Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Middle to Late Iron Age activity was discovered during excavations associated with the construction of the East Kent Access route in Thanet (Zone 12). The activity is represented by a series of enclosures and trackways which were likely used for livestock. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• DITCH (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 400 BC to 42 AD)
• DROVE ROAD (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 400 BC to 42 AD)
• ENCLOSURE (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 400 BC to 42 AD)
• GULLY (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 400 BC to 42 AD)
• POST BUILT STRUCTURE (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 400 BC to 42 AD)
• POST HOLE (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 400 BC to 42 AD)

Full description

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Zone 12 contained a complex series of enclosures and trackways. Some of these date to the late Iron Age and were built either side of a broad N-S aligned hollow way which had its origins in the middle Iron Age or earlier. The dating for this comes from an inhumation cemetery alongside the hollow way. The lengthy stratigraphic sequence of the associated enclosures indicates that they were in use for some time and it seems likely that the majority of them originated in the middle Iron Age. It also seems likely that the main purpose of the enclosures, several of which are sub divided by ditches, was as compounds for livestock. There are entrances in the north west corners of the earliest sequence of enclosures to the west of the hollow way and these lead to what may be smaller compounds within the enclosure. In the third phase of Iron Age activity a droveway appears to lead to the entrance of the enclosure. To the east of the hollow way, two trackways flank two enclosures. One of these enclosures was sub divided by a corridor that leads from the trackway and which has entrances to each of the sub divided sections of the enclosure. There was little evidence for domestic activity in these enclosures. In general there was only a low level of finds that might indicate occupation and there were few buildings. An undated four post structure and some other postholes were found to the west of the hollow way and an undated group of postholes was found in an enclosure to the east of it. (information summarised from source) (1-2)

<1> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2011, East Kent Access (Phase II), Thanet, Kent: Post-Excavation Assessment Volume 1 (Unpublished document). SKE29279.

<2> Andrews et al, 2015, Digging The Gateway: Archaeological Landscapes of South Thanet. The Archaeology of East Kent Access (Phase III) Vol 1: The sites (Monograph). SKE55517.

Sources and further reading

Related records