Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

In an area just to the north of the road which leads towards the Ritual pools, a series of clay floors representing circular buildings were uncovered during excavations at Springhead between 2000 and 2002. Three phases of construction were identified, all associated with features like hearths and ovens. The pottery associated with the structures date from the late 1st and early 2nd centuries. (location acccurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• FLOOR (Roman - 50 AD? to 150 AD?)
• HEARTH (Roman - 50 AD? to 150 AD?)
• OVEN (Roman - 50 AD? to 150 AD?)
• POST HOLE (Roman - 50 AD? to 150 AD?)

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 75 AD? to 125 AD?)
• JAR (Roman - 75 AD? to 125 AD?)
• POT (Roman - 75 AD? to 125 AD?)
• SHERD (Roman - 75 AD? to 125 AD?)

Full description

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In an area just to the north of the road which leads towards the Ritual pools, a multi phased early Roman structure was uncovered during excavations at Springhead between 2000 and 2002. The earliest in the sequence of structures to the north of the road and was also the smallest. It was set in a shallow terrace cut into the ground which sloped gently up to the north-east. It was represented by a sub-circular clay floor measuring approximately 5 m by 4 m, with generally well-defined edges but no structural features evident around the periphery. As many as three hearths were identified, the most substantial was fairly centrally placed. A spread overlaying this floor contained late 1st century pottery. The absence of post- or stake-holes around the perimeter of the surviving floor of this and the subsequent structures suggests that the walls may have been of cob or carried on ground beams which have left no trace.

The second phase of the structure directly overlay the first but was slightly larger and more circular, with maximum dimensions of 4.75 m by 4.5 m. In the north-east quadrant of the structure were a hearth and two ovens, the latter both at the edge of the floor and sealed by a clay spread representing a resurfacing of this part of the floor, one of the ovens had clay lined sides. A pot oven was also identified, this consisted of a possibly complete storage jar that had been placed on its side in a shallow, clay-lined hollow which showed evidence of burning in situ. The lower part of the jar was filled with a charcoal-rich deposit on top of which was a spread of apparently carefully-laid potsherds from a different vessel. Lying on its side immediately above the jar was a complete small pot, presumably placed in the pot oven after it went out of use. On the edge of the floor on the opposite side of the structure to the hearth and ovens was a horse’s skull. Partly covering this skull and the floor was a build-up of material containing almost entirely late 1st–early 2nd century pottery, perhaps debris which accumulated during the use of the structure.

The final phase of the structure again overlay the earlier phases and is largest in the sequence, but had suffered some damage. From what remained of a clay floor, a diameter of approximately 8.5 m is estimated. Several internal post holes may have provided support for a roof. In the centre of floor was a hearth. Although it is difficult to be certain, pottery recovered from deposits associated with the structure might suggest that destruction took place around the middle of the 2nd century and thus the use of structure may have overlapped for a short period with the use of the Sanctuary complex. Of the three phases of circular structure, the latest appears on the basis of size most likely to have been a domestic building, though the function of this and its predecessors remain uncertain though parallels may be drawn with other buildings located within its vicinity.

The associated GIS polygon represents the latest phase of this structure. (1-2)

<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> Wessex Archaeology, 2003, Channel Tunel Rail Link Archaeological works at Springhead Roman Town (ARC SPH00): interim fieldwork report (Unpublished document). SKE31600.

Sources and further reading

Related records