Researches and Discoveries in Kent

RESEARCHES AND DISCOVERIES IN KENT THE ABBEY FARM VILLA TRAINING EXCAVATION Introduction The first phase of a training excavation organised by Kent Archaeological Society and Thanet Archaeological Society took place at Abbey Farm, Minster, Isle of Thanet, between 1st and 13th of September, 1996. It was enabled by the permission of the landowner, Mr Jack Clifton, for whose kindness and co-operation thanks are hereby extended by both Societies. A second phase of excavation is planned for 1997, and subsequent phases may be necessary. The archaeological objective of the excavation was to examine the east wing of a large Roman building. This had previously been identified by aerial photography (RCHM 1979) 1 presumably soon after plough attrition had first caused the remains to exhibit a negative cropmark. Investigatory trenching was carried out on the site in 1991 by Thanet Archaeological Society members, and the degree attrition that it was suffering was established as well as its general potential. The Site Location The site is located on an almost flat hill-top overlooking the village of Minster at N.G.R. TR 31356463 and at an elevation of about 16.30 m. 0.D. The geology is that of measures of the Thanet Beds sands to an unknown depth. Nearby in a narrow valley a spring emerges, feeding medieval fish-ponds once belonging to Minster Abbey. To the south the site would have commanded a panoramic view of the Wantsum Channel separating Thanet from mainland Kent, with the Roman seashore only about 500 m. away south below the building. The fortress of Rutupiae on its island would have been in direct line of sight, as also on fine days the cliffs of France. Northwards behind the building site the ground rises to the chalk downland escarpment of Thanet'􀁨 central plateau. This ridge 1 R.C.H.M., Negative number NMR 1661, frame 363. 325 RESEARCHES AND DISCOVERIES is also the course of 'Dunstrete', a prehistoric trackway. A 600 m. stretch of the ancient road immediately north of the site is lined with Roman cemeteries and iron-working sites2 • Excavation First Impressions The aerial photograph taken in 1979 indicated a building on an eastwest axis, having wings extending south from each end, see Fig. 1. Remains appeared to be present throughout an area of roughly 60 m (197 ft.) by 24 m. (79 ft.). The area of excavation in 1996 located the front and back of the building extending north and south for 26 m. (85 ft.) and the outer wall of the east wing from which remains were exposed for 26 m. to the west, see Fig. 2. Taking the apsidal northern extension (Room 10) as a datum point, it becomes clear that the remains are rather more extensive than as indicated in the photo, at least six tenths of the building remaining to be examined. As can be seen from the plan, a variety of materials were used to construct foundation courses. There is also variation in the depths to which these were cut, and terracing is evident. While it would be premature at this stage to draw firm conclusions, at least three phases of expansion and modification to the building seem indicated, perhaps culminating in the insertion of the Room 5 foundation, possibly the stairwell and load bearer for a tower or upper story. The role and function of the complex constituted by Rooms 10 and 11 is at present enigmatic. Room 10, which has a stoke-hole and is floored and lined with opus signinum, would appear to be an hypocaust fed from Room 11, which has a floor of mortar at a lower level and a back wall of mud bricks laid in mortar. The complex does not attach to the main range of the building, and appears to have been demolished to ground level before the east-west wall north of Room 7 was built. Most of the finds of wall and floor mosaic and painted plaster were obtained from layers of demolition material that have filled these rooms. It is possible that the complex pre-dates all other remains, having formed part of an earlier building. Equally, it may have been installed during a phase of construction represented by the Room 5 foundation. To summarise, initial results of excavation indicate the Abbey Farm remains to be those of a fairly large and well appointed villa. At this stage, no firm dating evidence has been obtained. Coins from the site thus far exhibit a third/fourth century peak, but all are unstratified. On 2 D.R.J. Perkins, 'The Monkton Gas Pipeline, Phases III and IV', Arch. Cant., cii (1985) 47. 326 RESEARCHES AND DISCOVERIES C About 60 metres Fig. 1. The cropmark outline of the Abbey Farm Roman building reconstructed from an aerial photograph. In the photograph the outline shows negative, bare earth in a cereal crop. the other hand, ceramics from the Rooms 10 and 11 fills appear to be of mid second-century date, but may be residual material pre-dating construction of those rooms. Although the east wing foundations have been heavily ploughdamaged, the results of trenching in 1991 suggested a better state of preservation to the west, with floors and hypocausts surviving under a deeper overburden. This is encouraging with regard to the next phase of excavation, and is supported by a discovery of additional building remains made during two weeks of further access to the site. These seem to consist of a small building about seven metres square, situated about forty metres west north west of Room 10. Trial trenching by Thanet 327 RESEARCHES AND DISCOVERIES ". 􀁂 ··, i' :,• .\.:.:, @ (f) ··', ROOM9 KEY TO BUILDING MATERIALS: ml CRUSHED CHALK rlf.ll MASONRY WITH Lf8J ON PEBBLES lJi1j FLINTS nnd\or BRICK, STONE LmJfF.ITT CRUSHED CHALK rEfl UN FIRED l.J:::::Lj MUDBRICKS nRf1 HARD CHALK rnffll PEBBLES Lmaj IN MORTAR liWJ IN CLAY rB8l FLJNTSJN LM'iJ MORTAR rm ROBBER ,lmLJ TRENCH •--==--==--==--==-- 10 m. 0 (h) r... bm---------.0 (d) (c) ------ ... -------... €)(c) DP Fig. 2. The Abbey Fann Training Excavation, Phase 1, 1996: Plan of all exposed structures and foundations. Society and Deal/Dover Group volunteers here revealed wall courses of hard chalk, and an opus signinum floor framed by vertically set tiles. It was cut by a sluice or flue with a tile base and sides and remains of a half-round tile cover. Protection of these features is due to an overburden of about 0.45 m., of which only the upper 0.30 m. is the modem plough horizon. For a number of reasons the least researched area of Thanet archaeology is the Romano-British period. Almost all settlement remains or 328 RESEARCHES AND DISCOVERIES cemeteries encountered in the island have been discovered by accident