Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Romano-British lead coffin burial found in 1878 during grave digging in the new cemetery at Chatham. It had previously been enclosed in a wooden coffin, indicated by the presence of several hollow nails. It was dated by Charles Roach Smith to the 4th century; a middle aged male skeleton and and two glass vessels wer found within the coffin. Two yellow ware vessels were found in close association. Previous finds at this location were said to include a number of urns, a bronze fibula and a worn copper coin of Trajan.

Monument Types

• CINERARY URN (Roman - 300 AD to 399 AD)
• COFFIN (Roman - 300 AD to 399 AD)

Associated Finds

• BROOCH (Roman - 300 AD to 399 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 300 AD to 399 AD)
• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Roman - 300 AD to 399 AD)
• VESSEL (Roman - 300 AD to 399 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 75526640] Roman Coffin & Pottery found A.D.1878 [T1]. (1) A Roman lead coffin dated by Roach Smith to the 4th c. and containing a skeleton of a middle aged man, was found in 1878, at a depth of 7ft during grave digging in the south west corner of the new cemetery at Chatham, Two glass vessels were inside and two yellow ware vessels outside. The coffin was previously enclosed in a wooden one, several hollow nails being found. Now in the Technical Institute, Chatham. Many urns are said to have been found in the cemetery previously, and nearby a Bronze fibula and a worn copper coin of Trajan."(4) (2-4) A stone, at TQ 75546639, indicates the find spot of this coffin. A number of graves have been dug in close proximity to this find in recent years (1948-9) but according to the Cemetery Superintendent no further R.B. burials have come to light. The present whereabouts of the lead coffin, last reported in Chatham Techincal Institute, is not known, all finds in this Institute having been dispersed some years ago. (5)

<1> O.S. 6" 1938-9 (OS Card Reference). SKE47829.

<2> Arch Cant. 12,1878,430-1 (A.A. Arnold) (OS Card Reference). SKE36455.

<3> Arch Cant. 13,.1880,168.9 (G.Payne). (OS Card Reference). SKE36456.

<4> V.C.H. Kent, 3,1932, 149 (R.F. Jessup & M.V. Taylor). (OS Card Reference). SKE50764.

<5> F1 AC 09-NOV-51 (OS Card Reference). SKE41780.

<6> Field report for monument TQ 76 NE 32 - November, 1951 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4055.

Sources and further reading