Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A Late Bronze Age site on Mill Hill was excavated by W.P.D Stebbing during 1928 & 34. The site, which was situated on the seaward slope between the Waterworks and Cowdray Square, comprised a nearly circular V-sectioned ditch, about 6 feet deep, 10 feet wide at the top and 170 feet in overall diameter. In the SE side was a 15 feet wide causewayed entrance with three post holes on each side. In the trench filling and at different levels were hearths with fragments of pots of Late Bronze Age type, pot boilers, animal bones, fragments of querns and evidence of huts in the form of fragments of daub. The bulk of the finds made by Stebbing was presented to the BM in 1939 (Accession nos 1939, 10-3). The pottery is of four main classes: jars of coarse dark ware, and plain open bowls, plain globular handled vessels and small shouldered bowls with everted rims of good dark ware. Notes and drawings of the excavation were sent by Stebbing to Hawkes in 1939. The site was at that time described as an early Iron Agefortified enclosure but Hawkes in a letter to Stebbing wrote, "the whole character of the material is really unmistakably Late Bronze Age". The site is now occupied by a council estate. A quern stone from the site was built into the front elevation of 1 Quern Road in the mid 1930's. It is believed to be still insitu (TR 35 SE 104).

Monument Types

• ENCLOSED HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC? to 701 BC?)
• HEARTH (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC? to 701 BC?)
• PIT (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC? to 701 BC?)

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age - 1000 BC? to 401 BC?)
• PIN (Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age - 1000 BC? to 401 BC?)
• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age - 1000 BC? to 401 BC?)
• RING (Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age - 1000 BC? to 401 BC?)

Full description

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[TR 36495099] Early Iron Age Remains found AD 1928 & 1934 [NAT] (1)

A Late Bronze Age site on Mill Hill was excavated by W.P.D Stebbing during 1928 & 34. The site, which was situated on the seaward slope between the Waterworks and Cowdray Square, comprised a nearly circular V-sectioned ditch, about 6 feet deep, 10 feet wide at the top and 170 feet in overall diameter. In the SE side was a 15 feet wide causewayed entrance with three post holes on each side. In the trench filling and at different levels were hearths with fragments of pots of Late Bronze Age type, pot boilers, animal bones, fragments of querns and evidence of huts in the form of fragments of daub. The bulk of the finds made by Stebbing was presented to the BM in 1939 (Accession nos 1939, 10-3). The pottery is of four main classes: jars of coarse dark ware, and plain open bowls, plain globular handled vessels and small shouldered bowls with everted rims of good dark ware. Notes and drawings of the excavation were sent by Stebbing to Hawkes in 1939. The site was at that time described as an EIA fortified enclosure but Hawkes in a letter (5) to Stebbing wrote, "the whole character of the material is really unmistakably LBA". The site is now occupied by a council estate. (2-5) Sited to TR 36485099 from RAF AP's taken when the site was being excavated prior to, and during, the development of the housing estate in which it lies. The originals are in the possession of Mr G.C Dunning. Copies have been made for the Ordance Survey Divisional records. (6)

A quern stone from the site was built into the front elevation of 1 Quern Road in the mid 1930's. It is believed to be still insitu (TR 35 SE 104).(9)

Excavation reports: 1928 (10) & 1934 (11).

<1> OS 1:1250 1957 (OS Card Reference). SKE48175.

<2> F1 ASP 21-JUL-1964 (OS Card Reference). SKE42221.

<3> BRAILSFORD, J. W., 1953, Later Prehistoric Antiquities of the British Isles, Later Prehistoric Antiquities of the British Isles British Museum 1953 40 (JW Brailsford) (Monograph). SKE8289.

<4> Stebbing, W. P. D., 1937, The Invader's Shore, The Invaders Shore 1937 14-15 (WPD Stebbing) (Monograph). SKE8285.

<5> Stebbing W. P. D., Stebbing Collection MS Notes (Deal Public Library), Stebbing MS Notes (Deal Public Library) (Collection). SKE8287.

<6> Hawkes, C., 1939, Letter C Hawkes to WPD Stebbing 20.07.39 Stebbing Collection (Deal Public Library), Letter C Hawkes to WPD Stebbing 20.07.39 Stebbing Collection (Deal Public Library) (Unpublished document). SKE8288.

<7> F2 CFW 24-APR-65 (OS Card Reference). SKE43276.

<8> 1965, Field report for monument TR 35 SE 11 - April, 1965 (Unpublished document). SKE6079.

<9> Tomaszewski, N. E., 1980, Investigations & Excavations During the Year: Deal, XCV 305 - 307 (Article in serial). SKE8286.

<10> Druce, G. C., 1929, Reports of the Year Ending 31st Dec. 1928, Arch Cant XLI (Article in serial). SKE8290.

<11> Stebbing, W. P. D. S., 1934, Miscellaneous Notes:An Early Iron Age Site At Deal, Archaeologia Cantiana 1934 XLVI: 207 - 209 (Article in serial). SKE8291.

Sources and further reading

Related records