Today Tony is digging up the secrets of Sutton Hoo, England’s iconic Anglo-Saxon royal burial site, with Professor Martin Carver, who led the 1980s excavations, and Laura Howarth, Archaeology and Engagement Manager at Sutton Hoo, National Trust.

The 1939 dig by Basil Brown for landowner Edith Pretty, revealed the shape of a ship beneath a mound. It turned out to be a 7th-century royal ship burial filled with magnificent treasures: 'a poem written in objects', possibly belonging to King Rædwald. These included the now famous helmet and many other treasures originating from across Europe, Byzantium, and even as far as Sri Lanka.

In the 1980s, Martin led further excavations, revealing a horse and warrior burial and even an execution cemetery, showing Sutton Hoo as an evolving political and spiritual landscape. Today excavations, in collaboration with Time Team, continue to reveal Sutton Hoo's secrets. As Laura says, “we’ll never know everything about Sutton Hoo, but each generation can look at it with fresh eyes.”

Hosted by Sir Tony Robinson | Instagram @sirtonyrobinson

Producer: Melissa FitzGerald | X @melissafitzg

With

Professor Martin Carver | www.martincarver.com

British archaeologist renowned for his work on early medieval Europe. After serving 15 years in the Royal Tank Regiment, Martin transitioned to archaeology, founding the Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit. He was Professor of Archaeology at the University of York (1986–2008) and led major excavations at Sutton Hoo and Portmahomack. Martin also edited the journal Antiquity (2002–2012) and is a Fellow of the British Academy. Martin is a director of The Sutton Hoo Ship's Company, which aims to build a full-size and seaworthy replica of the Anglo-Saxon ship found in Mound 1 at Sutton Hoo | www.saxonship.org

Laura Howarth | www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Archaeology and Engagement Manager at National Trust, Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England. Laura combines archaeological expertise with public engagement, curating exhibitions, organising events, and managing educational activities to bring the site's rich history to life.

Visit Sutton Hoo National Trust:

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/suffolk/sutton-hoo

Watch Time Team, Sutton Hoo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=risyQhRjwnw

Follow us:

Instagram @cunningcastpod | X @cunningcastpod | YouTube @cunningcast

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If you enjoy this podcast please do share it and leave us a rating or review.

Thank you, Love Tony x

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Today Tony is diving beneath the surface of one of history’s most enduring legends: Atlantis. Joining him are maritime archaeologist and bestselling author, David Gibbins, and the writer Damian Le Bas. A life-long fascination with the Atlantis myth has shaped both their work.

Together they explore the shifting meanings of Atlantis, from Plato’s parable to pop culture icon. They look at the political allegory of Plato’s story as a critique of imperialism, how Atlantis has been reinterpreted across history, and the metaphorical idea of Atlantis as a horizon of unknowing: both a physical and philosophical “beyond".

Hosted by Sir Tony Robinson | Instagram @sirtonyrobinson

Producer: Melissa FitzGerald | X @melissafitzg

With

David Gibbins | www.davidgibbins.com/biography

Maritime archaeologist and bestselling author, David’s twelve novels have sold over three million copies and are published in 30 languages. David’s been a passionate diver since boyhood and has led many expeditions to investigate historic shipwrecks and other underwater sites around the world, including the Mediterranean, Britain and Canada.

His recent non-fiction book, ‘A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks’, represents a lifelong fascination with underwater archaeology and the place of ships and shipwrecks in world history.

Damian Le Bas | IG @damianlebas

Writer, filmmaker and visual artist. Damian’s first book ‘The Stopping Places’ won the Somerset Maugham Award, a Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award, and was shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year.

In his second book ‘The Drowned Places’, Damian explores the meaning we find in sunken ruins around the world in this spellbinding love letter to diving.

Follow us:

Instagram @cunningcastpod | X @cunningcastpod | YouTube @cunningcast

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If you enjoy this podcast please do share it and leave us a rating or review.

Thank you, Love Tony x

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony has been lucky enough to dive all over the world, he’s even dived on the Titanic with the film director James Cameron. So today on Cunningcast, Tony’s exploring underwater history with David Gibbins, maritime archaeologist and author of A History of the World in 12 Shipwrecks, and Damian Le Bas writer, filmmaker and author of The Drowned Places.

Together they explore how shipwrecks are time capsules that reveal human stories and global connections, from the Bronze Age Dover Boat to the lavish Uluburun wreck off Turkey and the sunken pirate city of Port Royal, Jamaica. Symbols of past human endeavour, shipwrecks and sunken ruins become homes to underwater life, and are constantly changing, as Damian says, they represent an ‘accidental collaboration between humans and nature’.

Hosted by Sir Tony Robinson | Instagram @sirtonyrobinson

Producer: Melissa FitzGerald | X @melissafitzg

With

David Gibbins | www.davidgibbins.com/biography

Maritime archaeologist and bestselling author, David’s twelve novels so far have sold over three million copies and are published in 30 languages. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellow. David’s been a passionate diver since boyhood, and has led many expeditions to investigate historic shipwrecks and other underwater sites around the world, including the Mediterranean, Britain and Canada.

His recent non-fiction book, ‘A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks’, represents a lifelong fascination with underwater archaeology and the place of ships and shipwrecks in world history.

Damian Le Bas | IG @damianlebas

Writer, filmmaker and visual artist. Damian’s first book ‘The Stopping Places’ won the Somerset Maugham Award, a Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award, and was shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year.

In his second book ‘The Drowned Places’ Damian explores the meaning we find in sunken ruins around the world in this spellbinding love letter to diving.

Follow us:

Instagram @cunningcastpod | X @cunningcastpod | YouTube @cunningcast

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If you enjoy this podcast please do share it and leave us a rating or review.

Thank you, Love Tony x

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.