A RECENT archaeological dig near the A417 that helped 'piece together Gloucestershire’s history' will be featured on BBC Two's Digging for Britain tomorrow night.

The episode will show some of the fascinating artefacts which were discovered during a two-month excavation at an Iron Age site between Air Balloon Roundabout and Brockworth.

The site, known as a ‘banjo enclosure’, was uncovered as part of National Highways’ ongoing £460m A417 Missing Link scheme.

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard: An Iron Age site known as a ‘banjo enclosure’ near the Air Balloon roundabout was uncovered as part of National Highways’ £460m A417 Missing Link schemeAn Iron Age site known as a ‘banjo enclosure’ near the Air Balloon roundabout was uncovered as part of National Highways’ £460m A417 Missing Link scheme (Image: National Highways)
Archaeologists from Oxford Cotswold Archaeology discovered a wide range of artefacts including pottery and animal bones, along with a human ‘crouched’ burial. 

Digging for Britain, which is now available on iPlayer, is hosted by Professor Alice Roberts and in tomorrow night's live episode she meets the A417 Missing Link scheme team and goes behind the scenes to find out more. 

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard: A cattle skull found at the site that had been deliberately buried in the outer enclosure ditchA cattle skull found at the site that had been deliberately buried in the outer enclosure ditch (Image: National Highways)

Steve Foxley, National Highways programme director for the A417 Missing Link, said: “While this landscape-led scheme is very much about building a road that is fit for the future, it’s important not to forget the past and it’s been an absolute pleasure to piece together Gloucestershire’s history as part of this important upgrade for the county.

“We’re just as captivated as local residents and we’ve been delighted to share some of our recent findings with local parish councils and schools.

"We’re equally excited that this significant excavation is now being shared with a wider audience through BBC Two’s Digging for Britain.

“Watch this space, as we’re also planning some community open days in the spring, where people will be able to meet the team and hear all about our archaeological finds."

Jim Keyte, National Highways’ archaeology project manager for the A417, said: “It’s a great pleasure to be able to share our findings with the viewers of Digging for Britain. 

“As a landscape-led project within the Cotswolds National Landscape, being able to explore the traces left by our ancestors provides a unique opportunity to contribute to the story of the Cotswolds and leave a lasting legacy of knowledge for the local community.”

The episode will be broadcast on BBC Two at 8pm on Thursday, January 4.