KENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL ISSUE NUMBER 88 SOCIETY WINTER 2010/11 Your Quarterly Newsletter BRITAIn’s BIGGEST DIG IN 2010 Pages 2-3 INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2-3 East Kent Access 4 Patrixbourne Window 5 Wall Paintings New Books 6-7 What’s on 8 You and Your Society 9-10 Committee Round Up 11 KAS Library & its Coverage 12-13 Notes from the Archive 14-15 Folkestone Dig 16 KARU -40 Years in Dover www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Fig 2 East Kent Access Fig 5 Fig 3 Fig 1 Britain’s biggest dig in 2010 by Phil Andrews (Oxford Wessex Archaeology) and Simon Mason (Kent County Council) tradition of the arrival in AD449 of Hengist and Horsa at Ebbsfleet and in An important new road link, the East Kent Access AD597 the arrival of St Augustine and Phase 2, is being built by Kent County Council to the his Christian mission. The building of south of Manston Airport. Construction of the new road the road offered an unparalleled is now well underway on what was the site of Britain’s opportunity to explore the background biggest archaeological excavation in 2010. For over a to this historically important area, year, up to 150 archaeologists from Oxford Wessex uncovering the lives and customs of the Archaeology (OWA) have been investigating one of the peoples who dwelt there. richest archaeological landscapes in the country. At its planning stage, it became clear that the road could not be built without This article presents some of the highlights of the affecting important archaeology and prehistoric archaeology, with the principal Roman, Saxon this was likely to occur over much of and medieval discoveries being the subject of a further its route. In total over 6km of the road article in the next newsletter. length was stripped for archaeology, (Section shown in front cover aerial photo) The road is being built on the southern for new peoples, cultures, ideas and following a preliminary programme of slopes of Thanet, extending from the trade. Thanet, sited on the east side of field walking, test pitting, metal Ebbsfleet Peninsula in the mouth of the Wantsum Channel - an important detecting and evaluation trenching. the former Wantsum Channel up the harbour and navigational route - was The challenge was considerable; the scarp slope to the high ridge at Manston particularly well located to receive this road builders, VolkerFitzpatrick Airport. Readers of this newsletter will influx. The landscape in which the road Hochtieff needed to complete their be very familiar with the vast wealth is being built is associated with some main earthmoving by the end of the of archaeology that the former Isle of of the great events and traditions of summer. This meant that that the Thanet holds. East Kent has long been British history: Claudius’ invasion in archaeology had to be promptly dealt recognised as a gateway to the country AD43 at nearby Richborough, the with beforehand, often in very poor 2 Winter 2010/11 - KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk East Kent Access weather conditions. To achieve this as upstanding earthworks, but the dating to around 800 - 700BC (front OWA had to approach the excavation associated, now infilled encircling cover). The bracelets were unfortunately in an innovative manner, ensuring that ditches, are often visible as cropmarks. not found in archaeological features as all the archaeology was rapidly mapped, Over the length of the road twelve the area in which they were discovered finds and environmental samples ring ditches were discovered in varying had been landscaped in the early 1990s processed, dated and assessed during topographic locations. Many were sited when a waste water treatment works the fieldwork and the results entered on the high ridges or slopes overlooking was constructed. It is very likely, into a computer Geographic the Wantsum Channel, others were however, that they are related to the Information System. This enabled the sited in lower lying locations. They several Late Bronze Age metalwork archaeologists to understand the results varied greatly in size, from the smallest hoards that have been previously of their work as it progressed and at around 4m diameter to the largest discovered on the same site; another of ensured that appropriate sampling over 40m across, with ditches up to these was found during the decisions were taken. 2m deep. Some of the ring ditches current work. An important part of the archaeology appeared to be small henge-like The Iron Age was perhaps the best work was to make sure that the local monuments in their original form and represented period on the scheme and community had the opportunity to see are likely to be of Neolithic date. These remains of this date were found across and learn about, and if they wanted to, were penannular ditches with external the entire route. The vestiges of participate, in the archaeological works. banks which probably acted as settlement, enclosures, field systems, An extensive outreach programme was enclosures for ritual activity. Some were and trackways were widespread put in place which included road shows later transformed into Bronze Age throughout the landscape. (Fig 1), school visits, talks, open days, funerary monuments and burials were One of the most notable and volunteering opportunities on an area found in a number of them. One in intriguing sites, dating to the earlier set aside for a community excavation particular contained a rich assemblage centuries of the Iron Age, was found and finds processing and a dedicated which included an amber object and on a high promontory overlooking web site (eastkent.owarch.co.uk). Pegwell Bay in Cliffsend. Here a large, Thousands of people came into contact trapezoidal enclosure, (Front cover inset) with the project during the fieldwork. with broad, deep ditches (Fig 3) appears The discoveries have been every bit to focus on a former henge monument, as exciting as had been anticipated. The the ditches of which must still have earliest discoveries were a couple of been clearly visible at the time. Within stray Mesolithic tranchet axes found the enclosed area were the remains of in later features and the remains of a a large sunken featured building (visible Mesolithic flint working area, the debris in front cover inset), one of the best deposited in the hollow left by a fallen examples of this date yet found and a tree. Such remains are rare on Thanet. type of prehistoric structure that Fig 4 Neolithic and Bronze Age remains on appears unique to Thanet. Other the scheme were plentiful, though the features lay outside the enclosure and absence of Beaker burials was surprising included a substantial palisade, post- given the number that have been found built structures, rubbish pits, granary on Thanet. Neolithic pits were found a unique triple food vessel (Fig 2). pits and complexes of quarry pits. A on a number of the sites, including a Later Bronze Age activity was mainly number of burials were excavated, particularly large cluster of over twenty focused on the Ebbsfleet peninsula and including one with a on high ground overlooking Cliffsend. on the adjacent slopes of Cottington shale bracelet (Fig 4) and another of Aerial photography and previous Hill. The remains of settlement a horse (Fig 5). excavations on Thanet have shown that including post-built structures, Another important site, a Romano- the landscape was once rich in Neolithic enclosures and trackways were found British village with Iron Age origins, and Bronze Age burial mounds and during the work. A particularly fine lay at the neck of the Ebbsfleet other monuments. Due to millennia discovery, found on the Ebbsfleet Peninsula, but this will be covered in of ploughing, none of these now survive peninsula, was two gold bracelets the next newsletter. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Winter 2010/11 - KAS Newsletter 3 Patrixbourne’s NEW BOOKS Wheel Window by Mary Berg, Chairman, KAS Churches Committee Detail of the window’s exterior Kent has many great treasures and none the nave. The more precious than its Norman north aisle churches. Two of these have 12th was added in century wheel windows set in the the 19th chancel gable: Barfrestone and century when Patrixbourne, both near Canterbury. other restoration and rebuilding The only other wheel window from programmes were carried out. this period set in an eastern gable is in Surviving decorative 12th century Castle Hedingham church in Essex and work includes the splendid south that was recycled from the castle. The door and the chancel arch as well as glass installed in the lancets dimensions of the inner part of the the east end. It is well worth visiting. below the Patrixbourne wheel, cracks windows at Barfrestone and The wheel window is certainly were observed in and around the wheel. Patrixbourne are almost exactly the Norman work but new evidence (see The churchwardens commissioned same and they are strikingly similar in below) indicates that it may not have reports from the Canterbury style. This begs the question of whether been part of the original scheme for Archaeological Trust, a glass they were originally intended – or restorer, a stone mason and a even used – as a pair elsewhere, structural engineer. perhaps in a transept of a much larger Close inspection revealed some Detail of the window’s interior local building. However interesting instability but not an immediate v.122 (2002), pp. 113-142. M. Berg, and H. Jones. (2002), pp. 113-142. v.122 it is to speculate about that, it is threat of collapse. Some damage beyond the scope of this article. appears to result from the 19th Patrixbourne’s name is from the century repairs when some stonework family called Patric(k) who were lords on the exterior of the wheel was of the manor from soon after 1066 replaced by inferior Caen stone and ArchaeologiaCantiana until 1191.