Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A number of human bones were found, including a complete male skeleton with a sword cut on the skull. To the east of the street in area II two cremation burials were uncovered, these dated to the late first or early second century.

Monument Types

• CREMATION (Late Iron Age to Roman - 1 AD to 200 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Roman to Unknown - 70 AD?)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Roman to Unknown - 70 AD?)

Full description

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From summer 1976 to Autumn 1977 the Canterbury Archaeological Trust excavated within the Rosemary Lane Car Park in advance of redevelopment of the site. The sitecode was RLCP76/77.

The earliest occupation of the site dated to the mid first century, the evidence for this being a two phase ditch, of possible military design and aligned north east/suoth west. 32.6m out of its 55m uncovered length was excavated and much early Roman pottery was found. A number of human bones were also found, these included a complete male skeleton with a sword cut on the skull. There were two distinct phases of occupation with a final abandonment in c. 70 AD. In area II, Roman street metallings, aligned north east/south west lay over what may have been the demolished rampart of this defensive sequence.

To the east of the street in area II two cremation burials were uncovered, these dated to the late first or early second century. It is thought they were interred in open ground at a time when the aera to the west of the street may have been under the plough. Also found to the east of the street were elements of timber structures, constructed around the mid second century or later. A double inhumation, of the second or early third century was found, possibly originating from beneath the structure's floors. These were accompanied by two swords . The building was abandoned in the third or fourth century. Foundations for a more substantial building were located in the small trench south of Gas Lane.

Bennett, P., Frere, S., Stowe, S., 1982, Excavations at Canterbury Castle (Monograph). SKE29766.

Andrews, G., 1985, The Archaeology of Canterbury: An Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE30429.

Sources and further reading