Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During the East Kent Access Route excavations (2009-2011) a 7th or 8th century Anglo-Saxon cemetery was discovered in zone 14. The cemetery contained 24 graves aligned east-west. Finds were limited to an iron knife and 10 iron objects, mostly nails. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• CEMETERY (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 650 AD? to 750 AD?)
• GRAVE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 650 AD? to 750 AD?)
• INHUMATION (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 650 AD? to 750 AD?) + Sci.Date

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• BEAD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• DAUB (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• KNIFE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• LOOMWEIGHT (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• QUERN (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• SLAG (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• WHETSTONE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)

Full description

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The cemetery comprised 24 graves orientated east-west, all but one (that was empty) contained the poorly preserved remains of inhumations interred in an extended supine position with the head to the west. This distribution of the graves suggests that elements of the earlier Iron Age enclosure was still visible at the time this cemetery was in use, which was probably some time in the first half of the 8th century. With the exception of two graves, they are all tightly clustered. Three of the graves were radiocarbon dated to AD 650-780. With the exception of one, all of the graves were spatially distinct suggesting that they were marked in some way. Apart from some animal bone, worked flint and few very small sherds of Iron Age and roman pottery from the re worked soil, the only objects associated with these burials was an iron knife and 10 iron objects. This paucity of finds alongside the configuration of the cemetery suggests the 7th- 8th century date (consistent with the three radio carbon dates). This would suggest a different chronological foci for the activity in the immediately surrounding area. At Cliffs end farm to the south west for example, an inhumation cemetery was of early 6th-7th century date. (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