Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A Saxon structure (hut N4) was located and excavated in the north west corner of the northern excavation site, overlying the area occupied the Roman Painted House. This structure is unusually well preserved and included numerous well preserved structural timbers and areas of surviving wattle. Evidence for the use of this structure as a weaving hut was also recovered in the form of many loom weights (189 in total). The evidence within and overlying the structure suggests that it was destroyed by a fire while it was still in use and many of the structural remains and small finds, including the numerous loom weights, were fire damaged, which helped with the extraordinary preservation. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)

Monument Types

• GRUBENHAUS (Large Anglo Saxon weaving hut (N4), Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 650 AD to 750 AD)

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman to Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 43 AD? to 750 AD?)
• FITTING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• HANDLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• SHERD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• BRACELET (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD? to 899 AD?)
• STUD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD? to 899 AD?)
• POT (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon to Medieval - 550 AD to 1150 AD)
• BOX (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 699 AD)
• COMB (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 725 AD)
• SHERD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD? to 750 AD?)
• DAUB (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 650 AD? to 750 AD?)
• LOOMWEIGHT (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 650 AD to 750 AD)
• PIN (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 650 AD? to 750 AD?)
• SPINDLE WHORL (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 650 AD? to 750 AD?)
• BOWL (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon to Medieval - 900 AD to 1099 AD)
• JUG (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1299 AD)

Full description

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(summarised from publication)

A Saxon structure (hut N4) was located and excavated in the north west corner of the northern excavation site, overlying the area occupied the Roman Painted House. This structure is unusually well preserved and included numerous well preserved structural timbers and areas of surviving wattle. Evidence for the use of this structure as a weaving hut was also recovered in the form of many loom weights (189 in total). The evidence within and overlying the structure suggests that it was destroyed by a fire while it was still in use and many of the structural remains and small finds, including the numerous looms weights, were fire damaged, which helped with the extraordinary preservation.

The structure was initially seen as a large hollow cut in the underlying Roman deposits, including the walls of the Painted House. Further investigation revealed that this was a large example of a sunken hut, broadly similar to those located elsewhere on the site. Its southern side had been cut by later features but a maximum length of 8.3m and width of 4.2m was easily ascertained by its surviving north, east and west sides.

28 individual planks were located within the structure, of these 18 remained in situ and were obviously part of the main walls of the hut. Seven were located at the northern end of the east wall, six more along the north side and three on the west side. The planks had been carbonised during the fire which destroyed this hut and survived in varying degrees and to various heights; the majority were between 10cm and 20cm but the largest survived to 62cm. It is likely that the damaged upper parts broke off during or after the fire.

Other structural features uncovered included three substantial post holes, 12 wooden beams, 14 stake holes and six areas of wattle work. The post holes were substantial and located inside the hut, where they probably formed part of the main structure. The largest was located at the northern end in a central position; it was almost certainly for one of the principal for the central ridge-beam. A total of 12 wooden beams were located inside the hut, of these only one was certainly in situ along the bottom of the plank wall on the eastern side. The original location of the others is uncertain but the in situ example seems to have served as a wall plate. The wattle work was only uncovered in the northern half of the hut (area of most intensive burning). They all consisted of badly burnt fragments of small sticks none of which were in situ. These may have formed either the internal divisions of the building or an internal lining.

From the artefactual evidence recovered from within this hut a date of 650-750 for the construction, use and fire/demolition of this structure. The overlying dumped soil deposits, which represent a deliberate attempt to fill the site, contained material dating to the 7th or 8th century. (1)

<1> Brian Philp., 2003, The Discovery and Excavation of Anglo Saxon Dover (Monograph). SKE31831.

Sources and further reading

Related records