I really like the show Time Team but why are the digs only 3 days ? Is our attention span as short as ordering a meal from the local fast food franchise or are there other reasons ? Also after the cameras go home does another team of less camera savvy experts come in to meticulosly map and record data from the digs ,or is that it , they just cover it up and go on the the next dig? Inquiring minds need to know .

Inquiring minds often do a bit of digging....If you go to the top of the forum page, you'll see a link to the FAQs. Click on it and all will be revealed

It varies, but most of the sites have recording going on as the site progresses (or at least, they should be)You very rarely ever see it going on, though as its not the most excting activity in the world for a TV audience.

They usually finish the recording off the day after filming just before the site is reinstated.

There has to be a time limit otherwise they'd be there for months. Most of the team have other jobs they need to attend to and lastly of course comes the small matter of cost.

Although it is only 3 days, with having all those archaeologists there and the experts on hand it is the equivalent of a longer dig elsewhere.

At a talk I attended last year Mick stressed that each dig was fully written up

Three days in the field results in three months in the lab and at your desk, writing up. TT sometimes spend their three days looking as some specific aspect of a pre-existing dig.....before getting back to their day jobs.

If you didn't have a specific time limit then there would be nothing for Tony to get really wound up about as the deadline approaches, thus reducing the excitement factor for those not watching purely in pursuit of archaeological enlightenment. Added to which the film crew have probably got to go off and film another episode of Songs of Praise or something.