imagine being in the heat of battle against the Romans. 453 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,000 Channel my inner Isini warrior. 454 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:02,000 I'll put 10 credit misses. 455 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:09,000 Struggling to hit a stationary target shows me just how skilled Boudica's charioteers must have been. 456 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:14,000 If this were a real battle, I wouldn't even have this second chance. 457 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:28,000 I'm in Colchester, England on the trail of first century Isini queen Boudica's legendary treasure hoard. 458 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:37,000 Boudica led a rebellion against Britain's Roman overlords, sacking three cities and nearly defeating the most powerful army on earth. 459 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:44,000 Now I'm attempting to master the weapon that gave the rebels their edge, the war chariot. 460 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,000 Yes! In the neck! 461 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:56,000 Crocodile shop for Boudica! 462 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:06,000 I've learned that fighting from chariot back is extremely hard, even with a stationary target on a controlled course. 463 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:14,000 But to Boudica and her army, chariots and horses were key to their strategy, and for a time, it paid off. 464 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:25,000 After sacking Colchester and crushing the 9th Legion, Boudica and the rebels destroyed first century London, followed by what is now the city of St. Albans. 465 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:37,000 Where Boudica's final battle took place is a mystery that's endured for almost 2000 years, but her reliance on chariot warfare may help us unlock the answer. 466 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:49,000 I follow an ancient Roman highway known as Watling Street to the tiny village of Church Stow and head to a stunning medieval church perched above the town. 467 00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:01,000 John! Hi Josh, good to see you. Nice to meet you. You too, Josh. 468 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:09,000 This is historian and landscape archaeologist John Pegg, who has been rewriting the book on the location of Boudica's final act. 469 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:12,000 Let's talk Boudica, okay? 470 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:18,000 This question of her final battle and her burial is a huge mystery. 471 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:21,000 So, why Church Stow? 472 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:25,000 Well, that's interesting. I've been fascinated by the story since I was a child. 473 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:34,000 So, if we take it right back, the only thing we have to base any study of Boudica's final days on is the writings of two Roman historians, one's Tacitus and the other's Dio. 474 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,000 What do the Roman writers tell us about this final battle? 475 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:46,000 Well, the key one is Tacitus, and he gives us the overall picture of the campaign, but also some very specific terrain descriptions that help us identify the battle site. 476 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:47,000 Okay. 477 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:55,000 In terms of the campaign, we've got General Paul Inas, the leader of the Romans. He's in Anglesey in North Wales, suppressing the Druids. 478 00:33:55,000 --> 00:34:01,000 On hearing of the rebellion, he started to move southeast to try and deal with the Isenie threat. 479 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:10,000 At the same time, Boudica and the Isenie were moving from their homeland in Norfolk through Colchester, which they destroyed, the destruction of London, and then they moved up to St. Albans. 480 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:15,000 So, we have a force coming down from the north, a force coming up from the south, so we need to start looking in the centre. 481 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,000 We are right in the middle of these two arrows. 482 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,000 You're right in the middle of the two arrows on Wattling Street. 483 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:25,000 Now, Wattling Street is this amazing road that's still in use today that was effectively a Roman highway, right? 484 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:26,000 Absolutely. 485 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,000 Okay, so we're in the right area. 486 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:29,000 I would hope so. 487 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:42,000 According to Tacitus, the Romans are outnumbered 25 to 1, so they use the local topography to their advantage, stationing their troops around the edge of a steep valley. 488 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:49,000 The fastest is very specific that the Roman victor was dependent on his massively outnumbered troops holding a piece of terrain. 489 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:55,000 We need a narrow valley with steep sides so the British couldn't bring into play their wonder weapon, the chariot. 490 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:56,000 Right. Too steep for a chariot. 491 00:34:56,000 --> 00:35:05,000 Too steep for a chariot to go up, but not too steep for the Romans to advance down once they started their attack, and that's the description we have, and that's what we've got at Church Stove. 492 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:09,000 John shows me a topographical map of the area. 493 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:14,000 Just take a look at how steep this ridge is and how good a bottleneck this valley makes. 494 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:17,000 Right, so this goes all the way around this area. 495 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:30,000 Absolutely. All the way around the top, 40 viable at the top, but at the base, you've got a valley that narrows significantly that could trap the Isenians as they try to escape, which is one of the key factors in the battle. 496 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:45,000 Tacitus describes a slaughter. 80,000 Celts died that fateful day while the Romans suffered just 400 casualties. In one fell swoop, Boudica's uprising is crushed. 497 00:35:46,000 --> 00:36:00,000 As for the queen herself, Dio claims she falls ill and dies, likely from poison, and is given a costly burial, which means ceremonial offerings were likely made at the site. 498 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:11,000 Convinced that he's discovered the location of the battlefield, John thinks he's found this costly burial site as well. 499 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:21,000 John brings me to a field directly south of the church, a place with an extremely intriguing name. 500 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:22,000 This is Dead Queensmoor. 501 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:27,000 This is Dead Queensmoor. It's a real Lord of the Rings name. So why did they call it that? 502 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:34,000 It's possible that something, at some point, was found that suggested someone of royal birth was buried up here. 503 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:35,000 Like Queen Boudica. 504 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:36,000 But there's more. 505 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:37,000 Okay. 506 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:45,000 In 1880, they were building a waterworks just over there, a few hundred meters away, and they came across a first century Roman temple. 507 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,000 But the big thing they found was this. 508 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:55,000 Get out of here. This is a huge sculpted head of a woman. 509 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:58,000 Yeah, but it's not any woman. It's a very angry looking woman. 510 00:36:58,000 --> 00:36:59,000 Yes. 511 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:00,000 And what looks like a torque in her hair. 512 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:04,000 Oh, there is. Look at that. We've got something in her hair here. It looks like a torque. 513 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:09,000 And it's Romano-British style rather than Roman. And it's dated to the mid first century. 514 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:12,000 That's like a smoking gun. 515 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,000 That could definitely be a smoking gun. 516 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:20,000 No significant survey work has been done at this exact site until today. 517 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:22,000 Look at this. We are not alone up here. 518 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,000 Nope. We've got a whole team. 519 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:25,000 Awesome. 520 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:32,000 Hi there. 521 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:33,000 How are you? 522 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:34,000 Well, thank you. How are you? 523 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:35,000 This is Alan. Alan. 524 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:36,000 Nice to meet you. How are you? 525 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:37,000 How are you? Very well. 526 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:38,000 You have a regular army out here today. 527 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:39,000 Yeah, we certainly have. 528 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:43,000 I noticed that everyone has these orange vests on that say NARC. 529 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:45,000 That's correct. 530 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:46,000 You guys are a bunch of NARCs? 531 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:49,000 No, we are indeed. It's the Sandsford Northamptonshire Artifact Recovery Club. 532 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,000 Ah, okay. The Northamptonshire Artifact Recovery Club. 533 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:52,000 Correct. 534 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:53,000 It has a different connotation in the States. 535 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:54,000 Yeah. 536 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,000 So how's it going so far? Any sign of Boudicca's Horde? 537 00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:57,000 Not yet. 538 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:00,000 But we only just started, so fingers crossed we can find something. 539 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:01,000 Okay, great. 540 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,000 We've got a lot of ground to cover. 541 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:07,000 While the NARCs try to rat out Boudicca's Horde with metal detectors, 542 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:10,000 John's called in backup to help narrow down the search zone. 543 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:16,000 A remote sensing team using cutting edge new technology, Aerial GPR. 544 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:19,000 This is Bruce and John from Aerodite. 545 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:21,000 Hey, Bruce, how are you? Nice to meet you. 546 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:22,000 Pleasure. 547 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:23,000 Pleasure. 548 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:24,000 What is this beast? 549 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:27,000 This is a broadband ground penetrating radar system. 550 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:29,000 Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. 551 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,000 This is a radar unit attached to a drone. 552 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:32,000 Yes. 553 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:34,000 I have never seen this before. 554 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,000 So when you fly this with the radar unit attached, how high off the ground do you fly? 555 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:38,000 About five foot. 556 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:40,000 And how far underground can it see? 557 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,000 10 to 15 feet. 558 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:44,000 10 to 15 feet underground? 559 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:45,000 Yeah. 560 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:46,000 Wow. 561 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:50,000 Aerial GPR sends high frequency radio waves into the ground 562 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:53,000 and measures how these waves are reflected back. 563 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:56,000 It can cover more area than a ground-based unit 564 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:59,000 and detect disturbances in the soil from above. 565 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,000 Signs that something might be buried here. 566 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:04,000 All right, should we fly? 567 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:05,000 Yep. 568 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:06,000 Yeah, let's do it. 569 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:18,000 Get ready for takeoff. 570 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:19,000 Okay, let's back it up. 571 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:31,000 Flying the drone low and slow, Bruce gets to work, 572 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:34,000 running a grid pattern over the field. 573 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:47,000 After a few passes, the ground penetrating radar picks something up. 574 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:50,000 All right, are we getting data? 575 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,000 Yes, we're getting great data. 576 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:53,000 Wow. 577 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:54,000 We've got something here. 578 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:57,000 Right there. 579 00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:58,000 How deep is that hit? 580 00:39:58,000 --> 00:39:59,000 Less than five feet. 581 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:01,000 We've got something out there. 582 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:02,000 Yep. 583 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:03,000 This thing works. 584 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:09,000 The GPR detected a disturbance in the soil nearly seven feet long, 585 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:11,000 potentially big enough to be Boudicca's tomb 586 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:14,000 or maybe a treasure trove of offerings. 587 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,000 John and I join Alan and Dave from the NARC squad 588 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:22,000 and we begin our journey to the NARC squad. 589 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:26,000 And we begin to sweep the area where the GPR spotted the anomaly. 590 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:28,000 And anything, John? 591 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,000 Nothing so far. 592 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:34,000 But metal detecting is all about persistence. 593 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:41,000 And Dave here didn't earn his NARC vest for nothing. 594 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:47,000 Alan, hey! 595 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:48,000 You got something? 596 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:49,000 Got something, yeah. 597 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:50,000 What do you got? 598 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:51,000 What do you got? 599 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:55,000 Oh, my word! 600 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:56,000 Look at that! 601 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:57,000 That's silver! 602 00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:58,000 Yeah, that's Roman silver. 603 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:01,000 You can see there's no later silver looks like that. 604 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:02,000 Alan, come here. 605 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:03,000 Look at this. 606 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:04,000 Oh, my God! 607 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:06,000 Silver coin. 608 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:07,000 Wow. 609 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:08,000 Definitely Roman. 610 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:09,000 Grassian. 611 00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:10,000 Grassian. 612 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:12,000 So he'll be late fourth century, about three seventies. 613 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:14,000 Look at the condition of this, hey! 614 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:15,000 Nice work! 615 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:16,000 Fantastic day. 616 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:19,000 So we're looking at about 300 years after Boudicca here. 617 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:20,000 Yep. 618 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:23,000 There's no problem with that at all, because if this were a burial site, then why wouldn't 619 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:27,000 there be people passing by here, visiting here, even making offerings? 620 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:30,000 So I think the trick is now to take a more measured approach. 621 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:31,000 Keep looking around here. 622 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:32,000 Yeah, okay. 623 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:33,000 Yeah. 624 00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:34,000 And see what else we've got. 625 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,000 Yeah, I got a little signal here. 626 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:37,000 Another head. 627 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:38,000 Let's see what comes up. 628 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:39,000 Oh! 629 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:42,000 And I got one here. 630 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:47,000 As quickly as we can, Dave and I dig in. 631 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:52,000 And just like that. 632 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:53,000 We got another one. 633 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:54,000 Another coin. 634 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:55,000 Another one. 635 00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:56,000 Yeah. 636 00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:57,000 Is it another silver coin? 637 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:58,000 Yep. 638 00:41:58,000 --> 00:41:59,000 I got something here. 639 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,000 Double jackpot. 640 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:05,000 Yes! 641 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:06,000 Yes! 642 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:07,000 Wow. 643 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:09,000 Look at that, another silver coin! 644 00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:11,000 This could be a treasure hoard. 645 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:13,000 Holy ****! 646 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:21,000 Back at the chariot course, it wasn't all spears. 647 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:28,000 I also tried my hand at a sword against Rome's feared 9th Legion, represented here by a defenseless melon. 648 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:35,000 I scalped him. 649 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:38,000 That Roman is definitely in trouble. 650 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:44,000 Nice! 651 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:46,000 Oh, that guy's dead. 652 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:47,000 But he's done. 653 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:49,000 That is game over. 654 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:52,000 He's definitely dead. 655 00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:55,000 And delicious. 656 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:56,000 Very nice. 657 00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:58,000 Italians aren't known for their cuisine. 658 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:08,000 I'm in Church Stowe, England, investigating Dead Queen's Moor, a possible burial site of Boudica, 659 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:13,000 a Celtic rebel queen who challenged the Roman conquerors of Britain. 660 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:17,000 Roman historian Tacitus describes her funeral as Costly, 661 00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:21,000 which means this field could be hiding a treasure hoard. 662 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:23,000 And in fact, it seems like it is. 663 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:24,000 Yes! 664 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:25,000 Wow. 665 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:27,000 Look at that, another silver coin! 666 00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:29,000 This could be a treasure hoard. 667 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:31,000 Holy ****! 668 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:33,000 It's a different emperor. 669 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:34,000 Look, different. 670 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:35,000 Different. 671 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:38,000 So, this is... 672 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:39,000 It's a Valens. 673 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:43,000 Different emperor, but still the same period of time, late 4th century. 674 00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:45,000 So, we put him in order, first one top. 675 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:49,000 So that's one, two, three coins. 676 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:50,000 In a row. 677 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:51,000 Yeah, yeah. 678 00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:52,000 I mean, that's incredible. 679 00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:53,000 It is. 680 00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:54,000 Is this a normal day out for you guys? 681 00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:55,000 No, certainly not. 682 00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:58,000 In 22 years, probably about eight or nine of them all together. 683 00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:00,000 In 20 odd years of detecting. 684 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:01,000 Wow. 685 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:02,000 So now we've got three. 686 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:03,000 In the span of about six feet. 687 00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:04,000 That's right. 688 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:06,000 Okay, everybody pick up a metal detector. 689 00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:07,000 That's it. 690 00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:12,000 With daylight fading fast, we continue combing the area. 691 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:15,000 We could have another one. 692 00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:16,000 Same shape, no? 693 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:19,000 And we keep getting hits. 694 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:20,000 Right there. 695 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:25,000 Yeah, look. 696 00:44:25,000 --> 00:44:26,000 Is it? 697 00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:27,000 Number four. 698 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:28,000 Number four. 699 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:29,000 Get out of here! 700 00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:30,000 Really? 701 00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:31,000 Yeah, really. 702 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:32,000 Number four. 703 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:36,000 If that's another coin, beers are on me boys. 704 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:40,000 Ah, it's another one! 705 00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:41,000 Yes! 706 00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:43,000 This is insane! 707 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:48,000 Five coins in probably no more than 10 feet, 11 feet. 708 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:55,000 Our pockets full of silver, we lay out the loot and keep looking. 709 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:00,000 Oh, I got something. 710 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:04,000 We quickly get a trifecta of hits. 711 00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:07,000 Oh, I got another one! 712 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:09,000 Another one! 713 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:10,000 Yeah, that's amazing. 714 00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:11,000 Yeah, another one for me. 715 00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:12,000 You have one! 716 00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:13,000 Yeah! 717 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:15,000 This is it! 718 00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:16,000 We live in this field now! 719 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:19,000 And another. 720 00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:20,000 You just have two coins. 721 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:21,000 Two silver coins. 722 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:22,000 Two silver coins. 723 00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:23,000 Two silver coins. 724 00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:24,000 Yeah. 725 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:25,000 Wow. 726 00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:26,000 And another, and another. 727 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:29,000 We've hit the mother load. 728 00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:34,000 For the next hour, we continue plucking silver coins from the ground, a horde that may have 729 00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:37,000 been left in tribute to the rebel queen, Boudica. 730 00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:43,000 Alan, what are we up to? 731 00:45:43,000 --> 00:45:45,000 We're up to 14 at the moment. 732 00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:46,000 Maybe 15. 733 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:50,000 Another one for Pyle. 734 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:51,000 21. 735 00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:54,000 Correction, 21 and a half. 736 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:55,000 Half counters, 1. 737 00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:56,000 22. 738 00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:57,000 22. 739 00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:00,000 Another one. 740 00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:05,000 Alan, anything else? 741 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:06,000 No, nothing at all. 742 00:46:07,000 --> 00:46:08,000 I think that might be it. 743 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:11,000 At least for stuff by the surface. 744 00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:12,000 Yeah. 745 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:13,000 What's the final haul? 746 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:15,000 We're going to get a little bit of silver. 747 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:17,000 We're going to get a little bit of silver. 748 00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:18,000 At least for stuff by the surface. 749 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:19,000 Yeah. 750 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:21,000 What's the final haul here? 751 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:22,000 Let's take a look at this. 752 00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:28,000 We have 6, 12, 18, 24, 25 coins. 753 00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:29,000 Fantastic. 754 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:30,000 Yes. 755 00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:31,000 Fantastic is the word. 756 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:32,000 That's amazing. 757 00:46:32,000 --> 00:46:34,000 Really, really great work. 758 00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:35,000 Unbelievable. 759 00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:37,000 I mean, this is a horde. 760 00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:38,000 That's a horde. 761 00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:39,000 Truly. 762 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:40,000 Absolutely. 763 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:41,000 Now, not to be negative. 764 00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:44,000 We don't have Boudica's burial here yet. 765 00:46:44,000 --> 00:46:48,000 We don't have her horde, but we do have a horde. 766 00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:49,000 This is really significant. 767 00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:52,000 It is significant, and that means that this site was 768 00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:54,000 significant to some people who chose to come here and put a 769 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:58,000 lot of valuable material into the ground on Dead Queens Mall. 770 00:46:58,000 --> 00:46:59,000 And that's something. 771 00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:00,000 That is something. 772 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:03,000 And maybe another puzzle piece to her story. 773 00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:04,000 Absolutely. 774 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:06,000 Possibly the key to unlocking the puzzle. 775 00:47:06,000 --> 00:47:08,000 And for you guys to let me keep this. 776 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:09,000 Wow. 777 00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:10,000 So generous. 778 00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:14,000 The discovery of this Roman coin horde is one of the most 779 00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:16,000 exciting of my career. 780 00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:20,000 And there's likely much more to find in Dead Queens Mall. 781 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:24,000 And at the Sacred Isini site in Snedisham. 782 00:47:24,000 --> 00:47:28,000 Still, the biggest discovery of all may be the character of 783 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:30,000 Queen Boudica herself. 784 00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:31,000 Who was she? 785 00:47:31,000 --> 00:47:33,000 Hero or villain? 786 00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:38,000 Boudica, like all people, was complex and not easily defined. 787 00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:42,000 I think her most impressive quality is that she has endured. 788 00:47:42,000 --> 00:47:45,000 She lived in a land without writing where nearly no one is 789 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:46,000 remembered. 790 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:49,000 A brutal age largely lost to time. 791 00:47:49,000 --> 00:47:53,000 For her story to reach forward through the centuries as a 792 00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:57,000 mother, a leader, and a freedom fighter is a remarkable 793 00:47:57,000 --> 00:47:58,000 accomplishment. 794 00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:02,000 And we should all reach back and take her hand in 795 00:48:02,000 --> 00:48:03,000 remembrance.