Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

Site of possibile Romano-British ritual pit. The chamber of a denehole, about 45 ft. in diameter and 18 ft. in height, and thought by Burchell possibly to have been used for ritual purposes, was exposed in June 1950 in the A.P.C.M. chalk-pit, Bevan's Pit, Swanscombe

Monument Types

• PIT (PIT, Roman - 50 AD to 150 AD)

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 50 AD to 150 AD)
• SHERD (Roman - 50 AD to 150 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

The chamber of a denehole, about 45 ft. in diameter and 18 ft. in height, and thought by Burchell possibly to have been used for ritual purposes, was exposed in June 1950 in the A.P.C.M. chalk-pit, Bevan's Pit, Swanscombe at TQ 610742. The shaft, sunk through an estimated 10 ft. of gravel and 35ft of Thanet Sand, had already been destroyed.

The debris cone contained a scatter of RB sherds and a complete RB vase 7 1/2 ins. high. Around the base of the cone, against the walls of the chamber were bones of fox, badger, dog and sheep from which, in some cases, the skull had been detached and laid apart from the rest of the skeleton. Upon a ledge, 3ft. high on the W. side of the chamber, were the bones of a dismembered horse, sheep bones, worked flint flakes, etc. All the animal bone were dated by Mr. Fraser of the Natural History Museum to the R.B.period. The chamber was subsequently destroyed by further quarrying. (1)

Ritual Shaft. Situation: Found at a cement works situated north of New Barn Farm, between Northfleet and Swanscombe, and consisting of an oval chamber which was originally connected to the surface by a shaft that was destroyed by the workings. Diameter: The oval chamber, 27 ft. 6 in. by 20 ft. Depth: The oval chamber, 9ft.; the shaft must have been about 37 ft. deep. Character and Contents Pottery was recovered from the infilling of the chamber and a complete, pear-shaped pottery vessel was found on the same level as a horse's skull. Eight groups of sherds were found at varying levels in the western half of the infilling. All the pottery found is of native manufacture and dates between the mid-first and mid-second century A.D. parts of three roof tiles were also found. On a shelf at the east end of the chamber were 41 manufactured flint flakes, and several more were found in the infilling. Most of the animal bones and teeth recovered were found to have been purposefully placed. The animals seem first to have been dismembered and then put in different parts of the chamber. They were found in the following groups: dog, horse and sheep bones together with the skull of a large dog; the skull of a horse and an ox tooth; most of the skeleton of a fox with the skull missing, and a bird bone; the skull of the above fox, with bones of badger, bird, dog and sheep; the skull of a badger and the jaws of a dog; bones of badger, bird and horse; bones of hornless sheep, and a horse tooth; some bones and two skulls of sheep, some bird bones; horse, ox and sheep bones; bones of badger and horse, skulls of badger and sheep, jaw of ox; horse bones; skull of horse, ox tooth; horse, ox and sheep bones; skull of ox; skull and limb bones of hornless sheep, with the lower jawbone of an ox. (2)

Additional data (3-6).

<1> Inf. Major J.P.T. Burchell Fawke Common, Sevenoaks. (OS Card Reference). SKE44380.

<2> F1 ASP 16-OCT-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42141.

<3> Ms. Notes (JPT.Burchell) (OS Card Reference). SKE47468.

<4> Studies in Ancient Europe,ed Coles & Simpson 1968 270 (A.Ross) (OS Card Reference). SKE49705.

<5> Field report for monument TQ 67 SW 70 - October, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3688.

<6> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1995 Feb, South Thames-Side Development Route IV (Unpublished document). SWX6940.

Sources and further reading