Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Between 1920 and 1926, a large Romano-British cemetery was excavated just to the north of Watling Street. 387 burials were excavated, most of them cremations but some inhumations. Roman coins, pottery and glass were found, ranging in date across the Roman occupation period.

Monument Types

• CEMETERY (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• CREMATION (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• INHUMATION (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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A large Roman cemetery consisting mainly of cremations but with some inhumations investigated between 1920 and 1926 on the Watling Street near Ospringe. It was in two main concentrations - the first 80 yards ( 73 metres) E.N.E. of the 46 milestone about 50 yards (46 metes) north of Watling Street (i.e. at TR 0019 6095)(a), and the second about 285 yards (260 metres) west of the first under the present road, but where, apparently Watling Street had originally (b) deviated to the northward to accommodate it (i.e. at TQ9991 6102). A total of 387 burials is accounted for as under: Recorded by ( Cremations ....................... 172 Colonel Hawley ( Burials .......................... 74 (excavating for the Society of Antiquities. ( ( Burial "Groups" (i.e. with more Recorded by ( than one earthenware pot) ........ 66 W. Whiting. ( Burials with only one vessel ..... 29 ( Inhumations in which some object ( such as a bracelet was the only ( relic ............................ 6 ( Further burials accounted for ( skeletons in varying degrees of ( decay ............................ 40 --- 387 === "It is estimated that as many again would be found under the road and the adjoining shrubbery" (c). The coins (of which there were 67 "from the main operations") spread over the whole of the Roman occupation, and ranged from Claudius to Arcadius, the main concentration being Constantinian (d). Over 160 earthenware pots and glass vessels were discovered. They were mainly 2nd century but extended to late 3rd century (b)(e). (1) Groups of pottery and other objects are on exhibition at Maison Dieu, Ospringe. Other objects were sent to the British Museum and Richborough. Both the sites (of the main concentrations) are on the north side of the modern road; the first is a builders yard, the second is a hop field; there is no record of subsequent finds from either. (2) [TR 0015 6090] Excavation at the east end of the cemetery prior to housing development at Whiting's Yard revealed only scant remains of Roman activity. No further burials were found but a hearth of tiles on a base of flints was found. (3) additional bibliography (4-10) photographs (11-20)

<1> Arch Cant 35 1-16 (W Whiting) (OS Card Reference). SKE35026.

<2> Arch Cant 36 74-80 (W Whiting) (OS Card Reference). SKE35043.

<3> Report of the Research Comm of the Soc of Ants No 8 1931 (W Whiting) (OS Card Reference). SKE49170.

<4> Arch Cant 41 1929 197-8 (Hayter and Whiting) (OS Card Reference). SKE35100.

<5> JRS 12 1922 275 (Taylor and Colingwood) (OS Card Reference). SKE45038.

<6> F1 ASP 15-SEP-58 (OS Card Reference). SKE42129.

<7> F2 ASP 10-JUL-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE43096.

<8> Britannia 9 1978 472 (OS Card Reference). SKE38386.

<9> Field report for monument TR 06 SW 14 - September, 1958 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5288.

<10> Field report for monument TR 06 SW 14 - July, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5289.

<11> SEE ALSO AO58/380/1-2,AO58/379/7-8.SITE EXTENDS 9860 - 0061 Types: CEMETERY/CREMATION CEMETERY (Photograph). SKE384.

<12> SEE ALSO AO58/380/1-2,AO58/379/7-8.SITE EXTENDS 9860 - 0061 Types: CEMETERY/CREMATION CEMETERY (Photograph). SKE384.

<13> SEE ALSO AO58/380/1-2,AO58/379/7-8.SITE EXTENDS 9860 - 0061 Types: CEMETERY/CREMATION CEMETERY (Photograph). SKE385.

<14> SEE ALSO AO58/380/1-2,AO58/379/7-8.SITE EXTENDS 9860 - 0061 Types: CEMETERY/CREMATION CEMETERY (Photograph). SKE386.

<15> SEE ALSO AO58/380/1-2,AO58/379/7-8.SITE EXTENDS 9860 - 0061 Types: CEMETERY/CREMATION CEMETERY (Photograph). SKE383.

<16> 1926, LT. COL. FAWLEY SUPERVISING EXCAVATION OF ROMAN CEMETERY Personae: FAWLEY,LT-COL. Types: CEMETERY/CR (Photograph). SKE387.

<17> 1926, LT. COL. FAWLEY SUPERVISING EXCAVATION OF ROMAN CEMETERY Personae: FAWLEY,LT-COL. Types: CEMETERY/CR (Photograph). SKE387.

<18> SEE ALSO AO58/380/1-2,AO58/379/7-8.SITE EXTENDS 9860 - 0061 Types: CEMETERY/CREMATION CEMETERY (Photograph). SKE385.

<19> SEE ALSO AO58/380/1-2,AO58/379/7-8.SITE EXTENDS 9860 - 0061 Types: CEMETERY/CREMATION CEMETERY (Photograph). SKE383.

<20> SEE ALSO AO58/380/1-2,AO58/379/7-8.SITE EXTENDS 9860 - 0061 Types: CEMETERY/CREMATION CEMETERY (Photograph). SKE386.

Sources and further reading