Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Neolithic unenclosed settlement, excavations have revealed hollows and finds of pottery, flint working debris, stone axes, animal remains and arrowheads.

Monument Types

• HUT (HUT, Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• LITHIC WORKING SITE (FLINT WORKING SITE, Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• UNENCLOSED SETTLEMENT (VILLAGE, Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• AXEHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• FLAKE (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• KNIFE (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• SCOOP (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• SCRAPER (TOOL) (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)

Full description

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[TQ 9088 6666] Neolithic Village [NR] (Site of) [NAT] (1) The Neolithic Settlement at Grovehurst, Milton-next-Sittingbourne, was first noticed in 1871, and discoveries were made there at various times between 1871 and 1890 by the late Mr George Payne, whose collections are now at the British Museum. (2) The details of the Grovehurst Settlement [listed under Secondary Neolithic Peterborough Culture] are not precise but there appear to have been large, shallow, circular hollows some 10-12ft. in diameter, and 2-3ft. deep, containing occupation material and remains of clay daub from wattle work. "I formerly assigned the pottery to the Windmill Hill group, but its affinities must in fact lie with Peterborough Ware." (3) Cases 73, 74 contain ground axes, knives, scrapers, flakes, fragments of coarse pottery, etc., found 1871-8 on the floors of circular hut sites at Grovehurst, Milton-next-Sittingbourne, Kent. The large number of flakes discovered suggests that this place was a regular factory of flint implements in Neolithic times. (4) The site is now covered by allotment gardens and smallholdings. The area was formerly dug for brickearth and the discoveries were probably made then. (5) Flint weapons and flakes, pottery and animal remains were found at the brickfield of Robert Watts in 1871. An examination of the find spot showed that originally a hole had been dug out 2-4ft. deep by 10ft. in diameter, the bottom covered with a 1ft. layer of burnt vegetable matter. From 1871-78 similar discoveries at the site were made frequently and several of the find spots excavated by the writer represented dwellings. Finds dated from the Neolithic or polished stone age, and included; flint tools, weapons and flakes, sandstone blocks for grinding and polishing, sling stones, several bones, skulls and horns of Bos, and flat-bottomed urns. (6) The Neolithic settlement site at Grovehurst had not been protected in recent years, and since at least 1970 nothing could be seen except an expanse of shrubbery. A survey carried out by the Kent Archaeological Research Group on May 9th, 1976, confirmed reports that the operations of the CEGB in installing an electricity sub station had extended over the site. The area had been completely transformed and it seemed likely that the site had been destroyed, although burial under the raised causeway which encircles the redevelopment is a possibility. (7) [TQ 9085 6666] Neolithic Settlement [NR] (Site of) [NAT] (8) Single-piece flint sickles from Grovehurst. (9) Additional note on pottery form (15).

<1> OS 6" 1938-47 (OS Card Reference). SKE48354.

<2> The County Archaeology Kent 1930 42-48 illus of finds (R F Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE50329.

<3> Neolithic Cultures of the British Isles 1954 304 308 (S Piggot) (OS Card Reference). SKE47531.

<4> BM Stone Age Antiquities 3rd Edn 1926 104 (Anon) (OS Card Reference). SKE38201.

<5> F1 ASP 31-JUL-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42362.

<6> Arch Cant 13 1880 122-6 illust (G Payne) (OS Card Reference). SKE34683.

<7> Kent Arch Review 45 Autumn 1976 109 (R Baxter) (OS Card Reference). SKE45854.

<8> OS 1:10000 1979 (OS Card Reference). SKE48165.

<9> Antiquity 56 Ne 218 Nov 1982 214 (F Healy) (OS Card Reference). SKE33297.

<10> Arch J 88 1931 138 fig 21 137 (S Piggot) (OS Card Reference). SKE36750.

<11> SE England 1970 88-93 figs (R Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE49431.

<12> BAR 75 pt 2 Flint Arrowheads 1980 392-3 (H Stephen Green) (OS Card Reference). SKE37563.

<13> CBA RR 48 1982 Arch in Kent to AD 1550 25-6 (P Leach) (OS Card Reference). SKE38935.

<14> Field report for monument TQ 96 NW 6 - July, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4865.

<15> Dunning, G.C., 1966, Neolithic occupation sites in East Kent (Article in serial). SWX7278.

Sources and further reading