Character Relationship Map: The Dig

Characters

• Edith Pretty (played by Carey Mulligan) — protagonist

  A wealthy Suffolk landowner and widow who commissions self-taught archaeologist Basil Brown to excavate burial mounds on her estate. She forms a close friendship with Brown and her son Robert, shares...

• Basil Brown (played by Ralph Fiennes) — protagonist

  A self-taught local archaeologist with limited formal education who is hired by Edith Pretty to excavate Sutton Hoo burial mounds. Despite initial low pay and professional skepticism from established...

• Peggy Piggott (played by Lily James) — supporting

  The wife of archaeologist Stuart Piggott, who joins the dig team with him. She contributes to uncovering the Anglo-Saxon origins of the site but struggles with a neglected marriage. Her emotional isol...

• Rory Lomax (played by Johnny Flynn) — supporting

  Edith Pretty's cousin who assists with the excavation after being hired by her. He forms a romantic connection with Peggy Piggott, culminating in a brief relationship before he is conscripted into the...

• Stuart Piggott (played by Ben Chaplin) — supporting

  A Cambridge archaeologist brought in by Charles Phillips to lead a larger excavation team. He is portrayed as professionally ambitious but emotionally distant, neglecting his wife Peggy during the dig...

• Charles Phillips (played by Ken Stott) — supporting

  A prominent Cambridge archaeologist who arrives to oversee the dig after the discovery gains national attention. He takes command by official order, expands the team, and advocates for transferring al...

• James Reid Moir (played by Paul Ready) — supporting

  A prominent local archaeologist who attempts to join the Sutton Hoo excavation but is rebuffed by Edith Pretty, who instead hires her cousin Rory Lomax.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Edith Pretty → Stuart Piggott (Professional Project Associate) — Stuart works on Edith's property under the project's changing leadership.

  Stuart joins the excavation team working on Edith's estate after Phillips takes command.

• Peggy Piggott → Rory Lomax (Romantic Lover) — Their brief romance emerges from Peggy's unhappy marriage and ends with Rory's departure.

  Peggy is attracted to Rory, ends her marriage, and sleeps with Rory before he leaves for Royal Air Force service.

• Stuart Piggott → Peggy Piggott (Family Husband) — Their marriage is strained by Stuart's emotional distance.

  The plot identifies Peggy as Stuart's wife, and states that Stuart neglects her during the dig.

• Charles Phillips → Rory Lomax (Power Project Authority) — Rory becomes part of a dig operating under Phillips's authority.

  Rory is already working on the excavation when Phillips arrives and assumes control of the site with an expanded team.

• Charles Phillips → Peggy Piggott (Professional Team Supervisor) — Phillips's expansion of the project creates Peggy's professional opportunity.

  Peggy joins the larger excavation team that Charles Phillips assembles after declaring the site nationally important.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Basil Brown → Edith Pretty (related)
• Stuart Piggott → Edith Pretty (related)
• Basil Brown → Stuart Piggott (related)
• Stuart Piggott → Basil Brown (related)
• Basil Brown → Charles Phillips (related)
• Stuart Piggott → Charles Phillips (related)
• Edith Pretty → Stuart Piggott (related)
• Edith Pretty → Peggy Piggott (Social Project Associate) — They are connected through the Sutton Hoo excavation.

  Peggy joins the excavation at Edith's estate after Charles Phillips expands the project.

• Basil Brown → James Reid Moir (Conflict Professional Counterpart) — Moir represents competing professional access to Basil's excavation.

  Moir seeks entry into the excavation after Basil has begun the work, but Edith rejects Moir's participation.

• Rory Lomax → Stuart Piggott (Conflict Romantic Rival) — Rory's relationship with Peggy intensifies the conflict within Stuart's marriage.

  Rory becomes involved with Peggy after Stuart has neglected her, and Peggy ends her marriage before sleeping with Rory.

Story Analysis

A landowner, a self-taught archaeologist, and an expanding excavation team confront questions of discovery, ownership, intimacy, and historical recognition.

Plot Progression

1. A Mound Beneath the Meadow — Edith Pretty hires Basil Brown to excavate Sutton Hoo after negotiating better pay. Basil begins the work despite professional skepticism and physical danger.
2. The Ship Emerges — Basil discovers iron ship rivets, transforming the excavation into a potentially extraordinary burial site. Edith hires Rory while outside professional interest rapidly grows.
3. Cambridge Takes the Field — Charles Phillips assumes control by official order and brings a larger Cambridge team. Basil is demoted, creating a struggle over expertise and recognition.
4. Treasure and Divided Hearts — Peggy establishes the site's Anglo-Saxon origin, while Basil finds a Merovingian coin. Ownership disputes and Peggy's neglected marriage raise the personal and institutional stakes.
5. Buried with Recognition — An inquest confirms Edith's ownership, and she donates the treasure while requesting recognition for Basil. The team reburies the ship, and later history restores Basil's credit.