Comment: The Dig brings a famous archaeological discovery to a vivid life

Just before the outbreak of World War II, a widow and a local archaeologist team up to excavate large graves in Suffolk, England, and discover an invaluable treasure in the new Netflix film, Excavation. It is based on the 2007 eponymous novel by John Preston and brings to life the famous 1939 excavation at Sutton Hoo. It is a silent and thoughtful film, with stunning cinematography and great performances by the cast, although, in the end, it seems somewhat lacking in depth and emotional weight.

(Some spoilers below.)

Sutton Hoo is the site of two primitive medieval cemeteries, incorporating a group of about 20 hills. In 1937, a British widow named Edith Pretty inherited the land from her late husband and hired a local archaeologist named Basil Brown to excavate the hills, paying her 30 shillings a week. She was particularly interested in Mount 1. But after conferring with colleagues at the Ipswich Museum, Brown chose to excavate three small mounds (designated 2, 3 and 4) first, during the summer of 1938.

They found that the looters had already fled with most of the valuable artifacts, but the discovery of iron rivets and a mortuary chamber with fragments of metal and glass on Mount 2 looked promising for Brown. He concluded that the hills dated much earlier than thought, from the time of the Anglo-Saxons.

The following May, Brown and his team began excavating Mount 1. Edith Pretty’s intuition proved to be correct. Brown and his team not only discovered more iron rivets inside Mount 1, but were still in position. In the weeks that followed, they dug up the remains of an Anglo-Saxon ship, complete with a burial chamber that probably once housed an ancient king. Scholars are divided over the identity of this king, with the most likely candidate being Rædwald of East Anglia, or perhaps his son, Eorpwald. All human remains had long been absorbed into the soil, but among the priceless artifacts recovered were a gold belt buckle, part of a sword belt, a ceremonial helmet, a lyre and a silver plate dating from the Empire. Byzantine.

Once the importance of the site spread, the British Museum, Science Museum and Office of Works took responsibility for the excavations. Archaeologist Charles Phillips of the University of Cambridge replaced Brown, bringing in other colleagues, mainly a married team, Stuart and Peggy Piggott. Edith Pretty was considered the legitimate owner of the treasures and decided to bequeath the items to the British Museum, on the condition that Brown received credit for her work. The artifacts were safely stored during World War II, which broke out in September 1939, and displayed for the first time nine years after Edith’s death (she died in 1942). Unfortunately, no mention was made of Brown at the time, although his name is now included in the permanent exhibition.

A former television critic for The Sunday Telegraph, John Preston is also the nephew of Peggy Piggott (later known as Margaret Guido in the archaeological community), but apparently never heard the story of Sutton Hoo’s excavation until 2004. So the novel by Preston is not based on his aunt’s first-hand accounts, although he particularly emphasizes Peggy’s role in the excavation (she becomes the narrator at one point). Like any good fiction writer, he has a good deal of literary license with the story – as he freely admits.

For example, in the book, it is Pretty’s cousin, Rory, who photographs the site; in fact, two women named Mercie Lack and Barbara Wagstaff were the photographers. Rory is mainly there to provide a romantic subplot for Peggy, trapped in an unhappy marriage. In the book, Peggy and Stuart are newlyweds who interrupt their honeymoon for Sutton Hoo’s dig. In fact, they had been married for almost three years, and their marriage ended only in 1956. Preston also condensed the excavation timeline considerably for greater narrative clarity, reducing it to a single season from April to September 1939. The excavation of Mount 2 is merged with that of Mount 1, and a scene involving a landslide at the site is likely taken from previous excavations.

The film adaptation began as a BBC Films production before moving to Netflix, with Cary Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes on board as co-stars, playing Edith Pretty and Basil Brown, respectively. The cast also includes Lily James as Peggy Piggott, Ben Chaplin as Stuart Piggott, Ken Stott as Charles Phillips, Archie Barnes as Edith’s son, Robert, Monica Dolan as Brown’s long-suffering wife, May and Johnny Flynn as Rory Lomax. According to the official premise: “As World War II approaches, a wealthy widow (Carey Mulligan) hires an amateur archaeologist (Ralph Fiennes) to excavate the tombs on his property. When they make a historic discovery, the echoes Britain’s past resonate in the face of its uncertain future. “

The plot follows the book for the most part, with the same creative games in history. Mulligan and Fiennes interpret each other beautifully as a close friendship develops between the strange archeologist and the sick widow – their relationship is the heart that anchors the film. Director Simon Stone wastes no time digging, and these parts of the film are beautifully reproduced with a lot of attention to historical details (despite the freedoms mentioned).

The focus shifts slightly in the second half, with the introduction of the love triangle between the Piggotts and Rory. Stuart Piggott is portrayed as a closeted homosexual who is repulsed by the mere sight of his young wife’s naked body, and it is Chaplin’s credit that this does not look like a superficial caricature. James is very good as Peggy, but I must note that some archaeologists have criticized how the film portrays her as inexperienced, mostly hired because she was light enough to scale the fragile site without causing damage.

Excavation it is a pleasant and eminently watchable film, telling its story in a slow but never slow pace. But it never really penetrates beneath its beautiful surface, and in the end it makes it more forgettable than it really should be. If nothing else, here’s the hope Excavation rekindles public interest in Sutton Hoo – still one of the most significant archaeological finds in England – and the almost forgotten archaeologist who first unearthed his secrets.

Excavation is now broadcasting on Netflix.

List image by Netflix