Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A series of ditches were uncovered during excavations associated with the construction of the East Kent Access route in Thanet. The ditches crossed Zone 17 on a WNW -ESE alignment and Zone 18 on a NNE-SSW alignment. They were located c. 40 - 50 m apart and probably formed part of an Iron Age field system. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• PIT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• DITCH (Middle Iron Age to Roman - 400 BC to 43 AD?)
• FIELD SYSTEM? (Middle Iron Age to Roman - 400 BC to 43 AD?)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Middle Iron Age to Roman - 400 BC to 43 AD?)

Full description

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A series of ditches crossed Zone 17 on a WNW -ESE alignment and Zone 18 on a NNE-SSW alignment. They were located c. 40 - 50 m apart and probably formed part of an Iron Age field system. The ditches varied greatly in width and depth up to a maximum of 1.75m and 0.77m respectively. This is almost certainly due to the variations in the extent of truncation and underlying geology, with brickearth to the south and chalk to the north. The ditches contained small amounts of pottery with dates ranging from the middle to late Iron Age. The westernmost ditch of the field system, in Zone 18, contained a sherd of Roman pottery. This suggested that the field system originated in the middle Iron Age but was in use throughout the Roman period. other finds included small amounts of Prehistoric flint and animal bone. (information summarised from source)(1-2)

Fragments of ditches of Iron Age date and a small pit were seen as excavated features in NMR 26608/07 06-APR-2010, as sub surface deposits in NMR 26607/24 06-APR-2010 and as cropmarks in Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 21-APR-2007 and Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 14-APR-2015. They were mapped as part of the Historic England Isle of Thanet project in 2024. (3-6)

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Archaeology Joint Venture, 2011, East Kent Access (Phase II), Thanet, Kent: Post-Excavation Assessment Volume 1 (Unpublished document).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

<3> Historic England Archive, 1920-2024, Historic England Archive Specialist oblique aerial photographs, NMR 26607/24 06-APR-2010 (Archive). SKE57106.

<4> Next Perspectives, 2003-2021, Next Perspectives APGB orthophotography, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 21-APR-2007 (Archive). SKE57110.

<5> Next Perspectives, 2003-2021, Next Perspectives APGB orthophotography, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 14-APR-2015 (Archive). SKE57110.

<6> Historic England Archive, 1920-2024, Historic England Archive Specialist oblique aerial photographs, NMR 26608/07 06-APR-2010 (Archive). SKE57106.

Sources and further reading