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Monument details

HER Number:TR 26 NE 240
Type of record:Monument
Name:Alignment of post holes and beaker burials, Monkton

Summary

An east-west alignment of eighteen equidistant post-pits was found during archaeological investigations in advance of work to widen the A253. It is thought that these post-pits may mark a ceremonial routeway. They were interrupted by two beaker inhumation burials lying in close proximity to a Bronze Age barrow (see TR 26 NE 240). One of the burials contained a group of 217 beads of Whitby jet. The grave was cut by another that contained a beaker and a copper alloy bracelet. The alignment of the pits was was found to change near the mound, thus a relationship between the mound, the Beaker burials and the post-pit alignment is suspected. A relationship between these features and the gradual development of a cemetery in the area has also been suggested.

Grid Reference:TR 28994 65602
Map Sheet:TR26NE
Parish:MONKTON, THANET, KENT

Monument Types

  • POST BUILT STRUCTURE (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 3000 BC? to 1501 BC?)
  • POST HOLE (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 3000 BC? to 1501 BC?)
  • BURIAL (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 2500 BC? to 1700 BC?)

Full description

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An east-west alignment of eighteen equidistant post-pits. The post-pits, perhaps marking a ceremonial routeway, were interrupted close to a large ring ditch/barrow (TR 26 NE 240) by two beaker inhumation burials (within barrow III). One of the burials contained a group of 217 beads of Whitby jet. The grave was cut by another that contained a beaker and a copper alloy bracelet. At this point the alignment of the row was found to change and a relationship between the mound, Beaker burials and post-pit alignment is suspected. These features almost certainly encouraged the gradual development of a cemetery. (1)


<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1996, Canterbury's Archaeology 1994 - 1995 (Serial). SKE11882.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1997?, A253 Monkton to Mount Pleasant: The Prehistoric Burial Landscape Stratigraphic Report (Unpublished document). SKE29250.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>Serial: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 1996. Canterbury's Archaeology 1994 - 1995.
<2>Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 1997?. A253 Monkton to Mount Pleasant: The Prehistoric Burial Landscape Stratigraphic Report.

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