Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Excavations in 2000-2002 carried out as part of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link found three sunken-featured buildings west of Northfleet Roman villa.

Location accurate to 2m based on available information

Monument Types

• GRUBENHAUS (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 480 AD to 720 AD?)
• POST HOLE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 480 AD? to 720 AD?)

Full description

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Excavations in 2000-2002 carried out as part of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link found three early-Saxon sunken-featured buildings (SFB 30057, 30107, 30119) west of Northfleet Roman villa (area 6). The structures were 3-4m long and 2-3 m wide and contained post holes. contained 5th-6th century pottery, animal bone and fired clay, loomweights, a 6th century brooch, animal bone, a double-sided comb, a quern fragment and pinbeaters. Close by was a possible hearth. (1)

SFB 30119 is a a sub-rectangular pit measuring 4.50 m long by 3.20 m wide and 0.25 m deep. The sw corner was destroyed by modern activity. Two structural post-holes were identified within the pit at the mid-point of the east and west ends measuring 0.40m in diameter and 0.40m in depth. At the western end, a possible post-setting was identified at either side of post-hole. (1)

Charred grain from the lower part of the main fill was radiocarbon dated, giving a date of cal AD 390–540.(1)

Finds recovered from the fills included a substantial quantity of pottery and animal bone, along with burnt flint and fired clay. A total
of nine lead possible loomweights were recovered from the base of the lower fill, including a group of seven from the north-west corner and two others from elsewhere in the pit. Other finds included a quern fragment and two bone pinbeaters. (1)

Location accurate to 2m based on available information

<1> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2010, Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. CTRL Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet, Kent. The Late Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and Medieval Landscape (Unpublished document). SKE31245.

<2> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2011, Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. CTRL Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet, Kent. Volume 4: Saxon and Later Finds and Environmental Reports (Monograph). SKE32437.

Sources and further reading

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