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HER Number: | TQ 57 SW 247 |
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Type of record: | Monument |
Name: | Roman Road, Spital Street, Dartford |
Roman road surface with associated ditch. Possibly a temporary alignment before Watling Street was fully established. The remains of a new-born child were found within the fill of the roadside ditch, presumably a convenient place for disposal in the mid to late 1st century. The road had gone out of use by the late 1st century AD.
Grid Reference: | TQ 54012 74097 |
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Map Sheet: | TQ57SW |
Parish: | DARTFORD, DARTFORD, KENT |
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Evaluation work uncovered a stretch of compacted gravel below the present line of Spital Street representing the Roman Watling Street. The surface recorded consisted of only one layer of metalling, which contained a wheel rut, and perhaps indicates a temporay surface, before Watling Street was firmly establihsed an a slightly different alignment. Running paralled to the north of the gravel was a ditch, presumably a side drain for the road. A sequence of erosion deposits suggest that the ditch was open for sometime. Only one fo the ditch fills was deliberately laid wich contained the remains of a new born child, presumably the dithc was a conveniat place of disposal. A brooch was found from the deposit sealing the burial dating to the mid to late 1st century AD. (1)
<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1991, Excavations at Spital Street, Dartford; Level IV Report (Unpublished document). SKE12284.
Cross-ref. | Source description |
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<1> | Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 1991. Excavations at Spital Street, Dartford; Level IV Report. |
TQ 86 SW 132 | Part of: Watling Street Roman Road (Monument) |