Digging up the forgotten: the hidden history of Romany Gypsies in Britain.

For more than five centuries, Romany Gypsies have been part of British life, and for just as long, they have been subjected to persecution, misunderstanding, and erasure.

But what if we could literally dig into the past and uncover the truth buried beneath our feet?

Archaeologist, author, and filmmaker John-Henry Phillips has done just that. In 2024, he led the first-ever archaeological excavation of a historic Romany site in Britain, unearthing the remains of “Gypsy Compounds” and a “Gypsy Rehabilitation Centre”.

His ground-breaking work, featured in Series 12 of Digging For Britain, sheds light on a chapter of history most of us have never been taught, but one that continues to shape the present.

In this revelatory talk, John-Henry will take us from the earliest Romany arrivals in the UK to the landscapes of today, sharing stories of resistance, resilience, and cultural heritage hidden in plain sight.

Best known for PBS’s No Roses on a Sailor’s Grave, Channel 4’s The Great British Dig, and his book The Search, John-Henry is also the founder of Romani Community Archaeology, a non-profit rewriting history from the ground up.

Expect powerful storytelling, sobering truths, and a necessary spotlight on a community whose past, and future, deserves to be seen.

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