Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

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))
• CREMATION (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC? to 1001 BC? (between))
• HEARTH (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC? to 1001 BC? (at some time))

Associated Finds

• BURIAL URN (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC? to 1001 BC?)
• 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 earliest had a diameter of c.18m and lay within the excavation area. Only half of the surrounding ditch survived, due to erosion, and the central, urned cremation burial had been truncated by a later Roman road. The other barrow, size unclear, extended beyond the excavation area to the south-west. The size of the surrounding ditch was similar to the earlier barrow which it only just overlapped. Within the later barrow ditch a large quantity of burnt flint and charcoal was recovered. The source of these finds were a large sub-circular hearth, a boiling pit and an associated burnt mound which had slumped into the fill of the barrow ditch.(1)

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2003, Channel Tunel Rail Link Archaeological works at Springhead Roman Town (ARC SPH00): interim fieldwork report (Unpublished document).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