Excavate Collection

Cornish tin mining, 19th century
Cornish tin mining, 19th-century artwork. Miners working in a shaft in a tin mine in Cornwall, UK. Many such excavations were near the coast and extended out under the sea for nearly a kilometre

Some excavated ruins in Pompeii
3732379 Some excavated ruins in Pompeii; (add.info.: Illustration depicting some excavated ruins in Pompeii. Dated 19th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Some excavated ruins in Pompeii
3740693 Some excavated ruins in Pompeii; (add.info.: Illustration depicting some excavated ruins in Pompeii. Dated 19th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

The discovery of a bakery during an excavation in Pompeii
3740629 The discovery of a bakery during an excavation in Pompeii; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the discovery of a bakery during an excavation in Pompeii)

Crowds meeting to mark the 1800th anniversary of the burial of Pompeii
3740632 Crowds meeting to mark the 1800th anniversary of the burial of Pompeii; (add.info.: Engraving depicting crowds meeting to mark the 1800th anniversary of the burial of Pompeii)

Victorian miners excavating part of a Roman wall in London
3740691 Victorian miners excavating part of a Roman wall in London; (add.info.: Woodcut engraving depicting Victorian miners excavating part of an ancient Roman wall in London)

Shield used during digging of Thames Tunnel (1825-1843) which allowed 12 men to excavate simultaneously
530613 Shield used during digging of Thames Tunnel (1825-1843) which allowed 12 men to excavate simultaneously. Patent for this first tunnelling shield taken out by Marc Isambart Brunel in 1818

Dewosmir
Peter Majkut

Shovel in Sand at the Beach. Wide angle image of a shovel in the sand on a beach under a partly cloudy blue sky

Rome, Italy at the Foro di Cesare in the morning

Exterior Of The Basilica, Excavated Roman City, Volubilis, Morocco, North Africa

Construction of underground railway King William Street 1888
Driving the tunnels of the London and Southwark sub-railway passing under the River Thames. 1888

Excavating tube railway 1903
Under construction, workers in the shield, Great Northern and City Railway. 1903

Garzweiler II
Tobias Hartung

Construction of Barlows Tower Tunnel under the Thames 1869
Construction of Barlows Tower Tunnel under the Thames, advance shield. Date: 1869

Boring machine used in the Hoosac tunnel 1869
Workers using a primitive boring machine to make the tunnel, lying between Switzerland and Italy, being thirty-six miles long and about twenty-five feet broad

Rock boring Urchin, Echinometra mathaei, Hawaii, USA
A close look at a Rock boring urchin (Echinometra mathaei) also known as a burrowing urchin, Hawaii. This invertebrate grinds into solid limestone and excavates tubes

Lea Grauvogel-Stamm, palaeontologist C018 / 9410
Lea Grauvogel-Stamm (born 1940), French palaeontologist, using tools to uncover fossils in a sandstone quarry in the Vosges mountain range, France

QUMRAN CAVES, c1955. Exterior of the Qumran caves, in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. Photograph, mid 20th century

Mexico, Chiapas, Puerto Arista Turtle Research Station, Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) to be protected until hatching and releasing to sea

Germany, Sky Disk, Bronze Age, Bottendorf copper ore source

The construction of the Dartford Tunnel. A workmen digging by the shield. 1938

The construction of the Dartford Tunnel. Workmen clay stopping. 1938

The construction of the Dartford Tunnel. Dirty and dangerous work for the workmen. 1938

The construction of the Dartford Tunnel. A workmen cutting by the shield. 1938

Picture No. 10850876
Dinosaur excavation - In the badlands of South Dakota, two paleontolgists excavate sediments under a Tyrannosaurus rex pelvis. Date:

Metal pilings being fitting to make a sluice gate to retain water at Deepdale Marsh, Burnham Deepdale, North Norfolk

Freshly dug channels allow spring water to flow out onto Deepdale Marsh, Burnham Deepdale, North Norfolk

A shallow water channel cut in marshland habitat to increase water retention. Deepdale Marsh North Norfolk

Using a digger excavator for habitat restoration work on Deepdale Marsh, Burnham Deepdale, North Norfolk

Farmer repairing old blocked drain in upland meadow using mini digger and spade, Cumbria, England, May

Sixspot Goby (Valenciennea sexguttata) adult, spitting out sand excavated from burrow, Tanjung Gedong, Flores Island, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia, November

Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala indica) immature, excavating hole, clinging to thin tree trunk, near Kaeng Krachan, Thailand, May

Excavations at Pompeii, 1890s C017 / 6897
Excavations at Pompeii using child labour, 19th-century artwork. Pompeii was a Roman city that had been destroyed by a volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD

Limestone quarry, 1880s C017 / 6880
Limestone quarry. 19th-century artwork of limestone blocks being transported from the Mornsheimer quarry near Solnhofen, Germany

Tadpole Shrimp - specimen excavating the mud in the bottom of a temporary pool - Italy
RD-307 Tadpole Shrimp - specimen excavating the mud in the bottom of a temporary pool Italy Triops cancriformis Giacomo Radi contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Tadpole Shrimp - ventral view - living fossil is oldest living animal species known - Italy
RD-308 Tadpole Shrimp - ventral view - living fossil is oldest living animal species known Italy Triops cancriformis Giacomo Radi contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

The Rock Room, Arsameia Ruins of Commagene Kingdom, Adiyaman, Turkey

Excavations of Roman Fort in City of London
The site of a Roman fort, uncovered during an archaeological dig in Falcon Street, in the City of London. The fort, which was built before the ancient city wall is pictured in the shadow of

Eurasian Badger (Meles meles) soil from excavated sett on snow, Devon, England, winter

Hoffmann's Woodpecker (Melanerpes hoffmannii) adult male, excavating nesthole in tree trunk, Costa Rica, february

Chatanika gold dredge, Alaska, USA. This dredge was in operation between 1928 and 1958 and was used to excavate gold from the mine

Gorham Cave, Gibraltar. This cave was the site of major archaeological excavations between 1995 and 2002. The findings were compared with those from nearby caves

Tunnel construction, 19th century
Tunnel construction. Hydraulic rams around the circular cutting face push it forward, with the excavated soil and earth being removed by men and donkey-drawn carts

Terra Cotta warriors in Emperor Qin Shihuangs Tomb, Xian, Shaanxi, China

China Clay workings near St Austell in Cornwall UK
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

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"Unearthing the Past: A Journey through Time and Earth" Step back in time to the 19th century as we delve into the world of Cornish tin mining, where brave miners excavated deep underground, seeking precious minerals that shaped an industry. Witness the marvels of engineering at Rotherhithe Road Tunnel, as workers burrowed tirelessly under the mighty River Thames, connecting communities and revolutionizing transportation. Experience a mystical ceremony within a megalithic burial mound, where ancient rituals were performed to honor ancestors and unlock secrets from centuries past. Travel to Volubilis in Morocco's North Africa and explore the exterior of an excavated Roman city. Marvel at its grandeur while imagining life during this prosperous era. Journey beneath bustling streets with us as we uncover history hidden below ground. Witness the construction of King William Street's underground railway in 1888 and follow along as tube railways are meticulously excavated in 1903. Discover Garzweiler II, a vast open-pit mine that stretches across Germany's landscape like a scarred canvas. Witness firsthand how excavation shapes our modern world. Marvel at Barlows Tower Tunnel, constructed under the majestic Thames River in 1869 using groundbreaking techniques. Explore how human ingenuity conquered nature's obstacles. Meet "The Rock Boring Urchin, " Echinometra mathaei, found off Hawaii's coast. This fascinating creature bores through solid rock with remarkable precision – a testament to nature's own excavation skills. Embark on an archaeological adventure to Dewosmir – unraveling mysteries buried deep within forgotten ruins. Each dig holds clues about civilizations long gone but not forgotten. In Cumbria, England witness a farmer repairing an old blocked drain using nothing but his trusty mini digger and spade. See how even small-scale excavation can transform landscapes for better drainage systems.