Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Romano-British cremation burials found in the early 20th century and in 2007, from a cremation cemetery.

Monument Types

• CREMATION CEMETERY (Roman - 70 AD to 140 AD)

Associated Finds

• CREMATION (Roman - 70 AD to 140 AD)
• VESSEL (Roman - 70 AD to 140 AD)

Full description

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On exhibition in Herne Bay Museum is a Roman burial group found many years ago near the pond in the garden of Talmead at TR 18956725.(a) The group comprises fragments of a burial urn, some burnt bones, a Samian saucer, fragments of a grey saucer, fragments of an olla, and a vase, 7 inches high, with two bands of brushed decoration. Enquiries at Talmead revealed no knowledge of the burial. The previous owner of the property, General Mortimer, who built the house, died in 1938. (1)

Additional Info (2-4)

In 2007 Archaeology South-East carried out an evaluation. An additional cremation burial was located. This was block lifted and subjected to off-site micro excavation. A subsequent excavation on the site located a third cremation which was also block lifted. These cremations contained a samian Dragendorff 36 type bowl of south Gaulish origin, produced between AD 70-100. Also found were a carinated beaker (AD 70-130) and sherds from a probably similar vessel, both products of the North Kent/Thameside industry. Sherds of other vessels were recovered from the site, all from early Roman types. A number of post holes and a ditch were also found but were undated. It is thought that this collection of cremations represents a small cemetery, possibly associated with a roadside settlement and perhaps located within an enclosure. Two further cremations were apparently found in the 1930s [information possibly from the Canterbury UAD?]. (5)

<1> Inf Mr HE Gough Curator Herne Bay Mus (OS Card Reference). SKE44347.

<2> F1 ASP 29.11.63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42341.

<3> Field report for monument TR 16 NE 15 - November, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5523.

<4> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1990, Thanet Way: Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document). SKE17200.

<5> Archaeology South-East, 2008, An Archaeological Investigation at Talmead House, Mill Lane, and on Land to the West of Mill Lane, Eddington, Herne Bay, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE18233.

<6> Archaeology South-East, 2007, An Archaeological Evaluation (Stage 1) at Talmead House, Mill Lane, Eddington, Herne Bay, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE52488.

Sources and further reading