Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A 5th or 6th century Anglo-Saxon inhumation cemetery found in a brickfield to the north east of Milton. Grave goods included glass vessels, finger rings, swords, spearheads, knives and a crystal ball.

Monument Types

• CEMETERY (CEMETERY, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 599 AD)

Associated Finds

• RING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• Bangle (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• BUCKLE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• CUP (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• RING (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• SPEAR (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• SWORD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• VESSEL (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 9120 6505 - sited from Map A, No. 24 (1)]
In 1889, a skeleton, with various objects of Anglo-Saxon date - a glass vessel, a bronze-gilt buckle, and an iron spearhead - and a 2nd century gold finger ring was uncovered in the brickfields of Wills and Packham, a little east of the tile tombs (TQ 96 NW 9), and about 300 yards north of the Bexhill cemetery (TQ 96 SW 6). (1-2)

This brickfield has been disused since the early years of this
century. It is now a marshy field used for rough grazing. The
present whereabouts of the finds was not ascertained. (3)

[TQ 910650] Inhumation cemetery, Milton-next-Sittingbourne. An Anglo-Saxon burial was discovered in February 1889 during excavations for brickearth, in fields occupied by Messrs Wills and Packham. The site lies about 200 yards to the right or south of a footpath leading from Milton National Schools to Kemsley Downs and about 300 yards north of the Roman cemetery at Bex Hill (TQ 96 SW 6). The skeleton lay east to west, with the head to the west, accompanied by a glass vessel, which was destroyed, a bronze-gilt buckle, an iron spearhead, and a massive 2nd century Roman gold finger-ring with sard intaglio. The ring was purchased from a local dealer by Humphrey Wood of Chatham.

Other graves were found nearby, and from them were obtained six spearheads, the socket of a spear, two knives, two swords and part of a bronze-gilt sword hilt, two bronze armillae, three bronze finger-rings, an elegant green glass cup, a crystal ball in gold bands, and an ornament of cell-work (see TQ 86 SE 28) dating to the 6th century and probably Frankish. (4-6)

Two Anglo-Saxon glass cone-beakers from burials at Milton-next-Sittingbourne, both of probable 5th or 6th century date. Now in the British Museum: 1905,4-18, 11 and 12. (See Illustration Card.) (7)

Cone beakers British Museum 1905 4-18, 11 and 12 are both from Forty Acre Field, between Milton Church, Sittingbourne, and Milton Union. (8)

<1> Coll Cant 1893 118-21 (G Payne) (OS Card Reference). SKE39128.

<2> VCH Kent 1 1908 374 (R A Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE50855.

<3> F1 CFW 18-NOV-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42634.

<4> Gaz Early Anglo Saxon Burial Sites 1964 129 (A Meaney) (OS Card Reference). SKE43477.

<5> Arch Cant 18 1889 207-208 illus (G Payne) (OS Card Reference). SKE34770.

<6> The Arts in Early England 4 1956 738 (G B Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE50104.

<7> Dark Age Britain 1956 138 160-161 fig (ed D B Harden) (OS Card Reference). SKE39584.

<8> Letter from BM 10 June 1987 (OS Card Reference). SKE46096.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 96 NW 11 - November, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4870.

<10> Tatton-Brown, T., 1984, The Towns of Kent, p 28-32 (Article in monograph). SWX7259.

<11> Technotrade, 1990 Apr, Mill Way, Sittingbourne: report on site investigation (Unpublished document). SWX7065.

<12> Anon., 1920, Researches and discoveries in Kent, p.157-8 (Article in serial). SWX7429.

Sources and further reading