Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A Romano-British cemetery 0.5 km south of the Roman town of Springhead, found during excavation works associated with the laying of electricity cables in 1997. During works associated with the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in 1997 and 1998 more burials were excavated. Almost the entire plan of the cemetery has now been revealed and more than 560 burials excavated; most were from the period AD 43 - 130. During the 2nd century the cemetery declined and the latest burials were probably shortly after AD 260. Most of the burials were inhumations though some cremations were found. Many contained grave goods including pottery (especially eating and drinking vessels) but also brooches, shoes and jewellery. Some were in coffins.

Monument Types

• MIXED CEMETERY (Late Iron Age to Roman - 50 BC to 360 AD)

Associated Finds

• ARMLET (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• BELL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• BOX (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• CASKET (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• COFFIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• HOB NAIL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• RING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• VESSEL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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A Romano British cemetery situated approximately 0.5 km south of the Roman town of Springhead. The cemetery was sited beside a Roman road. (1-4)

Works ahead of the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link revealed the cemetery to be c.76m by c.23m in extent. There was an Iron Age phase of activity on the site, with burial from the Middle or Late Iron Age. It is not clear if there was any continuity from this to the main period of activity. The main phase starts in the very latest Iron Age or earliest Roman period, in the mid 1st century AD. A crouched inhumation burial could belong to the Late Iron Age, and up to 50 others could be of similar date. Certainly the majority of burials occurred in the late 1st century and early 2nd century. The cemetery declined with the last burials of the main phase being interred sometime shortly after AD 260. After this date, only a few inhumations and cremations were buried at the site, with the last burials dating to before AD 360 (though one could be of later date).

Approximately 326 inhumation graves and 235 cremation pits were found. Stakeholes and post holes found amongst the graves may have served as grave markers. The majority of inhumations were buried in wooden coffins, surviving as soil stains and arrangements of nails and fittings. Many graves had one or two pottery vessels with other goods occasionally present. The cremation burials had some accompanying vessels and grave goods but a number were deposited in organic containers with no grave goods. Some cremations also exhibited evidence of in situ burning with the ground around the grave exposed to high temperatures. In total c.628 pottery vessels were recovered, along with 14 coins, 36 sets of hobnails, a bell, armlet, a ring, 20 copper alloy fibula, one large iron object, possibly a socketed tool, a copper-alloy mirror and 81 beads. (5 and 8)

Additional bibliography. (6-7)

Museum of London Archaeology Service, 1998, Project Area 330 Northumberland Bottom ARC WNB 98 Archaeological Excavation Interim Report (Unpublished document). Ske12767.

Oxford Archaeological Unit, June 2001, Waterloo Connection Post Excavation Assessment Report Volume 1 - Text (Unpublished document). SWX12886.

Oxford Archaeological Unit, June 2001, Waterloo Connection Post Excavation Assessment Report Volume 2 - Data Tables (Unpublished document). SWX12887.

<[1]> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1998, Northfleet East - Pepper Hill Cable Diversion Works Pepper Hill, Kent Roman Cemetery First Interim Report (Unpublished document). Ske12614.

<1> Oxford Archaeological Unit, June 2001, Waterloo Connection Post Excavation Assessment Report Volume 2 - Data Tables (Unpublished document). SWX12887.

<2> Oxford Archaeological Unit, June 2001, Waterloo Connection Post Excavation Assessment Report Volume 1 - Text (Unpublished document). SWX12886.

<3> Museum of London Archaeology Service, 1998, Project Area 330 Northumberland Bottom ARC WNB 98 Archaeological Excavation Interim Report (Unpublished document). SKE12767.

<4> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1998, Northfleet East - Pepper Hill Cable Diversion Works Pepper Hill, Kent Roman Cemetery First Interim Report (Unpublished document). SKE12614.

<5> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1999, Waterloo Connection, Northfleet, Kent ARC NBR 98 Detailed Archaeological Works Interim Report Final (Unpublished document). SWX12830.

<6> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2005, The Medieval Pottery from Excavations Along Section 1 of the CTRL (Unpublished document). SKE16557.

<7> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2006, Radiocarbon dates from Section 1 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE16490.

<8> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2006, The Roman cemetery at Pepper Hill, Southfleet, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE17706.

Sources and further reading

Related records

Related thematic articles

• Roman Kent (Thematic Essay)
• The history of Kent's archaeology (Thematic Essay)