Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A causewayed enclosure has been identified by the National Monument Record from an aerial photograph.

In 1997 the NMR identified a series of interrupted cropmarks in Burham as a possible Neolithic causewayed enclosure. The features appear to comprise two parallel, curved lines of ditches which are between 12m-15m apart and approximately 140m long. They run in a N-W direction for 50m before changing direction in a smooth curve towards the N-E. The ditches range in size from 7m to 28m and are separated by narrow causeways 2m-6m across.

Two parallel lines of interrupted ditches, 15 metres apart, can be seen on 1990 and 1999 aerial photographs. The cropmarks start at 571946 162482 and are visible for a length of 90 metres, angled North-North-East to South-South-East, to 572007 162380.This may form the other side of the enclosure. It is unknown if the large feature centred at 57189 16238 is natural, connected with the enclosure or an archaeological feature connected with another archaeological site (TQ 76 SW 53).

Summary from record TQ 76 SW 440:

A Neolithic causewayed enclosure east of Margetts Lane, Burham.

Monument Types

• CAUSEWAYED ENCLOSURE (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)

Full description

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In 1997 the NMR identified a series of interrupted cropmarks in Burham as a possible Neolithic causewayed enclosure. The features appear to comprise two parallel, curved lines of ditches which are between 12m-15m apart and approximately 140m long. The run in a n-w direction for 50m before changing direction in a smooth curve towards the n-e. The ditches range in size from 7m to 28m and are sepreated by narrow causeways 2m-6m across. (1)

Two parallel lines of interupted ditches, 15 metres apart, seen on 1990 and 1999 aerial photographs. The cropmarks start at 571946 162482 and are visible for a length of 90 metres, angled North-North-East to South-South-East, to 572007 162380.This may form the other side of the enclosure. It is unknown if the large feature centred at 57189 16238 is natural, connected with the enclosure or an archaeological feature connected with another archaeological site (TQ 76 SW 53).(2-3)

Description from record TQ 76 SW 440:
Neolithic causewayed enclosure east of Margetts Lane, Burham, visible as a cropmark in an aerial photo of 1990 (and earlier images (1-2)).

In 2007 a programme of fieldwalking and geophysical survey was carried out at the site. The magnetometry survey identified two parallel curvilinear alignments of pits or ditches which may define a Neolithic causewayed enclosure - also seen on the earlier aerial photograph. This suggested the enclosure might be ovate in plan with dimensions of c. 250m (east-west) x 170m (north-south) (4)

Additional geophysical (magnetometer) survey was carried out in 2009 by Birmingham Archaeology as part of the Medway Valley prehistoric Landscapes Project. This covered the enclosure and the area immedaitely to the west towards the river Medway. The survey defined the form of the enclosure and revelaed a possible long mortuary enclosure or long barrow immediately outside the ditch to the south. The survey also revealed the presence of a probable later prehistoric co-axial field system that ran across the enclosure and a series of later ditches probably associated with the Roman and medieval settlement to the north. (5)

Birmingham Archaeology, 2009, Burham causewayed enclosure, Burham, Kent: Geophysical Survey, 2009 (Unpublished document). SKE29269.

<1> AP (NMR APU TQ 7161/5; 17 7 78) (OS Card Reference). SKE33522.

<1> National Monuments Record, 1997, Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic: Possible Neolithic Causewayed Enclosures (Unpublished document). SKE6569.

<2> Infoterra Ltd, 1990, 2590 Run 13 Photo 917, Run 13 Photo 917 (Photograph (Print)). SKE8354.

<3> Aerofilms Ltd, 1999, UKP 005 Block3 Run 11 6319 (Photograph (Print)). SKE8355.

<4> Archaeological Services & Consultancy Limited, 2007, Fieldwalking and Geophysical Surveys: Land near Margetts Pit, Burham, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE15661.

<5> Birmingham Archaeology, 2009, Burham causewayed enclosure, Burham, Kent: Geophysical Survey, 2009 (Unpublished document). SKE29269.

Sources and further reading

Related thematic articles

• Neolithic Kent (Thematic Essay)