Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

One of two overlapping mid Bronze Age bell barrows. The earliest had been partly eroded away and the central burial cut by a later Roman Road. The later barrow, only partly within the excavtion area was associated with a hearth, a possible boiling pit and a burnt mound.

Location accurate to 2m based on available information

Monument Types

• BELL BARROW (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC? to 1001 BC? (at some time))
• BURNT MOUND (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC to 1001 BC (at some time))
• HEARTH (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC to 1001 BC (at some time))

Associated Finds

• BURNT FLINT (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC to 1001 BC)

Full description

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During excavation work on the line of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, close to Springhead, two overlapping ring-ditches representing barrows were found at the head of the Ebbsfleet Valley.

The earlier ring-ditch (Group 300001) had a diameter of c 18m, although only just less than half of
the ditch survived, the north-western part having been eroded away by the Roman spring line. The possible remains of a central, urned cremation burial survived although this had been substantially
truncated by a later Roman road which had been cut through the area down to the water’s edge. The feature comprised a shallow ovoid pit (0.45 x 0.30m and 0.10m deep) cut into sandy gravel. A large pot had been placed in the centre of the pit although it was poorly preserved and only fragments of
the base survived. The pot was identified as a Deverel- Rimbury Bucket Urn, marked by a single cereal grain impression.

Location accurate to 2m based on available information

Wenban-Smith FF, et al.,, 2012, Prehistoric Ebbsfleet: Excavations and Research in Advance of High Speed 1 and STDR 4. (Monograph). SKE32262.

<1> Wessex Archaeology, 2003, Channel Tunel Rail Link Archaeological works at Springhead Roman Town (ARC SPH00): interim fieldwork report (Unpublished document). SKE31600.

Sources and further reading

Related records