Dr Gillian Magwilde – the team's head archaeologist, played by Julie Graham. Magwilde, a powerful, confident woman, is not afraid to take charge. When it comes to her relationship with the team she is less domineering, and goes with her instincts. Her attitude to Viv is a little waspish but as time progresses, she sees a lot of herself in Viv which is why she pushes her so hard.
Vivienne "Viv" Davis – young and promising archaeologist, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Her eagerness to work and learn always seem to be checked by Dr Magwilde. Her potential is flourishing and her capabilities are equal to any of her teammates. The only thing holding her back is experience, the one thing that she is forced to gain fast.
Dr Ben Ergha – a young, established archaeologist, played by Adrian Lester. He is more welcoming of Viv compared to the others, and is the only one prepared to help her fit in. As a prominent character, much of the plot is seen through his eyes.
Professor Gregory "Dolly" Parton – the experienced and older male archaeologist, played by Hugh Bonneville. Parton is the voice of wisdom and insight. At times he keeps to himself while working, but gets involved when needed. Parton is highly respected, laid-back and valued member of the team who will step in to focus the group in important situations.
According to unofficial figures, the first episode of the series was watched by 6.8 million viewers, achieving a 31% audience share. This fell to 5.2 million viewers with a 24.3% share in the second week, and 4.6 million with a 21% share in the third. And week four fell again to 4.2 million, a 20% share. Week five dropped to 3.8 million. The final episode saw a slight increase in viewers to 4.3 million.
First night reviews
The series debuted to broadly negative reviews. The Guardians Gareth McLean described the show as "mind-bogglingly dreadful", with "lame characters delivering abysmal lines", David Chater of The Times thought it "rubbish", and The Independents Thomas Sutcliffe found it laughable and full of absurdities, while also observing that "Professor Magwilde's approach to archaeology is unconventional. She likes to squat at the edge of the trench and mutter urgently, 'Come on! Give up your secrets!'" In BBC Two's Newsnight Review, the author Kate Mosse asserted it would be "great for teenagers", while the academic and critic Sarah Churchwell said the "execution appalling" and that it was "beyond silly"; John Mullan likewise criticised the show's absurdities, saying that "Hokum has to have its own logic". The New Statesman described it as "dramatic goo". Some reviews were slightly more positive - Patricia Wynn Davies of The Telegraph wrote that while lacking in subtlety, the episode had an "action-packed conclusion", and Lucy Mangan in the Guardian criticised the episode as "arrant nonsense" and "a clattering bag of madness" and found its characters too "shouty", but praised Paul Rhys and overall concluded that the episode was "utterly bonkers but curiously satisfying" and that, as for the series, "keeping the faith for a few more weeks might well pay off".
Academic reception
In line with the broadly negative reviews, the reception amongst the academic community was mixed, with different complaints around technical accuracy. Mark Horton, the academic advisor to the script, answered criticisms on the BRITARCH e-mail list.
Viewer complaints
A scene in the first episode which depicted a Muslim's beheading by an extremist Christian drew 100 complaints. The BBC expressed "regret" that some viewers had found the scene "inappropriate", but defended the decision to show it.
