Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During an excavation in advance of housing carried out in 2004/5, a number of features were found. Ditches, pits and a midden comprised a large sub-circular enclosure - the 'northern enclosure'. This was constructed towards the end of the 10th century BC and continued in use into the 9th century BC. Most of the enclosure lay outside the excavated area but its dimensions may have been c. 45m x 45m. consideration of the evidence suggested, though, that the enclosure may not have been related to settlement but rather to some ceremonial purpose associated with feasting and the disposal of the dead. One feature contained juvenile teeth and scientific analysis suggested that the person had come from Scandinavia

Monument Types

• DITCH (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 800 BC)
• ENCLOSURE (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 800 BC)
• MIDDEN (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 800 BC)
• PALISADE? (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 800 BC)
• POST HOLE (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 800 BC)

Associated Finds

• HUMAN REMAINS (Undated) + Sci.Date
• ANIMAL REMAINS (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 800 BC)
• ASSEMBLAGE (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 800 BC)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 800 BC)
• INGOT (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 800 BC)
• QUERN (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 800 BC)
• SHERD (Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age - 1000 BC to 401 BC)
• UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 800 BC)
• WORKED OBJECT (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 800 BC)

Full description

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A series of ditches, pits and a midden comprised a large sub-circular enclosure - the 'northern enclosure'. This was constructed towards the end of the 10th century BC and continued in use into the 9th century BC. Most of the enclosure lay outside the excavated area but its dimensions may have been c. 45m x 45m. Too little of the central area lay within the excavated area to identify any internal features. A consideration of the evidence suggested, though, that the enclosure may not have been related to settlement but rather to some ceremonial purpose associated with feasting and the disposal of the dead. During the first phase of use late bronze age pottery was found close to the entrance to the enclosure together with struck flints, animal bone, fired clay, quern stones, bone implements and human bone. A series of slots and pits or postholes, possibly a palisade, were found c. 4.5 m inside the enclosure and these may date to this phase. One contained 12 teeth crowns from a juvenile of c. 10-14 years old. Isotope analysis of these suggested that the person had come from Scandinavia.

During Phase 2 the outer ditch was recut, an inner ditch was added and the entrance altered. The finds assemblage was simplr to Phase 1 although four small copper alloy ingots were also found. Among the human bone found, one was a rib showing a weapon trauma. (1) (2)

<1> Wessex Archaeology, 2005, Cliffs End Farm, Ramsgate, Kent: Archaeological Assessment Report (Unpublished document). SKE13692.

<2> Wessex Archaeology, 2014, Cliffs End Farm, Isle of Thanet, Kent: a mortuary and ritual site of the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Anglo-Saxon period (Bibliographic reference). SKE30562.

Sources and further reading