Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Excavations in advance of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in 2002-3 identified a number of Romano-British property boundaries west of the Ebbsfleet. This is Property 2 and included a Roman temple (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• BOUNDARY (Roman - 75 AD? to 200 AD?)
• HEARTH (Roman - 75 AD? to 200 AD?)
• PIT (Roman - 75 AD? to 200 AD?)
• POST HOLE (Roman - 75 AD? to 200 AD?)

Associated Finds

• NAUHEIM DERIVATE BROOCH (Late Iron Age to Roman - 1 AD? to 100 AD?)
• NAUHEIM DERIVATE BROOCH? (Late Iron Age to Roman - 1 AD? to 100 AD?)
• TWO-PIECE COLCHESTER BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)

Full description

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Excavations in advance of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in 2002-3 identified a number of what were interpreted as middle Roman property boundaries west of the Ebbsfleet. This is Property 2. The property was aligned on Watling Street.

The northern edge of the property had been eroded by the Ebbsfleet river during the post-Roman period, perhaps with the loss of up to 8m of ground. The boundaries of the property may have been quite fluid, particularly to the west. The boundaries between sub-zones 2a, 2b and 2c were only clearly defined by fence lines (see TQ 67 SW 1403) from the end of the 2nd century. These formed the temenos of a temple (see TQ 76 SW 1384) that was established here and which has been preserved in-situ. It is suggested that there may have been a Roman building fronting Watling Street outside the excavated area to the west. Various post holes, pits, hearths and other features may reflect this. Two Nauheim derivate brooches and one two-part Colchester brooch were found within property 2. (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 The Late Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and Medieval Landscape (Unpublished document).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> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2011, Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. CTRL Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet, Kent. Volume 2: Late Iron Age to Roman Finds Reports (Monograph). SKE32435.

Sources and further reading

Related records