Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Romano-British walled cemetery (site of). Since 1799 a number of inhumation and cremation burials, some in urns and coffins, have been found south of the Roman religious centre of Springhead. The burials lay within a walled enclosure which also had an inner enclosure.

Monument Types

• CREMATION (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)
• INHUMATION (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)
• WALLED CEMETERY (CEMETERY, Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• BRACELET (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)
• CHAIN (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)
• COFFIN (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)
• DISH (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)
• JUG (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)
• NAIL (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)
• RING (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)
• SHOE (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)
• TOMB (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)
• URN (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)
• VESSEL (Roman - 225 AD? to 400 AD?)

Full description

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Walled Roman Cemetery south-east of the Roman Town at Springhead (Vagniacae). (10)

A stone tomb containing two leaden coffins, each with the skeleton of a child, and two urns which held burnt bones, was found in January 1801, in Sole Field, Southfleet. Men ploughing the field found a nearly spherical urn of red pottery, and threw away the contents which they said consisted of burnt bones and pieces of thick bluish-coloured glass. A second urn, with contents similar to the first was broken in the digging out. It was reconstructed by the Rev. P Rashleigh who, subsequently, found the stone tomb some 9 ft. to the south of the urns. Covered with two large stone slabs, in each of which was an iron ring fixed with cement, the tomb held two small leaden coffins, lightly covered with cement, and several large flat-headed nails. In one coffin was a gold chain set with stone, two gold snake bracelets and a gold ring. [See AO/59/154/1 and 2] (1) [Area centred TQ 61497262] Site of Romano-British walled cemetery, Sole Field. Another burial was found near the tomb at a depth of about 3'. Beneath a ragstone pavement was a large stone box and lid containing two large glass urns, both with burnt bones, and one of which had been filled with a 'clear liquid'. Between the urns were two pairs of leather shoes. The relics are now in the British Museum. Another cremation burial close by consisted of two pottery jugs and two Samian dishes, one with a 2nd century stamp, GRANIANVS. One dish contained two rib bones and ashes. The foundations of a buttressed inclosure wall surrounded the burials, which thus lay in a squarish space about 58' x 55.5'. [Sited from plan.] [See also AO/59/149/2] (2,3) Area centred TQ 62107196 Soul Field (4) On the evidence of the Tithe Map the siting of this cemetery as given by V.C.H. would appear to be in error. It has been re-sited approximately to TQ 62157224… in Soulfield, just outside the limits of the settlement alongside the line of the road, the usual position for a Roman cemetery. (5) Additional bibliography. (6 - 9)

A geophysical survey in 2001, coupled with the original excavation notes, confirmed the location of the cemetery (9).

In 2002 A section of the cemetery to the east of the site was excavated as part of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link excavations to enable the building of an access road to the railway tunnel beneath the A2. An emergency excavation was also carried out following the accidental excavation of a water pipe trench in the area (13). Two sections of the outer wall were uncovered. A length of c. 2m was recorded in section in the water pipe and c. 15m was exposed by the excavation. This included two external buttresses to the wall. The remains lay as shallow as 0.2m below the surface and only the foundations survived. The wall was c. 1m wide and the buttresses were 8m apart. The wall comprised 6 alternativng layers of flint and rammed chalk. The buttresses were purely of flint. A very small quantity of finds were recovered including two Roman coins.

The structure was substantial and would have been highly visible. The 2002 excavators suggest that it was established in the early 3rd century, perhaps as a family/group memorial, although possible 4th century material was also found. (11)

<1> Arch 14 1803 37-9 illust (Rev Peter Rashleigh) (OS Card Reference). SKE34377.

<2> Arch J 22 1865 68-9 (OS Card Reference). SKE36599.

<3> VCH Kent 3 1932 90-2 illust and plan (OS Card Reference). SKE51140.

<4> Tithe Map and Apportionments Book for the parish of Southfleet dated 1843 (OS Card Reference). SKE50571.

<5> F1 CFW 05-SEP-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42443.

<6> JBAA 22 3rd Series 1959 29-30 (R F Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE44918.

<7> JRS 48 1958 99 (J K St Joseph) (OS Card Reference). SKE45109.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 67 SW 88 - September, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3696.

<9> Malcolm Davies, 2001, "Death and Social Division at Roman Springhead" (Miscellaneous Material). SKE12272.

<10> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

<11> 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 (Monograph). SKE31245.

<13> Wessex Archaeology, January 2004, Archaeological Works at Ebbsfleet Valley Civil Works and A2 connections - Roman Walled Cemetery Water-Pipe Trench Recording (Unpublished document). SWX12885.

<14> Malcolm Davies, 2001, Archaeologia Cantiana: Death and Social Division at Roman Springhead. (Article in serial). SKE53923.

Sources and further reading

Related records