Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

An Early Bronze Age round barrow with multi-phased group burials. Associated with this barrow were further burials around the site and within the ring-ditch. Evidence of a second possible barrow was excavated nearby. The barrow(s) may be part of a larger barrow cemetery exidence of which comes from cropmarks (TR 36 NE 407) and earlier investigations at the beginning of the 20th century.

Monument Types

• BARROW CEMETERY (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC? to 1501 BC? (at some time))
• CROUCHED INHUMATION (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC? to 1501 BC? (at some time))
• ROUND BARROW (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC? to 1501 BC? (at some time))

Associated Finds

• VESSEL (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC? to 1501 BC?)

Full description

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In 1992 an evaluation excavation excavated a multi-phased beaker period burial group. At approximately TR39286635 a dense patch of flints was observed. On excavation beaker fragments and human bones were found in an open patch surrounded by the flints. Work uncovered a total of seven crouched burials all of which either in direct contact with the beaker or superimposed interments. The overall feature was irregular in shape cut into the chalk. Three bowl shaped pits are presumed to have been graves cut into the floor of the feature. At a later date further burials were added. All burials are aligned n-s or nw-se and are of adults and infants. Some have been damaged by plough and are missing bones, not necessarily as a result of this later activity. It is thought that the burials might represent either a, burials within the ring ditch of a round barrow or b, burials within the boundaries of a settlement and cut into the floor of a hut, paralleled at Cottington Lane, Ebbsfleet 1990. (1)

Topsoil stripping and excavation in 1994. The feature is a ring ditch of oval shape from a round barrow. Central within the ditch is a group of three inter-cutting pits which contained seven crouched burials. Five of which are incomplete and appear to be missing their skulls. In one pit beneath the rib cage of one burial was a near complete undecorated beaker food vessel. The eastern segment of the barrow ditch had been cut by a pit containing two superimposed crouch burials and a final separate crouched burial was found metres from the barrow to the nw. Evidence from locals tells of further single burials found during the construction of the Seven Stones Estate just to the south-east.

Thirty metres to the south-west part of a curving length of ditch was recorded which may have formed a circle. A small ditch on the inside area of the ditch contained fragments of beaker sherds. It is possible that this also formed a round barrow.(2)

See also (3).

<1> Trust For Thanet Archaeology, 1992, Dumpton Gap & South Dumpton Down, Broadstairs - Evaluations (Unpublished document). SKE11938.

<2> Trust for Thanet Archaeology, 1994, Assessment/Research Design; South Dumpton Down, Broadstairs, 1994 (Unpublished document). SKE11939.

<3> Trust for Thanet Archaeology, Thanet SMR, cropmark plot. (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6443.

<3> Trust For Thanet Archaeology, 1995, Overall assessment of the pottery and other finds from the 1907-9 South Cliff Parade, 1971-2 and 1974 Dumpton Gap and 1992-94 South Dumpton Downs excavations (Unpublished document). SWX7091.

<4> Trust For Thanet Archaeology, 1995, Overall assessment of the pottery and other finds from the 1907-9 South Cliff Parade, 1971-2 and 1974 Dumpton Gap and 1992-94 South Dumpton Downs excavations (Unpublished document). SWX7091.

Sources and further reading