Episode 3
Neil Oliver, Chris Packham, Andy Torbet and Shini Somara uncover the secrets of Orkney. Andy dives below the waves in search of the inspiration for the first stone circle.
Seven miles off the coast of Scotland and cut off by the tumultuous Pentland Firth, the fastest-flowing tidal race in Europe, Orkney is often viewed as being remote. However it is one of the treasure troves of archaeology in Britain, and recent discoveries there are turning the Stone Age map of Britain upside down. Recent finds suggest an extraordinary theory - that rather than an outpost at the edge of the world, Orkney was the cultural capital of our ancient world and the origin of the stone circle cult which culminated in Stonehenge.
In the third of this three-part series, Neil Oliver, Chris Packham, Andy Torbet and Dr Shini Somara join hundreds of archaeologists from around the world who have gathered there to investigate at one of Europe's biggest digs. Andy dives below the waves in search of the inspiration for the first stone circle, Chris and Neil spend the night on an abandoned island as they hunt for clues as to why cultures change, Shini tests the technology behind a Bronze-Age sauna, and the archaeologists uncover a remarkable find.
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Clips
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Abandoned island
Duration: 00:56
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Secret Tunnel
Duration: 01:21
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Series Producer | Jamie Simpson |
| Executive Producer | Rachel Bell |
| Presenter | Neil Oliver |
| Presenter | Chris Packham |
| Presenter | Shini Somara |
| Presenter | Andy Torbet |
Broadcasts
- Mon 16 Jan 201721:00
- Sat 28 Jan 201719:30BBC Two except Northern Ireland & Scotland
- Sat 28 Jan 201720:00BBC Two Scotland & Northern Ireland only
- Sat 4 Feb 201701:50
- Thu 16 Feb 201720:00
- Fri 17 Feb 201701:10
- Sun 20 Aug 201715:45BBC Two except Scotland
- Wed 11 Jul 201820:00
- Thu 12 Jul 201803:00
- Tue 9 Apr 201920:00
- Sun 16 Jun 201919:30
- Sat 2 Nov 201920:00
- Tue 21 Apr 202022:00
- Thu 25 Feb 202119:30
- Sun 28 Feb 202120:00
- Sat 2 Apr 202212:00BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
- Sun 3 Apr 202218:20BBC Two HD & England only
- Wed 7 Dec 202219:00
- Sun 16 Jul 202322:00
- Wed 19 Jul 202301:00
- Thu 28 Mar 202420:00
- Mon 1 Apr 202416:00
- Wed 16 Oct 202416:15BBC Two except Scotland
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Orkney: Britain's Ancient Capital
Neil Oliver, Chris Packham, Andy Torbet and Dr Shini Somara explore the secrets of Orkney.





