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Monument details

HER Number:TQ 67 SW 1389
Type of record:Monument
Name:Six early Roman burials, Springhead, Northfleet

Summary

Excavation in 2000-2002 found a group of at least six early Roman burials located close to the southern side and possibly associated with the road running towards the ritual pools. More are probably situated outside the limit of excavation. The burials date to the 1st century AD and include 4 neonatal burials, 1 adult female in a box or casket and an infant. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available inforamtion)


Grid Reference:TQ 6180 7258
Map Sheet:TQ67SW
Parish:GRAVESEND, GRAVESHAM, KENT

Monument Types

Associated Finds

  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 65 AD? to 90 AD?)
  • Charcoal (Roman - 65 AD? to 90 AD?)
  • CHATELAINE (Roman - 65 AD? to 90 AD?)
  • NAIL (Roman - 65 AD? to 90 AD?)
  • VESSEL (Roman - 65 AD? to 90 AD?)

Full description

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Excavation in 2000-2002 found at least six early Roman burials to the south of a road leading to a ritual pool. The burials date to the 1st century AD and include 4 neonatal burials, 1 adult female in a box or casket and an infant.

Two of the neonatal burials were in graves. The remaining graves contained pottery vessels dating to c. AD 65/70 to 85 (1,2,3). One was of a female aged c.25-35 years old placed in a box or casket with a lock plate. There were four pottery vessels, a flagon on top of a dish and a jar on top of a bowl. There was also a chatelaine or suspension chain, animal bone and charcoal from the burial included honeysuckle and clematis. The final burial was an infant of 6-9 months. The grave was unusual with two distinctive fills at each end. There was evidence of a coffin but the human remains were not within it.(1-2)


<1> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2010, Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. CTRL Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet, Kent. The Late Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and Medieval Landscape (Unpublished document). SKE31245.

<2> Wessex Archaeology, 2003, Channel Tunel Rail Link Archaeological works at Springhead Roman Town (ARC SPH00): interim fieldwork report (Unpublished document). SKE31600.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>XYUnpublished document: Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture. 2010. Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. CTRL Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet, Kent. The Late Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and Medieval Landscape. [Mapped feature: #106150 Burials, ]
<2>Unpublished document: Wessex Archaeology. 2003. Channel Tunel Rail Link Archaeological works at Springhead Roman Town (ARC SPH00): interim fieldwork report.

Related records

TQ 67 SW 1388Part of: Early Roman road leading to ritual pool, Springhead, Northfleet (Monument)