Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Excavations have uncovered evidence for Neolithic settlement in this area consisting of charcoal, bone, pottery and flint implements in a layer of buried soil; a massive pile of flints were also partially excavated. A middle Bronze Age cinerary urn covering a cremation in a pit was also found. Other finds included a blue-glass bead of possible Roman date and some Iron Age pottery. C14 dates for the site are bp. 4230+/- 80 and bp. 2280+/- 80.

Monument Types

• SETTLEMENT (SETTLEMENT, Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• CINERARY URN (CINERARY URN, Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Finds

• URN (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• SHERD (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• BEAD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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TQ 5355 6005 A middle Bronze Age urn complete with uncontaminated cremation, was found during mechanical levelling for a tennis court inthe garden of no 46 Greehill Road. (1-3) The bones appear to have been cremated, then deliberately crushed and placed in a container, possibly a bag of cloth or leather, which had perished completely. Excavation of the find spot by the Otford and District Historical Society's Archaeological Group revealed a cylindrical hole some 2 feet in diameter with a flat bottom on which the inverted vessel had rested. The hole had apparently been backfilled with soil. Three small sherds of similar reddish pottery, black in fracture were revealed nearby. (4) The urn is collared with an undecorated neck. The collar is decorated with hurdle and diagonal patterns made by two stranded cords of different thicknesses, which were impressed on the vessel during its leather hand stage. Finger nail impression was used to supplement the cord decoration. The vessel probably dates to about 1000BC and was apparently fired in the inverted position (a). Excavation of the area was continued E of the burial close to the eastern boundary of the garden. Various test holes revealed a distinct soil horizon containingpottery sherds, worked flints, bone fragments and charcoal. (5) Hollows were excavated which contained flint nodules in a red brown clay matrix. One hollow had signs of burning beneath the flint fill. Apost hole was also revealed. Molluscan evidence suggested that the area had been recently cleared of woodland at the time of the flint filled hollows. Some IA activity on the site was indicated by the recovery of a small quantity of IA pottery from the immediate area of the burial. A piece of blue glass bead of possible Romano-British date was also found. (6,7) A C14 date has been obtained from an area of burning at the base of a sub-soil hollow. The results are as follows: Ref No HAR 3690 Date bp. 4230+/- 80 Date bc. 2280+/- 80 (8)

<1> KAR 25 1971 143 (B Philp) (OS Card Reference). SKE45276.

<2> KAR 27 1972 199 (Cliff Ward) (OS Card Reference). SKE45282.

<3> Arch cant 87 1972 242 (PE Leach) (OS Card Reference). SKE35917.

<4> Dr IH Longworth, Brit Mus (OS Card Reference). SKE41507.

<5> Arch Cant 91 1975 185-187 and fig 4 (JA Pyke and CP Ward) (OS Card Reference). SKE36036.

<6> Arch Cant 92 1976 254 (PE Leach) (OS Card Reference). SKE36106.

<7> Arch Cant 93 1977 225 (PE Leach) (OS Card Reference). SKE36155.

<8> Arch Cant 96 1980 321-339 (JA Pyke) (OS Card Reference). SKE36245.

<9> Arch Cant 97 1981 295-6 (JA Pyke) (OS Card Reference). SKE36289.

Sources and further reading