Two Burial Groups of Belgic Age, Hothfield Common, near Ashford

( 41 ) TWO BURIAL GROUPS OF BELGIC AGE, HOTHFIELD COMMON, NEAR ASHFORD. BY J. G. S. BRINSON, LT. R.E. Map Bef.: O.S. 1 in. to the Mile, Military Edition 413642, Sheet 126. is the course of excavation of a drainage sump during the last week of August 1942, pottery was discovered by soldiers engaged in the digging. [ arrived at the excavation within twenty minutes of the discovery, but by that time the urn A and the beaker B (see field sketch, Plate I, ind photographs) had been removed in fragmentary condition from their original position. Questioning of the diggers, however, revealed uhe original position of the two vessels. Excavation was stopped, and the proposed drainage sump was begun again in a new position one yard sast of the original pit. Scientific investigation of the first digging was then begun, and it was found that in the course of excavation about two-thirds of the urn C had been dug away on the eastern side of the pit, leaving one-third of the vessel in situ. AU four of the vessels discovered were much broken by the action of fern roots which were found growing through them ; urn C was in a much more fragmentary condition than urn A, and despite careful hand excavation the remaining third of this urn was extracted in quite smaU pieces. Examination of the remaining third of urn C in situ revealed the presence within of a quantity of calcined bone embedded in the sandy loam comprising the soU in which the vessels were buried. Examination of the southern side of the pit revealed that a fourth vessel (beaker D) had been largely cut away in the course of excavation. The remaining portion of this beaker was in a very fragmentary condition. Upon my return to the site on the foUowing day I found that the soldiers engaged in the digging had put back the spoU into the original pit and left the site in a neat and soldier-like condition. This necessitated the re-excavation of the pit and the sifting of the whole of the spoil through a £-in. meshed sieve. This work was begun, and I examined each sieving, retrieving the fragments of the four vessels as they came to Hght. Among the easUy recognizable fragments of the four vessels was one fragment apparently from another vessel, being of a baked clay of a reddish appearance, quite unlike the greyish-black earthenware of the other vessels. This fragment shows signs of the junction of a Up with the body of a vessel. Comprehensive examination of the whole of the original digging being finished, it was decided to enlarge the pit aU round in the hope of 42 TWO BURIAL GROUPS OE BELGIC AGE. •discovering (i) the remainder of the red clay vessel, or (n) the presence •of other burial groups or other remains. Enlargement of the pit for a width of one foot aU round faUed to reveal the presence of anything •else except a quantity of iron slag, which abounded at a depth of 18 in. dn the stratum in which the vessels were buried. A trial trench 2 ft. wide by 2 ft. deep and 9 ft. in length was then •dug running south from the south-east corner of the pit, but with no result. The digging was then fiUed in and left (Plate I). 'GENERAL REMARKS. During the course of sifting many spherical peUets of slag of varying •diameter were found scattered at aU levels between 6 in. and 2 ft. below ground level. At no point was the excavation of the pit carried to a greater depth than 2 ft., as at this depth a natural and undisturbed bed of yeUow sand was encountered. The new drainage sump dug by the side of the original pit and carried to a depth of 7 ft. revealed nothing save further deposits of slag at 18 in. depth. A trench 2 ft. deep and 18 in. wide running for an approximate distance of 60 yards across the site from east to west revealed nothing •except scattered layers of the same material at 18 in. depth. Other drainage sumps and trenches dug in the near vicinity of the original pit revealed only more traces of the same. Isolated diggings of sumpE •and about two mUes of trench for water pipes over an area of some acres •on Hothfield Common have faUed to reveal any further trace of the remotest archasologieal interest. My inference is that the four vessels represent an isolated burial group, and do not form part of a generaUy used burial ground. RECONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS. AU fragments were cleaned with cold water and soft brush. URN A. Almost completely reconstructed (joints secured wit! " Durofix "). Beaker B. Completely reconstructed save for smaU fragments of lit and base (joints secured with " Durofix "). URN C. NO attempt at reconstruction made. BEAKER D. Whole of circular foot and part springing of sides reconstructed (joints secured with " Croid "). Not having the necessary laboratory facilities at my disposal I die not attempt reconstruction of the urn C which was in many fragments FIELD SKETCH PLAN SHOWING LIMIT OF EXCAVATION AUGUST 1942 OCTOBER EXCAVATION $::URN E' / / / / / / DRINKING /CUP F ' /(JE3 / ££uRN G URN C'-."-.' "~X FINAL TRIAL TRENCH U BEAKER D Ti URN . . . V^BEAKER B I I I tm S\ LINE OF ORIGINAL PIT 61 SQ. ' / » SUBSEQUENT WIDENING ALL ROUND i i 2' 0" \ i -At— DEPTH OF EXCAVATION 2' 0° ALL OVER POTTERY DISCOVERED WITH TOP EDGES 12" BELOW PRESENT GROUND LEVEL NATURAL UNDISTURBED YELLOW SAND AT 2' 0" BELOW GROUND LEVEL VESSELS LETTERED IN ORDER OF DISCOVERY / / / / / / / / / s / A ' / / / * / OCTOBER 1942 EXCAVATION / / , J 6 FEET