A POPULAR TV series, which aims to uncover the UK’s most important archaeological sites, have been searching the River Ouse in York for evidence of Viking life in the area.

In episode two of the six-part series, ‘River Hunters’ Beau Ouimette, Rick Edwards and Gary Bankhead travel to York, hunting for artefacts from the Viking era.

The mission starts in York city centre, once named Jorvik and the centre of Viking Britain.

Whilst the city has long been a spot for archaeologists, the team says no-one has attempted a search of the city’s river before, so the River Hunters delve through a thousand years’ worth of river debris to find evidence of Viking life in the city.

During the episode in York, the team searches the site of a riverside battle between the Anglo Saxons and the Vikings.

The river quest then takes them on to the River Derwent, following the route of the Norse army to Stamford Bridge, site of the last Viking showdown in Britain.

A spokesperson for the show said: “The trio seek to unearth treasures from the rivers which have borne witness to some of the most turbulent periods in British history.

“Using state-of-the-art underwater technology, live drone footage and accounts from the period, Beau and Rick perform the first underwater archaeological digs in some of the most exciting and iconic historical sites in Britain, often in dangerous and fast-flowing waters.

“To further their search, they will be joined by local archaeologists, metal detectorists and historians in each episode - some of whom have waited years for this unique opportunity to search these historic sites.”

The River Hunters will be “swimming in history” on Sky HISTORY, with the second episode featuring York and the Viking artefacts on Monday, April 12 at 9pm.