The Dig: Archive shows real-life archaeologist from Netflix film

Archive footage from a 1965 BBC documentary shows the real-life archaeologist who discovered Anglo-Saxon treasures at Sutton Hoo.

Basil Brown found the ship burial in Suffolk in 1939 and the event has been turned into Netflix film The Dig starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes.

Speaking about the moment he made the discovery, Mr Brown said: "I carefully followed it down with bare hands and a trowel, thinking it was a small boat because you wouldn't expected a ship 80 feet long."

Ralph Fiennes described him as an "extraordinary figure" and the National Trust said it hoped the film would boost visitor numbers after the Covid pandemic.

6 February 2021