There is also no evidence to suggest that Stuart Piggott was gay, and the two did not divorce until much later, in 1956. Rory Lomax was never present at the dig, therefore there was never a romance between them. It is important to note that the film is based on John Preston’s novel, The Dig, in which he states in his Author’s Note that certain changes have been made for dramatic effect (Preston, 2007) – Rory’s presence at the dig being one of those changes. Unfortunately, this entire subplot is fictional. It is suggested that Stuart becomes romantically involved with one of the other male archaeologists, and this became the catalyst for their eventual break up, freeing her to pursue her interest in Rory. After this, she had done a lot of work on prehistoric sites, before leading a dig at Latch Farm in 1937 (Piggott, 1938), and eventually joining the team at Sutton Hoo in 1939 (ULAS News, 2021).ĭespite this, when we first meet Peggy in The Dig, she talks herself down to Charles Philips, saying that she does not want him thinking she is more experienced than she is, which is a gross underappreciation of her achievements prior to 1939.įollowing that, it becomes clear that Peggy’s main role in the film is to advance the romance subplot, showing the disharmony in her marriage to Stuart and her growing attraction towards the site photographer Rory Lomax, Mrs Edith Pretty’s cousin. Although Peggy was only 27 during the 1939 excavation, she did have a lot of previous experience involving excavating the ancient Roman town of Verulamium (St Albans), before she went on to achieve two awards in archaeology: a diploma from the University of Cambridge in 1934 and her postgraduate degree from the Institute of Archaeology in London. Throughout the excavation element of the film, Peggy’s real life archaeological experience goes ignored and is shown making a discovery by literally putting her foot through the burial chamber, before profusely apologising for how clumsy she is. Archaeologist Rebecca Wragg Sykes describes the character as “a bumbling sidekick to her older husband, Stuart”. Peggy Piggott, played by Lily James, is portrayed as an inexperienced and underappreciated member of the excavation team. Sutton Hoo ship burial excavation in 1939 (Photo taken from Molletts Farm, 2020) While there are other criticisms towards this film, given that the characters are based on real life people, the unfair misrepresentation of Peggy Piggott stands out as both a historical inaccuracy and a current issue of today’s society. The Sutton Hoo ship burial is regarded to be one of the most important archaeological finds in England and, despite the criticisms, the film has been an international success. The film serves to shed light on the iconic Sutton Hoo hoard, and the people involved in its discovery, whilst including a romantic subplot to entertain a wider demographic. Netflix’s The Dig, released in January 2021, is based on the 1939 excavation at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, England. Cover image: Peggy in 1935 (Photo by University of Oxford, School of Archaeology)
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