Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

In 1956 during quarry excavation work at Ham Hill Quarry, Snodland, two groups of Roman vessels were discovered near the top of the quarry face. The quarry was owned by the Trinidad Lake Asphalt Company. The first find was destroyed but the second was investigated and revealed vessels associated with cremation burial. An olla contained cremation material. A flagon was found and the base of another. There were also two Samian dishes. The finds were dated to the middle of the second century and were then donated to Maidstone Museum.

In 1961 another site close by revealed four Samian ware vessels, the lower half of a pipe clay figurine, a small bronze handle, a scrap of white metal and fragments of burnt bone. These items are kept at the British Museum.

Monument Types

• CREMATION (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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TQ 697606. Early in 1956 at Ham Hill quarry, Snodland, which belongs to the Trinidad Lake Asphalt Company, a number of Roman vessels associated with a cremation burial was recovered from a point near the present ground surface, at the top of the quarry face. The pottery was presented to Miadstone Museum in November 1956. The group consisted of an olla, containing the cremation, one flagon and the base of another, and two samian dishes. The deposit seems to belong to the middle of the second century. [Description of pottery follows]. (1) TQ 69676086 The findspot, approximate to 10.0-15.0m was indicated by the finder, Mr L Botley, an excavator operator who stated that two groups of pottery were uncovered. The first was noticed two late and was destroyed; the second group was saved and is now in the Maidstone Museum (confirmed). A 25" survey has been carried out. (2) (TQ 69676086) Roman Cremation Found AD 1956 [NAT] (3) In September 1961, a number of Roman vessels and other objects associated with a cremation burial were discovered at TQ 697606 close to the site of the burials found in 1956. The group consists of four Samian ware vessels, the lower half of a pipe clay figurine a small bronze handle, a scrap of white metal, and fragments of burnt bone. They are now in the British Museum, Dept. of Prehistoric and Romano British Antiquities, 1962,4-3,1-11. (4)

<1> Arch Cant 71 1957 229 illust (E Taylor) (OS Card Reference). SKE35492.

<2> F1 ASP 23-JUN-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42246.

<3> OS 1:2500 1963 (OS Card Reference). SKE48205.

<4> British Museum Quarterly 37 1973 144-150 illust (C Johns) (OS Card Reference). SKE38392.

<5> Field report for monument TQ 66 SE 11 - June, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3556.

Sources and further reading