Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A dense area of brushwood stakes made from coppiced or regular wood, possibly crown or branchwood. Several have clearly axe cut ends. The elements formed some sort of upstanding woven structure possibly a fence or fish-trap. The peat, from which the stakes were found, has been radiocarbon dated to the middle Bronze Age.

Monument Types

• FENCE? (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC? to 1001 BC?)
• FISH TRAP? (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC? to 1001 BC?)
• TRACKWAY (Middle Bronze Age - 1380 BC to 1120 BC) + Sci.Date

Associated Finds

• ECOFACTS (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC? to 1001 BC?) + Sci.Date
• STAKE (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC? to 1001 BC?)

Full description

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A dense area of brushwood stakes covering the upper surface of peat in this area in association with small abraded pottery sherds thought to be of bronze age date. The southern edge of the spread of stakes was fairly clearly defined and orientated on a more or less straight east-west line. Several small poles lay towards the eastern end. It may have been a line of wattlework made from coppiced or regular wood, possibly crown or branchwood. Several have clearly axe cut ends. The elements formed some sort of upstanding woven structure possibly a fence or fish-trap. The peat, from which the stakes were found, has been radiocarbon dated to the middle bronze age. It may have related to a cobbled surface found nearby (TQ 67 SW 288).(1) further excavations have revealed similar features both to the east and west of the first. They are in a broadly linear arrangement (east to west) and it has been suggested therefore that they form part of a Bronze Age trackway laid on the wetland edge, perhaps representing a prehistoric routeway linking areas of drier ground. One structure comprised a double row of large oak timber piles. Their size suggests that they could have supported a walkway, perhaps even a bridge traversing the ancient watercourse. (2)

Location accurate to 5m based on available information.

<1> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 2001, Channel Tunnel Rail Link Ebbsfleet Sports Ground, Northfleet, ARC ESG00, Phase 2 Evaluation Archaeological Works Fieldwork Report Final (Unpublished document). SKE12227.

<2> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2020, Prehistoric Ebbslfeet (Monograph). SKE54979.

Sources and further reading