Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During the East Kent Access Route excavations (2009-2011) a group of Iron Age features were encountered in Zone 19. these included at least two post built structures, a metalled trackway,, pits and an inhumation burial. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• PIT (Iron Age - 800 BC? to 42 AD?)
• POST BUILT STRUCTURE (Early Iron Age to Middle Iron Age - 800 BC to 101 BC)
• POST HOLE (Early Iron Age to Middle Iron Age - 800 BC to 101 BC)
• TRACKWAY (Iron Age - 800 BC? to 42 AD?)
• INHUMATION (Middle Iron Age - 390 BC to 200 BC) + Sci.Date

Associated Finds

• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Early Iron Age to Middle Iron Age - 800 BC to 101 BC)

Full description

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During the East Kent Access Route excavations (2009-2011)in an area approximately 10m east of the Late Bronze Age enclosure in Zone 19 was a rectangular post built structure aligned WNW-ESE and measuring approximately 5m by 3m. the structure comprised two parallel rows of four post holes some of which contained pottery of Mid-Late Iron Age date. A single sherd of Roman pottery may represent the last stage of infilling of the disused postholes. The structure post dates the construction and early use of the late Bronze age enclosure but may have been contemporary with its continued use or at least with continues awareness of its presence. The function of the post built structure is uncertain, though one possibility is that it represents an above ground storage structure. A metalled trackway was aligned NE-SW and extended across zone 19 between the Bronze age enclosure and the post built structure, it may have been related to either or both. It lay within a shallow hollow and extended for 28m from the southern limit of excavation, it petered out to the north. No artefacts were recovered from it and so its dating was not conclusive. Situated 40m to the south east of the first post built structure was another of very similar appearance, along with five more postholes in an adjacent cluster. The structure was aligned ENE-WSW and was 4m long and 1.5m wide. Pottery from the fills of these dated to the Late Iron age, presumably this dates the disuse of the feature. A large irregular pit containing a range of finds was located 13m to the north east of the second post built structure, the function of this feature is not clear. The eastern side of this feature was cut by a large circular pit with a bell shaped profile, this measured 3m in diameter and 0.9m in depth. It may have originally been used for storage and following this, for refuse disposal with pottery, flint, animal bone and fired clay recovered from the fills. An inhumation burial was made in the pit and was dated to 410-200 Cal BC. (information summarised from source) (1-2)

A trackway of uncertain date, revealed by the stripping exercise for the excavations described by authority (1), was visible as a sub surface deposit in NMR 26608/12 06-APR-2010. This feature was mapped as part of the Historic England Isle of Thanet project in 2024. (3)

<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 26608/12 06-APR-2010 (Archive). SKE57106.

Sources and further reading