Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Early Medieval inhumations with grave goods including a shield boss and bowl. The bowl is probably 7th century.

Monument Types

• BURIAL (BURIAL, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)

Associated Finds

• BOWL (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 530 664] (1) An early Anglo-Saxon enamelled bronze bowl was found, August 1860, 2-3feet below the surface by railway workmen digging for brickearth near the railway at Lullingstone, on the estate of Sir Percival Hart. Human skulls and bones were found near the bowl; it was also `gathered' from workmen that a helmet (?shield umbo), and some fragments of iron and pottery were dug up at the same time. The Bowl was taken to Dartford, whence it was recovered by Sir Percival who exhibited it at the Society of Antiquaries. (2) Roach Smith saw a shield umbo from the railway digging at Eynsford, and concluded `two Saxon burial sites'. (3) His account is ambiguous, and the `abundant evidence of weapons, ornaments and an enamelled bowl' is a likely confusion with the Lullingstone finds. (5) Dating the bowl is difficult: the four escutcheons show a Celtic trumpet pattern which Kendrick places as `not later than A.D. 500'. (6) The ornament, in general, exhibits Christian influence which Allen dates as probably first half of the 7th c. (7) Smith observes that the stag-like figures on the bowl compare, stylistically, with the symbol of St Luke in the Book of Durrow, an Irish illuminated MS dated 7th C. but probably later. (4) Baldwin-Brown puts the bowl at `mid 7th c' at the earliest.(8) The finds are now in the British Museum.(5) (1-8) The only brickearth in the district is centred at TQ 530 664. (9) Additional bibliography. (10)

<1> G Payne 1" (OS Card Reference). SKE43455.

<2> Maidstone Mus 6" (OS Card Reference). SKE46270.

<3> PSA (L) I 185960 187-8 (OS Card Reference). SKE48751.

<4> Arch Cant 3 1860 36 44 illus (C Roach-Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE34981.

<5> VCH Kent I 1908 378 385 illus (RA Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE51168.

<6> Early Anglo Saxon Burial Sites 1964 118 126 (Audrey Meany) (OS Card Reference). SKE41558.

<7> Ant 6 1932 173 illus (TD Kendrick) (OS Card Reference). SKE33120.

<8> Archaeologia 56 1898 42 (J Romilly Allen) (OS Card Reference). SKE37319.

<9> The Arts in Early Eng 4 1915 477 (G Baldwin-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE50088.

<10> Geological Survey 6" (OS Card Reference). SKE43613.

<11> F1 ASP 05.10.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE41933.

<12> PSA 2nd S 22 1907-9 67 (P Hart and EC Dyke) (OS Card Reference). SKE48772.

<13> Field report for monument TQ 56 NW 19 - October, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2913.

Sources and further reading