Kick Off: Football History & Archaeology

Time Team: Unearthing the Past

Following the historic final of the Euro 2020 football tournament between England and Italy, Time Team takes a look at the history and archaeology of the 'beautiful game'.

Variations of ball games have been enjoyed for thousands of years, from Ancient China, and the riotous folk football played across Europe in the Middle Ages, through to the modern game that developed over the last 150 or so years.

It's a game of two halves, and Time Team's Dani Wootton is joined firstly by sports historian, Professor Matthew Taylor of De Montfort University, and then archaeologist and heritage consultant, Jason Wood, to discover more about the historic development of football and also the fascinating lessons that can be learnt from the archaeology of football.

Find out more about the 'hidden history' of women's football that enjoyed a Golden Age during World War I, and the value in combining folk memory, living history and excavation to test archaeological theories and techniques. The links between football and archaeology might not be immediately obvious, but as Matthew and Jason highlight, it's amazing what can be learnt when two seemingly contrasting fields come together.

You can also watch the original video interview here.