Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

In the gravel pit known as Parish Field at Aylesford a large flat axe (HibernoScottish type) and two ogival (ogee-shaped) Wessex bronze daggers were found with a skeleton at a depth of 15ft (4.57m). The skeleton is reputed to have disintegrated on exposure to the air.

The find was about 500yards (457m) east of a crouched burial (TQ 75 NW 55). Both finds were made in the late 19th century.

The daggers and the axe are in Maidstone Museum. The gravel pit has reverted to agricultural land or overgrown waste land.

Monument Types

• BURIAL (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Finds

• AXEHEAD (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• DAGGER (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Full description

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A skeleton with a flat bronze axe of Hiberno-Scottish type and two Wessex bronze daggers was found at a depth of 15ft [sic] about 500 yards east of the crouched burial found in the gravel pit known as Parish Field at Aylesford [see TQ 75 NW 55]. The skeleton disintegrated on exposure to the air. The implements are in Maidstone Museum (1-2).

On display in Maidstone Museum (a)(b) are a large flat axe and two ogival daggers, both with rivits. This area has long ceased to be worked for sand or gravel and much of it has reverted to agricultural land. The rest is overgrown waste (3).

Maidstone Museum card index [4].

OS reference [5].

Field report [6].

<1> P.S.A., 2nd S., 17, 1897-9, 376-7 (illus.) (F. James) (OS Card Reference). SKE48477.

<2> London Univ. Inst. of Arch. Ann Rept. No.10 1954, 38, 56 (A.M. ApSimon) (OS Card Reference). SKE46172.

<3> Maidstone Museum Arch. Gazetteer (in progress), (Anon, udtd.) (OS Card Reference). SKE46440.

<4> Maidstone Museum Card Index (Anon, udtd.) (OS Card Reference). SKE46456.

<5> F1 ASP 23-JUL-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42245.

<6> Field report for monument TQ 75 NW 54 - July, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3920.

Sources and further reading