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Biography of Victor Ambrus 1935-2021

Victor Ambrus 1935-2021 is in Time Team People.

On 19th August 1935 Victor Ambrus was born in Budapest, Hungary.

Between 1953 and 1956 Victor Ambrus (age 17) studied at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts.

In 1965 Victor Ambrus (age 29) was awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal.

In 1975 Victor Ambrus (age 39) was awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal.

In 1977 Victor Ambrus (age 41) was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Time Team Series 1 Episode 1: The Guerrilla Base of the King was filmed between 16th April 1993 and 18th April 1993. It was originally shown on 16th January 1994.

Location: Athelney Abbey [Map].

Category: Time Team Early Medieval.

Time Team:

Tony Robinson (age 47), Presenter

Mick Aston (age 47), Bristol University Landscape Archaeologist

Gerry Barber, Bristol University Environmental Archaeologist

Phil Harding (age 43), Wessex Archaeological Trust Field Archaeologist

Carenza Lewis (age 30), Royal Commission on Historic Monuments

Robin Bush (age 50), Archivist

Victor Ambrus (age 58), Historical Illustrator

John Gator, Chris Gaffney, Geophysics

Gerry McDonnell, Archeaological Scientist.

Base: George Hotel [Map] in Wedmore.

Techniques: Field Walking, Excavations, Magnetometry, Resistivity, Soil Coring

Sources: Life of Alfred by Asser, Assers Life of Alfred 878.

Historical Figures: King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex, Guthrum Viking.

Events: Battle of Edington.

Outcomes: Plan of Athelney Abbey [Map], possible site of original Saxon church, Anglo-Saxon iron slag indicating iron working; the furthest west found at the time.

Channel 4 Episode

Time Team Series 1 Episode 2: On the Edge of an Empire was filmed between 3rd September 1993 and 5th September 1993. It was originally shown on 23rd January 1994.

Location: Ribchester Roman Fort, Lancashire [Map].

Category: Time Team Roman and Iron Age.

Time Team:

Tony Robinson (age 47), Presenter

Mick Aston (age 47), Bristol University Landscape Archaeologist

Carenza Lewis (age 30), Royal Commission on Historic Monuments

Phil Harding (age 43), Wessex Archaeological Trust Field Archaeologist

Robin Bush (age 50), Archivist

Victor Ambrus (age 58), Historical Illustrator

John Gator, Chris Gaffney, Geophysics

Adrian Olivier, Lancaster University Archaeology Unit

Ermine Street Guard

Techniques: Excavation, Resistivity, Magnetometry

Sources: Publius (or Flavius) Vegetius Renatus' "De re militari"

Historical Figures: Brigantes, Queen Cartimandua, King Caractacus of the Silures, King Venutius of the Brigantes, Vellocatus.

Events:

Outcomes: Broken Roman Quern, Decorated Samian Ware, Punic Ditch, plans of Wooden and Stone Forts, location of bathhouse.

Channel 4 Episode

Time Team Series 1 Episode 3: The New Town of a Norman Prince was filmed between 9th April 1993 and 11th April 1993. It was originally shown on 30th January 1994.

Location: Much Wenlock, Shropshire [Map], Wenlock Priory, Shropshire [Map].

Category: Time Team Late Medieval.

Time Team:

Tony Robinson (age 47), Presenter

Mick Aston (age 47), Bristol University Landscape Archaeologist

Carenza Lewis (age 30), Royal Commission on Historic Monuments

Phil Harding (age 44), Wessex Archaeological Trust Field Archaeologist

Gerry Barber, Bristol University Environmental Archaeologist

Robin Bush (age 50), Archivist.

Victor Ambrus (age 58), Historical Illustrator

Oliver Butler, Geophysics Specialist

Mark Horton, Local Archaeologist

Dan Miles, Dendrochronologist

Bob Milligan, Geophysics Specialist

Techniques: Excavations, Dendrochronology, Radar Scan.

Historical Figures: Roger "The Great" Montgomery 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.

Sources. Charter of King Stephen granting a three day fair, Domedays Book [Map], Document stating in 1231 King Henry III visited Much Wenlock.

Outcomes. Location of Great Hall, burbage plots, 1254-1299 Dendrochronology date, 12th-13th Century Pottery.

Channel 4 Episode

Time Team Series 1 Episode 4: The Fortress in the Lake was filmed between 16th September 1993 and 18th September 1993. It was originally shown on 6th February 1994.

Locations: Llangorse Lake, Breconshire [Map], St Paulinus' Church, Llangorse [Map].

Category: Time Team Early Medieval.

Time Team:

Tony Robinson (age 47), Presenter

Mick Aston (age 47), Bristol University Landscape Archaeologist

Carenza Lewis (age 30), Royal Commission on Historic Monuments

Phil Harding (age 44), Wessex Archaeological Trust Field Archaeologist

Robin Bush (age 50), Archivist.

Victor Ambrus (age 58), Historical Illustrator

John Gator, Chris Gaffney, Geophysics

Damian Goodburn, Ancient Woodworking Specialist

Mark Redknap, National Museum of Wales

Techniques: Magnetometry

Sources: Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 916, Book of Llandaff Chapter 4 Section 7: Llan Cors, Book of Llandaff Chapter 8

Historical Figures: King Elised of Brecknock, Æthelflæd Lady of the Mercians.

Outcomes: Reconstructed Iron Age boat made from 3.5 tonnes of oak; a copy of an original discovered in Llangorse Lake in Brecon Museum. Metal working on site, shale ring. Boundary Ditch.

Channel 4 Episode

Time Team Series 2 Episode 1: Lord of the Isles was filmed between 24th June 1994 and 26th June 1994 was filmed. It was originally shown on 8th January 1995.

Location: Finlaggan, Islay [Map]

Category: Time Team Prehistory, Time Team Early Medieval.

The Time Team:

Tony Robinson (age 48), Presenter

Mick Aston (age 48), Bristol University Landscape Archaeologist

Carenza Lewis (age 31), Royal Commission on Historic Monuments

Phil Harding (age 44), Wessex Archaeological Trust Field Archaeologist

Robin Bush (age 51), Archivist

Victor Ambrus (age 59), Historical Illustrator

John Gator, Chris Gaffney, Geophysics

Stewart Ainsworth (age 43), Landscape Archaeologist

David Caldwell, Director of Excavations

Kate Bonner, Excavation Team

Sally Ann Chandler, Period Clothing Expert

Donald Macfadian, Finlaggan Trust

Simon Mears, GPS System

Historical Figures: King Somerled of Argyll

Sources: Chronicle of Man and the Isles, A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland by Martin Martin, A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland by Martin Martin.

Outcomes: Partly complete Glass Bead, Replica aketon, possible mesolithic site, possibly stone rows aligned to Paps of Jura.

Channel 4 Episode

Time Team Series 2 Episode 2: Medieval Dining Hall was filmed between 10th June 1994 and 12th June 1994. It was originally shown on 15th January 1995.

Location: Hylton Castle, County Durham [Map].

Category: Time Team Late Medieval.

Mick Aston (age 48), Bristol University Landscape Archaeologist

Carenza Lewis (age 31), Royal Commission on Historic Monuments

Phil Harding (age 44), Wessex Archaeological Trust Field Archaeologist

Robin Bush (age 51), Archivist

Victor Ambrus (age 59), Historical Illustrator

Susan Ord, Denny Wilson, Community Representatives

John Gator, Chris Gaffney, Geophysics

Stewart Ainsworth (age 43), Bernard, Landscape Archaeologist

Steve Speke, Local Archaeologist

Beric Morley, English Heritage Medieval Buildings Expert

Mark Horton, Bristol University

Rob Bell, Garden Archaeological Consultant

Graciela Ainsworth, Conservationist

White Company

Eric Little, Castle Guide

Sources. English Heritage Managed, St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth [Map] Effigy of William Hylton 4th Baron Hylton.

Historical Figures. William Hylton 4th Baron Hylton.

Outcomes. Early 15th Century Flemish floor tiles, stone roofing tiles, conserved stag on building and Hylton Achievement of Arms, Silver Coin, plan of site, 3D model of site. Later buildings around 1600 with gardens.

Channel 4 Episode

Time Team Series 2 Episode 3: The Lost Villa was filmed between 6th May 1994 and 8th May 1994. It was originally shown on 22nd January 1995.

Location: Tockenham, Wiltshire [Map].

Category: Time Team Early Medieval.

The Time Team:

Tony Robinson (age 48), Presenter

Mick Aston (age 48), Bristol University Landscape Archaeologist

Carenza Lewis (age 31), Field Archaeologist

Phil Harding (age 44), Wessex Archaeological Trust Field Archaeologist

Robin Bush (age 51), Archivist

Victor Ambrus (age 59), Historical Illustrator

Stewart Ainsworth (age 43), Landscape Archaeologist

Dr Mike Allen, Environmental Archaeologist

John Gator, Chris Gaffney, Geophysics

Martin Henig, Oxford University

Bryn Walters, Romano-British Archaeologist

Roy Canham, County Archaeologist

Mark Horton, Digger

Louise Shenstone, Mosaic Artist

Amanda Chadburn, English Heritage

Techniques: Coring, Resistivity, Field Walking

Sources: Pevsner who suggests the Roman Figure in the church wall is Asclepius, Plato's Phaedo 118a, Sites and Monuments Record, Tockenham Tithe Map 1866 on linen, 1764 Estate Map.

Outcomes: Martin Henig determines Roman Statue is a Genius; an individual instance of a general divine nature that is present in every individual person, place, or thing like a guardian angel. And Roman Fountain Head in the form of a fish; the finest work of art in Roman Britain. Geophyics identified Roman Villa; Provincial Governors Palace? Carbonised processed grain from Environmental Archaeology. Hypocaust tiles. Saxon pot. Roman Painted Plaster. Roman bowl, glass, mosaic. Monument scheduled.

Channel 4 Episode

Time Team Series 2 Episode 4: The Archbishop's Back Garden was filmed between 8th July 1994 and 10th July 1994. It was originally shown on 29th January 1995.

Location: Lambeth Palace [Map], London.

Tony Robinson (age 48), Presenter

Mick Aston (age 48), Bristol University Landscape Archaeologist

Carenza Lewis (age 31), Field Archaeologist

Phil Harding (age 45), Wessex Archaeological Trust Field Archaeologist

Robin Bush (age 51), Archivist

Victor Ambrus (age 59), Historical Illustrator

John Gator, Chris Gaffney, Geophysics

Jane Sidell, Museum of London Archaeologist

Stewart Ainsworth (age 43), Landscape Archaeologist

Harvey Sheldon, Authority on Roman London

Gustav Milne, Institue of Archaeology

Hedley Swain, Field Archaeologist

London Fire Brigade Boat

Sources: Excavations of Bernard Davis in the 1930s, Cassius Dio Book 60 Sections 20 and 21, 1562 Map of London showing Horseferry Stairs and Stangate Stairs, Registers of the Archbishops of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace Library, 1746 Map of Lambeth Palace Gardens, John Rokes 18th Century Map of London

Techniques: Core Samples, Excavation, a string with a brick to determine rievr depth

Outcomes: Piece of a Mortarium, Reconstructed Roman Road, Garden features in the Palace, Roman River Level was lower by a couple of feet, Causeway on lower side of Westminster Bridge, Peer walked across 1950s1, location of Stangate Stairs.

Channel 4 Episode

Note 1. The New York Times 26th March 2002. Lord Noel-Buxton waded about half-way across the river and had to swim the rest.

Time Team Series 2 Episode 5: The Saxon Graves was filmed between 24th June 1994 and 26th June 1994. It was originally shown on 5th February 1995.

Location: Winterbourne Gunner, Wiltshire [Map]

Category: Time Team Prehistory, Time Team Early Medieval.

The Time Team:

Tony Robinson (age 48), Presenter

Mick Aston (age 48), Bristol University Landscape Archaeologist

Carenza Lewis (age 31), Royal Commission on Historic Monuments

Phil Harding (age 45), Wessex Archaeological Trust Field Archaeologist

Robin Bush (age 51), Archivist

Victor Ambrus (age 59), Historical Illustrator

Stewart Ainsworth (age 43), Landscape Archaeologist

Helena Cave-Penney, Assistant County Archaeologist

Ivor Lawton, Saxon Blacksmithing

Margaret Cox, Pathologist

Meg Brooks, Conservationist

Peter Cox, Local Archaeologist

Mick the Dig, Excavator

Sources: Gildas Section 23, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 519, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Battle of Salisbury 552

Outcomes: Saxons Graves including lady with decorated brooch and amber bead, child, decorated iron pin, Bronze Age Inverted Urn with Cremation, Reconstructed Saxon Knife, Ring Ditches, Pond Barrow

Channel 4 Episode

In 2019 Victor Ambrus (age 83) was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

On 10th February 2021 Victor Ambrus (age 85) died.