Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The remains of a Neolithic causewayed enclosure, Pegwell Bay, Ramsgate. The monument measures about 150 metres in diameter and consists of three concentric circuits of interrupted ditches. Excavations revealed that all of the ditched had been recut and there were significant differences in the fill of the ditches. The inner ditch had more cremated bone. The middle ditch contained more flints, particularly scrapers and arrowheads. The outer ditch had evidence for possible feasting with animal bones and seashells often in association with pottery. It also contained parts of two human skulls, one on top of other. The second had been placed in a re-cut of the ditch, suggesting that a repeated ritual event took place that this location.

A pair of parallel causewayed ditches, which also contained Neolithic pottery later replaced this enclosure, and in turn this was also replaced by two parallel ditches containing pottery.

Monument Types

• CAUSEWAYED ENCLOSURE? (Neolithic - 4000 BC? (at some time) to 2351 BC? (at some time))

Associated Finds

• HUMAN REMAINS (Early Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 1501 BC)
• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Early Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 1501 BC)
• WORKED FLINT (Early Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 1501 BC)

Full description

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TR 3617 6463 Curving length of ditch 130m long which appears to be causewayed at frequent though irregular intervals in 10 sections varying in length from 6m to 35m. Also a rectilinear feature and a rectangular pit at TR 3619 6460. (1,2)

Aerial photographs indicate the presence of an interrupted ditch feature. The feature is curved and probably formed part of a larger curvilinear enclosure at least 130m across. Little archaeological field investigation has taken place on the this site, but based on the morphological characteristics of the ditch, it is possible that this feature is of Neolithic date.(3)

Approximately 100m to the north a single crouched inhumation burial, dating to the late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age, was found during geotechnical survey work in 1997 (See TR 36 SE 342).(4-5)

The site of a causewayed enclosure camp measuring about 150 metres in diameter and consisting of three concentric circuits of interrupted ditches, all of which underwent phases of re-cutting, particularly the outer ditch which was the deepest and widest. There were significant differences in the fill of the three circuits. The inner ditch had more cremated bone. The middle ditch contained more flints, particularly scrapers and arrowheads. The outer ditch had evidence for possible feasting with animal bones and seashells often in association with pottery. It also contained parts of two human skulls, one on top of other. The second had been placed in a re-cut of the ditch, suggesting that a repeated ritual event took place at this location.

A pair of parallel causewayed ditches, which also contained Neolithic pottery later replaced this enclosure, and in turn this was also replaced by two parallel ditches containing pottery. (6)

An assessment of the neolithic and early bronze age pottery from the site is available (7)

Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1998, Ramsgate Harbour Approach Road 1998: Interim Report Areas A, B (North) & C. (Unpublished document). SKE29236.

Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2000, The Ramsgate Causewayed Enclosure; A Proposal for Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE29244.

<1> AP (CUC BTG 106; 25.6.75) (OS Card Reference). SKE33434.

<2> National Monuments Record, 1997, Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic: Possible Neolithic Causewayed Enclosures (Unpublished document). SKE6569.

<3> RCHME (Cambridge), 1996, A Possible Causewayed Enclosure at Ramsgate, Thanet, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE12078.

<4> ArchaeoScape Consulting, 1997, Chalk Hill (Kent) Palaeonvironmental Assessment Report (July 1997) Phase 1 Stage 2 (Unpublished document). SKE12090.

<5> ArchaeoScape Consulting, 1997, Chalk Hill (Kent) Palaeonvironmental Assessment Report (June 1997) (Unpublished document). SKE12091.

<6> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1997, Ramsgate Harbour Approach Road Archaeological Evaluation: Phase 1, Stage 2. June - July 1997 (Unpublished document). SKE12110.

<7> Gibson, A., 2006, Assemblage assessment of Neolithic and early Bronze Age pottery: Chalk Hill, Ramsgate, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE51959.

Sources and further reading

Related thematic articles

• Neolithic Kent (Thematic Essay)