Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The site of a Romano-British barrow. A wooden coffin burial was located at the centre of the barrow. This coffin was found to contain calcined bones, indicating a mixture of burial practice. It has been suggested that this is evidence of a Christian approach to a pagan ceremonial. The burial was surrounded by a number of post holes indicating that a temporary structure or shelter was once erected over it. A further number of ritual pits were found containing human cremations and associated grave goods. A second inhumation, that of a child within a lead coffin, was also found. The whole barrow area and surrounding ditch produced a large number of artefacts and pottery.

Monument Types

• BARROW (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)
• BIER HOUSE (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)
• COFFIN (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)
• CREMATION (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)
• GRAVESIDE SHELTER? (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)
• INHUMATION (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)
• PIT (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)
• POST HOLE (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)

Associated Finds

• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Prehistoric - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 138 AD to 161 AD)
• BROOCH (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)
• CINERARY VESSEL (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)
• NAIL (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)
• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)
• UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Roman - 200 AD? to 409 AD?)

Full description

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[TQ 69826269] Tumulus [NR] (1) Holborough Knob - Roman barrow, 18ft high and over 100ft diameter. Surrounded by a ditch, 10-13ft wide and 27ft deep. A Mr. Tylghman excavating (c.1596) found "an earthen pot filled with ashes" (a) and Thomas Wright excavating in 1844 cut a trench through the centre of the mound and found a floor of fine earth with a thin coating of wood ash, some long nails, potsherds and a Roman brooch which was thought to be the site of a funeral pyre. Re-excavated 1954, barrow and ditch being completely excavated. Tile fragments, two sherds of prehistoric pottery and Roman potsherds came from the core of the barrow and obviously came from scrapings of the surrounding surface. A piece of grey ware came from the bottom of the ditch, and other fragments from the chalk filling. In the central area of the barrow the main burial and three ritual pits were found undisturbed. A grave cut in the chalk had contained a simple wooden coffin, now decayed and measuring 6ft 9ins long but only 5ins deep. Iron nails were still in situ. The coffin had contained many iron nails, wood ash, and calcined human bones. Above the burial was a domed mound of puddled chalk. Thus we have a cremation burial in an inhmation setting, suggesting a Christian approach to a pagan ceremonial. To the north of the grave was a mass of potsherds representing five amphorae, diliberately broken, a number of iron nails and fragments of glass, the whole firestained; deposits of a resinous substance suggested the residue of a libation of wine or oil. A square enclosure, 16ft x 15ft, consisting of 14 post holes, suggested a temporary hut or shelter over the grave. One of the ritual pits contained the remains of a folding chair (sella castrensis), iron nails, wood ash. The second pit contained wood ash, burnt potsherds and calcined bones. The third pit contained a Roman coin (of Antoninus Pius), wood ash, fragments of a human cremation; and was suggested as the final "sweepings" from the funeral pyre. The coin, with funeral pyre on the obverse, was thought to be a ritual offering and of no use as dating evidence. In the SE quadrant of the barrow was found a secondary burial consisting of the inhumation of a child in a decorated lead coffin. Included in the grave was the remains of what appeared to be a wooden bier. The pottery dates the barrow to the first quarter of the 3rd century and the secondary burial is placed in the first half of the 3rd century. [See AO/59/146/6-8] [Report includes a full study of the finds.] (2) Report of earlier excavation. (3) General article on Roman barrows, including Holborough. (4) History of site and report of earlier excavations. (5) Brief report. 1954 excavation. (6)

Additonal Info (17)

archive material (18-23)

<1> OS 6" 1939 (OS Card Reference). SKE48359.

<2> Perambulation of Kent 1596 407 (W Lambarde) (OS Card Reference). SKE48504.

<3> Arch Cant 68 1954 1-61 plans and illust (RF Jessup NC Cook and JMC Toynbee) (OS Card Reference). SKE35426.

<4> Wanderings of an Antiquary 1854 183-9 (T Wright) (OS Card Reference). SKE51270.

<5> Ant 10 1936 37-53 (GC Dunning and RF Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE33105.

<6> Arch Cant 58 1945 68-72 (RF Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE35297.

<7> JRS 44 1954 101-2 illust (OS Card Reference). SKE45096.

<8> F1 CFW 30.06.59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42826.

<9> Arch Ael 5th series 12 1984 21 (DB Charlton and M Mitcheson) (OS Card Reference). SKE34472.

<10> JBAA 3 1959 22 6 (RF Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE44936.

<11> JRS 44 1954 101-2 plan photo (OS Card Reference). SKE45097.

<12> SE England 1970 199 illust photo (RF Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE49428.

<13> Rel in Ro Brit 1984 202 photo (M Herrig) (OS Card Reference). SKE49137.

<14> Ant J 45 1965 22-52 (PJ Fowler) (OS Card Reference). SKE33192.

<15> VCH Kent 3 1932 168 (OS Card Reference). SKE51097.

<16> Field report for monument TQ 66 SE 18 - June, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3566.

<17> Lawson-Price Environmental, 1996, Specification for Archaeological & Historical Landscape Baseline Studies: Holborough (Unpublished document). SKE7127.

<18> PLAN OF BARROW EXCAVATED 1954.3RD CENT. PRIMARY CREMATION SECONDARY INHUMATION IN LEAD COFFIN.SEE AL (Photograph). SKE561.

<19> RECONSTRUCTION MODEL FOLDING STOOL.ARCH CANT/68 Types: BURIAL MOUND/COFFIN/RITUAL PIT/TRIPOD (Photograph). SKE276.

<20> LEAD COFFIN - GENERAL VIEW OF LID FROM ABOVE.ARCH CANT/68 Types: BURIAL MOUND/COFFIN/RITUAL PIT (Photograph). SKE275.

<21> RECONSTRUCTION MODEL FOLDING STOOL.ARCH CANT/68 Types: BURIAL MOUND/COFFIN/RITUAL PIT/TRIPOD (Photograph). SKE276.

<22> LEAD COFFIN - GENERAL VIEW OF LID FROM ABOVE.ARCH CANT/68 Types: BURIAL MOUND/COFFIN/RITUAL PIT (Photograph). SKE275.

<23> PLAN OF BARROW EXCAVATED 1954.3RD CENT. PRIMARY CREMATION SECONDARY INHUMATION IN LEAD COFFIN.SEE AL (Photograph). SKE561.

Sources and further reading

Related thematic articles

• Roman Kent (Thematic Essay)