Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A Romano British saltworks with saltern debris, evaporating vessels and firebars. A post hole and building debris was found. The production of salt from brine probably began in the late Iron Age.

Monument Types

• BUILDING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• HEARTH (Hearth, Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• SALT WORKS (SALT WORKS, Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• SHERD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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A salt-panning site was recorded recently (c.1984) at Funton Marsh, less than 400 yds to the east of 'the present site' (TQ 86 NE 48) (see illustration card for location map). The Funton salt-pans relied on fire for the evaporation of the brine they contained. Dating, in the circumstances of the foreshore remains insecurely established. It is nevertheless very likely, on the basis of pottery found on marsh sites, that the production of salt from brine began during the late Iron Age, if not earlier, and continued on north Kentish sites at least into the third century AD. (1) TQ 885683: A Romano-British salt-panning site at Funton Marsh, one of a number discovered as a result of an archaeological survey of the area in 1962. It is located on a mud bank in the Medway estuary and is partially covered at high tide. It was found to be in danger of erosion and rescue excavations were therefore undertaken in 1984 by the Lower Medway Archaeological Research Group. A rectangular hearth, 4ft 6ins x 2ft was found. The ash floor consisted of hard- packed ash and saltern debris, with globules of lead imbedded in the surface. A layer of saltern debris west of the hearth consisted of evaporating vessels, triangular bricks, hearth debris, burnt soil, a firebar and vitreous slag. A further trench revealed layers of saltern debris, tile, oyster, magstone and a thick ash deposit. It would seem that a succession of pits had been dug. The presence of a post-hole and building debris suggests that a building may have existed on the site. The dating of the site is uncertain. The few indeterminate potsherds included a fragment of Samian and a dupondius of Severus Alexander was found on the surface. (2-3). For site in context with others in inter-tidal zone, see (4). Additional Bibliography (5).

<1> Arch Cant 101 1984 168 Map (A Detsicas) (OS Card Reference). SKE34556.

<2> Arch Cant 80 1965 26-265 figs (A Miles) (OS Card Reference). SKE35690.

<3> Salt-Study of an Ancient Industry - 1975 27 28 (ed K de Brisay and KA Evans) (OS Card Reference). SKE49399.

<4> Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, 1994, Inter-tidal archaeology in Kent, p 29 (Unpublished document). SWX9353.

<5> Miles, A., 1965, Funton Marsh, Romano-British salt panning site (Article in serial). SWX9375.

Sources and further reading