KAS Newsletter, Issue 62, Autumn 2004
Written By KAS
Issue number 62 Autumn 2004
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
assisted by three other professionals,
Emma Boast, Ges Moody and
Barry Corke and supported by Mel
Woodgate in the finds tent, some
40 volunteers took part. These
were mostly KAS members but
included students and others from
uring the last two weeks of
August, the eighth and final
season of full excavation was
carried out at the site of the
Roman villa at Abbey Farm,
Minster- in-Thanet. Under
the direction of Keith Parfitt,
Autumn 2004
1
all over the UK. One participant even
picked up the details off the KAS
website from her home on the island
of Reunion in the middle of the
Indian Ocean!
Despite interruptions caused by
occasional heavy rain, the excavation
exceeded prior expectations with the
discovery of unexpected features on
three areas of the site.
During the 2003 season some
signs were found of a feature,
thought to be of 4th century date, in
the middle of the villa estate walled
enclosure. In the event this appears
to be the remains of a large building
- post built with thick daub walls -
enclosing a double chambered corn
drier or, more probably a malting kiln
(figs 1 & 2).
Another target this year was the
building to the west of the boundary
wall. It had been thought that most
of this building had been excavated
in 2003, but not so. Further excavation
this year uncovered the remains
Inside
2-3
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Archives
Library notes
4-5
CATLink up
Hog Brook aisled
building
6-7
Lectures, Courses,
Conferences & Events
Letters to the Editor
8-9
Notice Board
10-11
Elephant hunter
Archbishops’ Palace,
Charing
12-13
New Books
UKCupdate
14-15
Anglo-Saxon site at
Thurnham
16
National Archaeology
Days around Kent
nneewwss ll ee tt ee rr K E N T A RC H A E O LO G I C A L S O C I E T Y
FINAL EXCAVATION
AT ABBEY FARM
continued on page 2
Figs 1 &2: Excavation in progress of the malt kiln, left to right; Ges Moody, Paul Hart, Maggy Redmond, Andy Woodgate and Steve Clifton.
Fig. 1 Fig. 2
Autumn 2004
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Participants in recent years will
also feel that thanks are due to one
of the regular excavators (who
prefers to remain anonymous) who
has kept up the morale (and the
waist lines) by the copious supply of
cake!
Chris Pout
across the circular feature suggested
a deep ditch, but further explanation
would depend upon an opportunity
to revisit the site.
Eight seasons of excavation at
Minster have now been completed
and a good many of the secrets of
the high-class villa estate have now
been revealed. We must, first of all,
thank Jack Clifton, the owner of
Abbey Farm, for his patience with
the diggers and interest in the dig.
Thanks are also due to Dave
Perkins, Keith Parfitt, Emma Boast
and the other professionals for the
guidance they have given to nearly
200 different amateurs who have
participated in the dig. For many of
these, Minster was a first experience
of archaeological excavation,
meeting the KAS objective of providing
an opportunity for members
to dig.
Building 6 drainage pipe.
placed on the ADS in a series of phases.
The first phase, now available
on the ADS, relates to Section 1 of
the high speed rail
link (fig 1). It
comprises details
of evaluations and
fieldwork, interim
reports, site plans,
artifacts and environmental
databases.
More information
will be
added as further
elements of fieldwork are completed
from North Kent to London St Pancras,
and as the detailed analysis work progresses.
Over forty excavations were carried
out along this first 46km stretch
revealing a wealth of data including
the first Neolithic longhouse to be
found in Kent (fig 2), Bronze Age ring
ditches, Iron Age settlements (fig 3), a
Roman villa, a Romano-British cemetery,
two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries and
a medieval moated site.
Though the ADS has been working
rom 16 September researchers
around the world will have
access to data from one of the
biggest archaeological projects
ever undertaken in the UK,
thanks to a collaboration
between archaeologists from
the Archaeology Data Service at the
University of York and the Channel
Tunnel Rail Link project. This utilisation
of the world wide web, will enable
researchers to study the findings
online and for free from anywhere in
the world.
The CTRL is Britain’s first major
new railway for over a century, and will
run between St Pancras Station in
London, and the Channel Tunnel near
Fo l kestone. The first section of the
high speed rail link through Ke n t
opened to commercial services in
autumn 2003. The full link will be
completed to London St Pancras in
early 2007.
For over ten years, archaeologists
employed by the CTRL project have
been investigating the archaeology of
Kent, Essex and
London. Work in
advance of construction
has revealed an
impressively rich
array of information.
The vast range
of data produced
during archaeological
works will be
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continued from page 1
of additional rooms, some of which
would have been cut below the
foundation level. These included
rooms that may have originally
enjoyed hypocausted heating
systems and two drainage systems
suggesting that there may also have
been a couple of baths. One of the
drainage channels contained an
intact length of ceramic pipe – a
quite rare find (fig 3).
During the two weeks at
Minster the opportunity was taken
to carry out a further geophysical
survey of part of the field using the
new resistivity meter recently purchased
by the Society. This survey
appears to have identified the
remains of a 40m diameter, circular
feature, surrounded by a sub-rectangular
enclosure. A trial trench
Fig 1: The CTRL screen.
Fig 2: Recording the soil sequence which overlay the neolithic longhouse at White Horse Stone.
© Union Railways.
Fig. 3
KAS New Records Series Vol. 4, P.1, 2004.
Archaeologie Lieigoise Vol. CXI (2000) 2003.
Archaeologische Romisch Van Zoudost Vlaanderen Vo l .
XIII, 2002.
Place Names of Shropshire P.4. (E.P.N.S).
Northamptonshire Archaeology Vol. 30.
Whitstable - History at the Horsebridge. (Geoffrey Pike).
Beauty of East Kent Countryside and its Churches. (Video).
Bonner Jahrbuch. 2000 (2003).
Records of Buckinghamshire Vol. 44, 2004.
Bede Clerks Roll Vols. 39, 1 and 2. (London Record Society).
Derbyshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 124, 2004.
Story of the Wye Crown.
Archaeometry Vol.46. P.2.
History of the Church of St. Michael and All Saints,
Throwley. (John Owen).
Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. CXXIV 2004.
Archaeologie in Vlaanderen. Monografe 4.
Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol. 125,
2002.
Archaeological Journal Vol. 160, 2003 (R.A.I.).
At the AGM in May, Dr Bob Spain gave a presentation on the
Committee’s work. Reproduced here is an overview of his talk.
Most of you will know that the Society’s Library is
housed in Maidstone Museum, where most of the Society’s
artefacts are also stored and displayed. The Library and
Muniments Committee has 10 members, meets regularly
during the year in the Society’s Library, and provides reports
to the Council on its activities and developments. The
Honorary Librarian is Dr Frank Panton and the Honorary
Curator Dr Mike Still. There is, in addition, an extensive
number of people who give time and labour, including specialist
skills, to support the Committee in its numerous
activities.
The terms of reference of the Committee understandably
relate to the custodianship of the Society’s collections
of books, visual records, manuscripts, artefacts, and the
development and maintenance of websites. These terms
include acquiring and acting as custodian of the collections
that include artefacts, journals, books, pamphlets and
ephemera on the history and archaeology of Kent, its cities,
towns, villages, churches and buildings together with a
large number of old photographs, drawings, paintings and
manuscript notebooks and records bequeathed by notable
Kentish historians and antiquaries.
The library is open to members seven days per week on
presentation of a KAS Membership card, and to non-
Members by appointment.
The Society has a valuable collection of artefacts within
the Museum, many of which are currently displayed. One
of the first tasks for the Honorary Curator over the last few
years was to create a complete accessions register, by
extracting information on the KAS collection from index
cards that were mixed indiscriminately with Maidstone
Museum’s own accessions records. Using this new KAS
accessions database, he has been able to answer queries
received from Members and non-Members of the Society.
These range from requests for information on objects
known to be in the collection, to general questions as to
whether we possess any items of a particular type or from a
particular area of the County. He also gives
permission for researchers to study items in the KAS
collection.
Canterbury’s Archaeology 2002-2003.
Bygone Kent Vol.25 Nos. 3,4,5,6,7,8.
Christopher of Seal - A Kentish Family (Anne Clinch).
Fishery Settlements around the North Sea in the Middle
Ages and later.
Study of Place Names of the Pre-Conquest Kentish Charters.
(PhD Thesis).
Wiltshire Studies Vol. 97, 2004.
Medieval Archaeology Vol. 48, 2004.
Materialhefte Zur Archaeologie (Stuttgart) Heft 56, 2004.
Greater London Quarterly Review, two Vols. March 2004,
June 2004. (EH London).
Autumn 2004
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L I B R A RY NOTES
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MUNIMENTSCOMMITTEE
NEW ACQUISITIONS
MARCH - AUGUST 2004
DIGITAL ARCHIVE
with web-delivery of archaeological archives for several
years, the CTRL archive is the first time it has worked with
commercially-sponsored research.
Dr Julian Richards, Director of ADS, said: “This is a big
step for us. It’s the first time we’ve become involved in a
major commercial research contract. It shows the value of
collaborating with private companies which will allow us
to bring new discoveries to the attention of academic
researchers.”
“Although increasing numbers of universities are
active in archaeological research, the vast majority
of archaeological
research take s
place for commercial
reasons.
Private developers
are required
to fund research
when their
works have an
effect on archaeologically
sensitive
areas.”
“Thanks to electronic communications, we can make
these records available to anyone who is interested.”
CTRL archaeologist Jay Carver says, “There appears to
be a knowledge gap between the academic and public
archaeological community and developer funded work –
the ADS makes it possible to attempt to fill that gap by
making results easily accessible for private and professional
researchers alike.”
“The CTRL Archaeology Project is pleased to place their
electronic archive with the ADS and sees it as a key part of
its dissemination strategy.”
Helen J Glass, Archaeology Manager for Rail Link
Engineering
ADS: http://ads.ahds.ac.uk
CTRL: www.ctrl.co.uk
Fig 3: The carefully buried Iron Age horse from
Northumberland Bottom near Gravesend.
continued on page 4
Autumn 2004
4
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anterbury Archaeological
Trust Education Service has
on a number of occasions
made successful contributions
to events hosted by
other organisations. Some
examples would be National
Archaeology Day, and Science,
Engineering and Te c h n o l o g y
Week, both with Canterbury
Museums, Church Schools Day
with Canterbury Cathedral
Education Service and Science
Day with Greenacre School
(Secondary), Chatham – all annual
events.
Most such events to date have
462062 or e.mail to mariongreen@
canterburytrust.co.uk.
been within Canterbury District
and we are interested in extending
educational activity into central/
west Kent. Do
you host an event
where a CAT contribution
would be
welcome?
You can contact
Marion Green,
C AT Education
Officer and discuss
ideas you may
have at CAT, 92A
Broad Street,
Canterbury CT1
2LU, tel: 01227
The other important task is to ensure that the objects
are properly conserved. On a day-to-day basis we rely on the
humidity and temperature controls within the Museum,
but remedial conservation work is still needed at times.
Since most artefacts in the KAS collection are in storage
with Maidstone Museum’s own collections – only a limited
number can be displayed at any one time – the Honorary
Curator is happy to accept the advice of the Keeper of
Human History who has direct access to the material. Joint
inspections of KAS material occur to assess conservation
needs.
The Society also has a collection of 42 portraits of the
Twysden family, dating from the sixteenth century
onwards, which are displayed at Bradbourne House, East
Malling, where they may be visited by Members of the
Society. This collection was bequeathed to the Society by Sir
John Twisden, and accepted in 1938 following the death of
Sir John, the last of his line.
There are a great number of people who voluntarily provide
regular help to the Committee. A recent count showed
there to be at least 26 volunteers. They work singly or in
groups on various projects, for example currently these
include; books, shelf cleaning and maintenance – as you
know we have a book collection of 3500 national journals
and county journals, including Kent, Surrey and Sussex
journals and a similar number of Kent Topography and general
books.
We also have a group of volunteers working on Visual
Records and data entry. They also index new acquisitions,
when our computers and catalogues are essential, and do
work relating to our manuscript collections including sorting
and indexing the Hussey files of genealogical and family
history information and the Gordon Ward papers.
Finally, they are involved in updating the websites, of which
the KAS has two, which we often identify simply as ‘org’
and ‘ac’.
The ‘org’ site has a research section managed by Ted
Connell. This is a fast developing and growing site and the
statistics given here will probably be outdated! The
research section now contains over 6500 individual web
pages and during the month of April this year, visitors
entered the site via a total of over 3000 separate pages.
Monumental Inscriptions of Kent churchyards are being
added to every month and the on-line Archaeologia Cantiana
continues to grow – over 1000 visitors consulted the ‘introductory
page’ to the contents of all 123 volumes during April
2004. Transcriptions of Leland Duncan’s Medieval and
Tudor Wills are continually being added to the site and the
introductory page received over 1500 visits during the same
month. In addition, visual records are being scanned and
added to the website.
Visits to the ‘org’ website come from all over the world,
and during April 2004, the total number of visits was nearly
18,000, with a daily average of 591. The number of pages
visited was over 74,000, with a daily average of nearly 2500.
Project Manager of the ‘ac’ website is Denis Anstey. This
site has been established for academic research use, and the
reputation and integrity of the site is therefore paramount.
The Library book-stock catalogue is continually being updated
and the Gordon Ward catalogue is currently being created.
Both of these are entered by a professional librarian,
thus ensuring the integrity of the databases and the correct
entry style. The visual records catalogue is being added to.
Electronic publishing on this website, with Joy Sage maintaining
the database, provides a great potential for the
S o c i e t y. Currently databases are being prepared of the
Society’s material held at the County Archives, and of accessioned
material. An artefacts record has been completed.
In addition to all these working groups, there is a continuous
rota of volunteers that attend the Library during
opening hours, to help and advise Members who wish to
access the library stock and collections.
Under the leadership of Frank Panton, recent achievements
have included transforming the Library with more
appropriate furniture, providing easier use by researchers,
and enabling groups of up to 25 to hold seminars – witness
the success of the recent Lectures in the Library. He has also
undertaken reorganization of books on shelves; protected
the more valuable and rare books within locked cabinets;
provided a health and safety guide book concerning use of
the Library and provided a guide book to assist in locating
books within the Library, Marsham Street and Bradbourne
House. A sub-committee of the KAS Pu b l i c a t i o n s
Committee has been formed, chaired by Frank Panton, to
advise on the possibilities for electronic publication of future
KAS publications.
Finally, you are all very welcome to the Library, and if
any of you would like to take part in these
various activities, Frank would be very pleased to hear from
you.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO LINK UP?
National Science Week, looking at the Medieval diet.
continued from page 3
of a small cow.
Stamped Samain pottery
from the initial builders trench
date the construction of this massive
stone building from 80AD to
95AD whilst Saxon pottery and a
gilt bronze brooch found on the
late Roman floor show the building
continued in use until at least
the 5th century.
The building was destroyed
by fire as attested by burnt roof
timbers still surviving under the
fallen tiled roof.
With so much surviving from
the building it is possible to state
that the design was of an arcaded
stone building with clerestory
lighting, with separate nave and
aisle roofs of a type favoured by
Collingwood, Richmond and oth -
ers (Collingwood & Richmond
1969, 149).
The building shows that for
this villa estate at least, a basilical
prototype was drawn upon for
the aisled building, and that in
form it had much more in comxcavation
by students of
the Kent Archaeological
Field School this summer
at Hog Brook, close to
Deerton Street and just
to the north of Wa t l i n g
Street (the A2), revealed
an exceptionally well-preserved
early Roman stone-built aisled
building which continued in use
into the Saxon period.
Full details of the excavation
will not be given here but will be
in the final report to be published
later this year.
From geophysical survey conducted
as part of the student
coursework it is clear the building
was not isolated but associated
with other buildings in the vicinity
and the large Roman villa
located to the west of the spring.
This villa has been excavated by
students of the Field School over
four seasonal campaigns and
dates from the early 2nd century
to the 5th century.
The large Roman villa estate
is one of a number found in
recent years by Dr Paul Wilkinson
along the line of Watling Street.
All are located around a spring,
set back from Watling Street and
with easy access to the sea. It
seems the area farmed is about
2000 acres per villa and at
Deerton Street there can be
recognised in the modern field
boundaries field divisions of 20
actus square, the classic field
shape from the Roman period.
The spring at Deerton Street
is called Hog Brook, and on the
east bank field-walking located
the remains of a substantial
Roman building which on excavation
turned out to be 35m 70cm
(117ft 2inches) long and 15m
40cm (50ft 7inches) wide, with
twenty substantial stone piers
still surviving to the first course
(fig 1). The late Roman floors
were still intact, as was, amazingl
y, a fallen Roman rectangular
column built of Kentish ragstone
and Tufa blocks mortared together
with a double line of Roman
tiles spaced vertically every 1m
08cm to 1m 15cm (fig 2).
Under the fallen 6m column
there was the articulated skeleton
mon with a basilica in a Roman
forum than with a medieval
aisled barn (figs 3 & 4). Why such
an architecturally sophisticated
stone building should have been
built so early in the Kentish countryside
can probably be answered
by one word - corn. The Romans
needed huge amounts, and this
building, established early with
the villa estate in one of the most
fertile parts of Kent, its huge side
entrances and a deepwater channel
abutting the rear of the building,
allowed barges to load and
unload alongside this huge warehouse
with ease.
Dr Paul Wilkinson
Director Kent Archaeological
Field School
Autumn 2004
5
R O M A N A I S L E D
B U I L D I N G AT H O G B R O O K ROMAN
BUILDING AT
HOG BROOK
ROMAN
BUILDING AT
HOG BROOK
ROMAN
BUILDING AT
HOG BROOK
ROMAN
BUILDING AT
HOG BROOK
ROMAN
BUILDING AT
HOG BROOK
ROMAN
BUILDING AT
HOG BROOK
ROMAN
BUILDING AT
HOG BROOK
ROMAN
BUILDING AT
HOG BROOK
ROMAN
BUILDING AT
HOG BROOK
ROMAN
BUILDING AT
HOG BROOK
fig 1
fig 2
fig 3
fig 4
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
Autumn 2004
6
Lectures, Conferences, Courses and Events
KAS Christmas Lunch, Saturday 27 November in the Hall
of Wye College
Reception with bar open from 11am. Second-hand bookstall
and gift stall will be open. Members are invited to bring their
own publications. The traditional Christmas lunch will be
served at 12.00. An alternative vegetarian menu is available if
pre-ordered.
After lunch, Michael Gandy, an eminent researcher and writer,
will entertain in lively fashion, telling us what music hall songs
can reveal about Victorian and Edwardian life.
We are then invited to a tour of a Grade II* Jacobean house in
Wye, the home of our member Ian Coulson (a recommendation
in itself!). The afternoon will close with a cup of tea at a local
pub.
Price to cover meal and expenses is £20.00. Please return the
booking form enclosed with this newsletter to reserve your
place.
Council for Kentish Archaeology
Celebrating 40 years of Archaeological Discoveries in
Kent on Saturday 6 November, 2-5.30pm
Canterbury Christ Church University College
Illustrated talks:
The Discovery of the Roman Religious Town at Springhead Victor Smith
Excavating the Roman Forts at Dover and Reculver Brian Philp
Presentation workshops with finds and plans, led by:
Orpington & District Archaeological Society, Springhead
E xcavation Group, Lower Medway Archaeological Re s e a r c h
Group, Bromley and West Kent Archaeological Group, Upchurch
Archaeological Research Group, Dover Archaeological Group.
Tickets £4, available from CKA, 7 Sandy Ridge, Borough Green
TN15 8HP. Cheques payable to CKA. Further information available
on www.the-cka.fsnet.co.uk or from Conference Organiser,
Ruth Plummer, tel: 0208 7777872 email: davru58-
cka@yahoo.co.uk.
WEA Course - Archaeological Field Techniques
Wednesdays 2-4pm, Camden Centre, Royal Victoria Place,
Tunbridge Wells. Fee: £80 standard, £60 reduced, £5 minimum.
Contact Valerie Farebrother, Ambleside, Riverhall Hill,
Frant, Tunbridge Wells TN3 9EP.
Tonbridge Historical Society . Lecture series, Thursdays,
7.45pm in the Adult Education Centre, Tonbridge.
28 October
Kent Women – Famous, Infamous & Unsung Chris McCooey
Saturday 27 November 2.30pm
2 presentations: English Timber Framed Buildings & Constructing
a Medieval Cathedral both by David Carder. Tea interval.
Booking necessary – details from Sec on 01732 838698
6 January ‘05
1945. The exile of the East Prussians: Hitler’s last sacrifice? Isabel
Denny
17 February ’05
Support for the Fleet: the Royal Dockyards at the time of Trafalgar
Jonathan Coad
7 April ’05 7.30pm
AGM, followed by lecture
Further details from Shiela Broomfield. Tel: 01732 838698.
Bexley Local Studies & Archive Centre Winter Talks
All talks at 7.30pm at Hall Place
All talks cost £3.50 or £4.00. To order tickets and for further
information tel: 020 8301 1545.
Tuesday 16 November
Under Our Feet; Archaeology in Bexley Today Tony Thomas
Tuesday 7 December
Underground Kent Rod Le Gear
Wednesday 19 January ‘05
Fashion Accessories; Hats, Shoes and Gloves Lee Ault
Wednesday 23 March ‘05
Rural Survivors Malcolm Barr-Hamilton
Sevenoaks Historical Society Talks
Meetings held on Thursdays at the Undercroft, St Nicholas’
Church at 8pm. All Talks £1.50 except for 4 November which
is free.
4 November
The Meaning of the First World War Prof. Hew Stratchan, All Souls
College, Oxford.
18 November
The Campaign and Battle of Trafalgar Colin White, Director,
Trafalgar National Maritime Museum and Deputy Director,
Royal Naval Museum
27 January ’05
The Coastal Shipping Trades and Harbours of the Thames Estuary
1800-1950 Roy Walker
24 February ’05
The Story of the Dance Band Days 1920s, 30s and 40s Don Dray
24 March ’05
The Life of William Morris Dai Evans, Property Manager, Petworh
L e c t u res, Conferences, Courses and Events
KAS EVENTS COURSES
CONFERENCES
LECTURES
OTHER EVENTS FROM AROUND
THE COUNTY
The Grade II* Jacobean house in Wye.
Speakers include:
Keith Parfitt - Dover, Andrew Butcher - Hythe, Gill Draper &
Frank Meddens - New Romney, Peter Marsden - Hastings,
David Martin - Winchelsea, Helen Clarke – multi-disciplinary
projects at Sandwich & Rye. Gustav Milne will provide an
Introduction & Summing Up. Conference chaired by David
Rudling.
Event also includes the CBA SE AGM.
For further details or application form please send A5 s.a.e. to
David Morriss, CCE, Arts E201, University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton, E.Sussex BN1 9QQ.
Ouse Valley Project Symposium on Saturday 20
November 10am-5pm
Centre for Continuing Education, University of Sussex.
The launch of a major new interdisciplinary landscape
research project studying the Sussex Ouse from sources to sea.
An outline of the Sussex Ouse Research Project Prof. Peter Drewett
Changes in rural land management & farming practices in and
around the Ouse Valley and their impact on the downland landscape
Dr Sue Berry
Industrial archaeology of the Ouse Valley John Blackwell & Ron
Martin
Iron Making in the Ouse basin Jeremy Hodgkinson
Sticky Challenge: cohesive sediment movement & accumulation in the
Ouse estuary Richard Charman
Sussex wetland-rich woodlands – rebuilding a lost habitat type Dr
Tony Whitbread
From bank to bank: crossing the River Ouse in (pre)history John
Bleach
Making the most of memory: the Ouse Valley Oral History Project Dr
Alistair Thomson
Fee (includes tea/coffee) £30, student rate £10, concession £5.
Optional pre-booked lunch £7.50. To book tel: 01273 877888
or email: cce@sussex.ac.uk or download an enrolment form
from www.sussex.ac.uk/cce/news/ouse.
Autumn 2004
7
21 April ’05
The Edwardian Eye of Andrew Pitcairn-Knowles (early photo
journalist) Richard Pitcairn-Knowles
British Archaeological Association
The Association welcomes visitors who wish to attend occasional
meetings. Meetings are on Wednesdays at 5pm in the
rooms of the Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House,
Piccadilly. It is requested that non-BAA members make themselves
known to the Hon.Director and sign the Visitor’s Book.
Programme of Meetings:
3 November
Romanesque England and Western France: a traffic in small things
John McNeil
1 December
Books, religion and Latin literacy in medieval English nunneries
Dr Anne Lawrence
5 January ‘05
Lord Leicester’s remodelling of Kenilworth Castle for Elizabeth I
Dr Richard K Morris
2 February ‘05
The façade of the great church from the 4th to the 12th centuries
Barrie Singleton
2 March ‘05
The Hotel Saint- Pol, Paris, main residence of the Valois kings
1364-1422 Mary Whiteley
6 April ‘05
Who, where, what and why? Trondheim Cathedral and its decoration
in the 12th century James F King
4 May ‘05
Architecture and patronage at Croxden Abbey Dr Jackie Hall
Council for British Archaeology South-East in association with
the Centre for Continuing Education, University of Sussex.
The Cinque Ports: Archaeology and Heritage on
Saturday 13 November .
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
AND
LETTERSTO
THE EDITOR
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
AND
LETTERSTO
THE EDITOR
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
AND
LETTERSTO
THE EDITOR
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
AND
LETTERSTO
THE EDITOR
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
AND
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
EVENTS ELSEWHERE
for research pre-1700. We know
that several Culmers were ship
owners and mariners and held
lands in several areas of Kent. In
our research we have of course
examined parish records, wills,
hearth taxes etc, and several forays
have been made to the CCA
and CKS.
An undated newspaper article
in my possession records a lecture
at Broadstairs quite some time ago
by a Dr Hugh Raven, in which he
proposed that among the lands
held by the Culmer family in
Thanet there was a wooded hill
above the sea (long since totally
logged for their boat building) and
that this ‘Collis Maris’ was the
origin of the name Culmar and
hence Culmer.
Would there, for instance, have
been any archaeology of the late
medieval pier and Culmer boat
building yards on what is now the
beach at Broadstairs?
We would be grateful for any
advice and guidance that KA S
members may be able to give us in
our research.
Alan Johnson
Essex
Responses to Mr Johnson’s enquiry
can be mailed to Aajohnsonx@aol.com
or posted to the Newsletter editor at the
usual address.
Dear Editor
An internet search for any
mention of Richard Culmer, who
allegedly built the pier at
Broadstairs and built boats there
in the 15th century, led me to your
Newsletter article last year on
Archbishop Laud and the complaint
of Richard (Blue Dick)
Culmer.
I am one of several descendants
of Blue Dick’s cousin George
(not yet 100% proven) spread
around the world, who are
researching the origins of the
Culmer family of Thanet and I
wondered whether any of your
members could suggest sources
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
AUTUMN 2004
Autumn 2004
8
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A HISTORY OF
LOCAL HISTORY
SOCIETIES
MEMBERSHIPMATTERS
You and Your Society
KAS CONTACTS
Hon. Gen. Secretary
Andrew Moffat,
Three Elms, Woodlands Lane, Shorne, Gravesend DA12 3HH
Email: secretary@ke n t a r c h a e o l o g y. o r g . u k
H o n . Tr e a s u r e r
Robin Thomas,
1 Abchurch Yard, Abchurch Lane, London EC4N 7BA
Email: treasurer@ke n t a r c h a e o l o g y. o r g . u k
Please remember to let me know about any changes of address to
ensure that you receive your copies of the Newsletter and Archaeologia
Cantiana.
There has been a problem this year with banks not processing the first
payment when instructed, which is why I have written to many of you
who pay by Banker’s Order. I am not sure what is going wrong with the
banking system as a few of them are paying annual subscriptions
monthly! Please check your bank statements and contact me if you are
experiencing any problems.
Those of you who pay by cheque will receive a letter and request for the
renewal of your subscription for 2005 sometime in December. Please
reply as soon as possible so that I can update my records.
I am pleased to welcome the following new members:
AFFILIATED SOCIETIES
Stelling Minnis & Upper Hardres Historical Society, C/o Church Lane
Cottage, Harvest Lane, Stelling Minnis, Canterbury, Kent, CT4 6AX
JOINT MEMBERS
Vigne, Mr & Mrs R, 23 Admiralty Mews, Walmer, Deal, Kent, CT14 7AZ
ORDINARY MEMBERS
Benn, Mrs J M, 27 Nardoo Crescent, O’Connor, Canberra, ACT 2602, Australia
Bowler, Miss P, 33 Westfields, Pluckley, Ashford, Kent, TN27 0PW
Cooksey, Mr A, 82 Brattlewood, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1QT
Diack, Mr M, Canterbury Achaeological Trust,
92A Broad Street, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2LU
Houliston, Mr M C C, 36 Martyr’s Field Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3PX
Leaf, Ms H, 6 Muddy Lane Cottages, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 4LU.
Levy, Mr M, 4 Lammas Gate, Abbey Street, Faversham, Kent, ME13 7ND
Phillpott, Mr M, 50 Cross Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9HW
Robinson, Mr K R, 19 Frognal Lane, Teynham, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 9DE
Sutherland, Mrs L S, 24 Greenoak Rise, Biggin Hill, Westerham, Kent, TN16 3RL
The address for all correspondence relating to membership is:
Mrs Shiela Broomfield, KAS Membership, 8 Woodview Crescent,
Hildenborough, Tonbridge TN11 9HD. tel: 01732 838698 email:
membership@kentarchaeology.org.uk or s.broomfield@dial.pipex.com
With the approach of
the Society’s 150th
anniversary in 2007, the
Trustees of the Allen Grove
Local History Fund are considering
commissioning a
history of local archaeological,
antiquarian and history
Societies in Kent up to
1914. The Trustees will
welcome any views on
the merits of this proposal
and how it should be
approached.
A person or organisation
will be needed to carry
out the research and write
the text. The Trustees are
looking for a volunteer or
suggestions of someone
suitable who may be able to
undertake this.
The Fund will pay the
out of pocket expenses
involved in the research
and arrange publication.
The detailed arrangements
will be negotiated with the
person chosen to undertake
the work.
Anyone interested in
undertaking the work, or
who wishes to make any
suggestions, is invited to
write to the Hon. Secretary,
Mr A.I. Moffat at Three
Elms, Woodlands Lane,
Shorne, Gravesend, DA 1 2
3HH or email him at the
address below.
Autumn 2004
9
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KAS COMMITTEE ROUND-UP
You and Your Society
Members of the Education
Committee have been busy.
Material relating to Kent Ti t h e
Maps has been added to the
Society’s research website, with
more to follow. Canterbury
Archaeological Trust is in partnership
with Christ Church University
College on a new IT project for
Kent schools and young members
of North Downs YAC have been out
and about including making a visit
to Wye led by the Committee’s
chairman, local resident Ian
Coulson. A number of other educational
projects are on-going or in
the process of discussion, including
planning for a new
Archaeology Resource Centre for
Kent. The Committee agreed a
proposal of £5000 towards CAT’s
current education work and £300
was granted towards the activities
of North Downs YA C. The
Education Committee was represented
at the Society’s History &
Archaeology Show at Maidstone
Museum in June, where visitors
enjoyed hearing about recent
involvement with Maidstone’s
school children and other educational
work supported by the
Society.
Marion Green (Sec)
Archaeological Assistance for
Detectorists
Plans are in progress to form a
county-wide archaeological advisory
service for detectorists. It is proposed
that the county be divided
into areas, with each area having a
designated person(s) to advise
detectorists, each advisor issuing a
contact phone number.
Excavation
Ringlemere; leading from a
survey of this site, at least 10 ringditch
barrows are within the close
vicinity of the gold cup find-spot.
This year’s season of excavation,
led by Keith Parfitt of Canterbury
Archaeological Trust, began on
Saturday 31 July.
Littles Manor Fa rm,
Sheldwich; further to detectorist
work at this site, trial trenching
and a resistivity survey have been
u n d e r t a ken. Roman tile, 2nd
century pottery and painted plaster
were recovered.
A site at Thurnham; leading
from detectorist finds from a possible
high status grave(s),
Andrew Richardson has carried
out an excavation at the site.
Further details appear on pages
14 & 15 of the newsletter.
Abbey Farm, Minster; for this
season (the eighth), Building 6
and a late Roman feature at the
centre of the complex have been
excavated. A resistivity survey
carried out by Brian and Carole
McNaughton revealed a circular
feature, of about 40m diameter, at
the north end of the field. Results
of the trial trench across this feature
appear on page 2. The resistivity
survey of the whole field is
now complete.
David Bacchus
Day Conference on 17 July
Nearly 100 people came to the
Free Church at Staplehurst to listen
to Dr David Parsons, Director
of the Institute for Name-Studies,
University of Nottingham, and Dr
Paul Cullen, also from the
Institute, and the Committee’s
Academic Advisor, give four lectures
on place-names.
Using 8 examples, Dr Parsons
illustrated the various languages
and combinations of languages
from which our place-names
derive, including one or two definite
unknowns. He pointed out
how sparse are the texts in the
earlier languages, so that probable
forms marked with * and **
abound, being as solidly valid as
the state of the material can
reach.
Dr Cullen had recently been
filmed for ITV Meridian. He was
indignant at his billing as the
nerd who needed to discover a life
apart from place-names, but he had
splendid slides of wet places and
hilly places to illustrate his talk. He
mentioned nailbournes, streams
which flow intermittently, and their
alternative name of Water of Woe,
an ayl-bourne. He talked of Woden
and the heavens opened, thunder
roared, lightning cracked and the
computer faltered – but happily
recovered. We had over half an
inch of rain. Those who had left
their lunches in the station car park
decided that biscuits were filling
enough.
After lunch Dr Parsons, using
‘staple’ as his example (nice touch),
showed how the EPNS gathers
early examples of each place-name
to tease out its meaning from the
spelling. He talked of soon-to-bep
u t-in-place opportunities for
Digital Place-names and Distance
Learning, and of the ‘Key to English
Place Names’ at www. n o t t i n gh
a m . a c . u k / e n g l i s h / i n s / e p n t e s t / i n t r o
.html. Soon, when a full licence
has been negotiated, the latter will
cover England: with one licence
o n l y, it shows Nottinghamshire.
From the autumn he intends Kent
to replace Nottingham as the active
exemplar.
The final talk by Dr Cullen was
on Staplehurst via places round
about. He spoke of Anglo-Saxon
nicknames such as *Ot and *Bidda,
whose owners probably founded
Otford and Biddenden, and more
enthusiastically of the Slay Brook,
NW of Saltwood, where they had
spent Friday looking for clary or
slary (wild sage), and found none.
Better botanists might though, as
its distribution map shows it close
b y. He ended up with staples,
emphatically not markets but
pillars or poles, erected at boundaries
or fords. One illustration
showed an Anglo-Saxon carved
stone. Staplehurst’s, which marked
the Marden/Cranbrook hundred
boundary where it crossed the
Roman road, would have been a
workaday wooden post.
Pat Harlow, who acted as
Chairman, thanked the speakers,
the Church, the washers-up and
the audience. It was a very enjoyable
day.
Anita Thompson
EDUCATION
COMMITTEE
FIELDWORK
COMMITTEE
PLACE NAMES
COMMITTEE
came across it alive and then
killed it, as they would have
needed the meat to be fresh.
Sharp and heavy wooden spears
were used by the people of this
period – an elephant skeleton at
Lehringen, Germany, had the
remains of a 7 foot yew spear
between its ribs.
Other evidence from the site
has provided a clear picture of the
past environment and climate.
Faunal remains and pollen indicate
that the elephant met its end
by a lake surrounded by woodland,
probably with some open
areas due to heavy grazing, in a
climate similar to, or warmer
than, the present day. Dating of
the site has been achieved
through examination of excavated
vole teeth, since a detailed
framework of vole species evolution
over the last million years
has been constructed. Of the two
species found at Ebbsfleet, one
has been extinct in England for
the last 400,000 years, the other
has only been present
for the last 500,000
years. This evidence,
together with that of
the flora and fauna
indicative of climate,
points to the period of
the Hoxnian interglacial,
a warm phase
for which deposits are
also preserved at
nearby Swanscombe.
The hunters who
exploited the elephant
were of the
same early species of
hominid as the
famous ‘Swanscombe Man’,
whose skull parts were found over
50 years ago. Their brain size was
about 75% of ours, but they were
probably not fundamentally different
in their intellectual capabilities,
and they walked fully
upright. They must have at least
possessed the necessary strategies
to have effected the kill and
butchery of an animal which
stood up to twice the height of a
man and weighed 3 or 4 times as
much as a car.
Information taken from www.oxfor -
Autumn 2004 darch.co.uk/pages/ctrlele_feature.html
10
contact with bone
whilst cutting meat
off the carcass.
Speculation surrounds
the question
of whether the elephant
was deliberately
driven into
the boggy ground,
or whether it
became trapped on
its own; either way
it appears that a
band of early
hominid hunters
ELEPHANT
HUNTERS AT
EBBSFLEET
ELEPHANT
HUNTERS AT
EBBSFLEET
ELEPHANT
HUNTERS AT
EBBSFLEET
ELEPHANT
HUNTERS AT
EBBSFLEET
ELEPHANT
HUNTERS AT
EBBSFLEET
ELEPHANT
HUNTERS AT
EBBSFLEET
ELEPHANT
HUNTERS AT
EBBSFLEET
ELEPHANT
HUNTERS AT
EBBSFLEET
ELEPHANT
HUNTERS AT
EBBSFLEET
ELEPHANT
HUNTERS AT
EBBSFLEET
ELEPHANT
HUNTERS AT
EBBSFLEET
ELEPHANT
HUNTERS AT
EBBSFLEET
xcavation in April in
advance of the Channel
Tunnel Rail Link revealed
an undisturbed Lower
Palaeolithic landsurface in
the Ebbsfleet Valley near
Swanscombe.
Francis Wenban-Smith, specialist
advisor to Oxford
Archaeology on the Pa l a e o l i t h i c ,
spotted the site’s potential whilst
carrying out routine monitoring.
I n i t i a l l y, follow-up investigations
revealed only a few artefacts and
no faunal remains; however, as
excavation progressed, near what
was once the edge of a small lake,
part of an extinct form of straighttusked
elephant preserved in the
boggy sediment was revealed.
Beside the skeleton the archaeologists
found a concentration of flint
tools, lying undisturbed where they
were discarded around 400,000
years ago.
The finds have excited archaeologists,
in part because this is the
most complete elephant skeleton in
Britain to date, only four others
being known – two in the Lower
Thames, one at Upnor, Kent and
another at Aveley, Essex. None of
these had any associated
archaeological evidence, and all
were more recent than the
Ebbsfleet example.
Most fascinating is the evidence
for butchery of the animal
shown by the flint tools. These
were manufactured on the spot, as
refitting debitage (waste flakes and
chips) and cores were found.
Slight damage on some sharp edges
probably reflects their coming into-
ELEPHANT HUNTERS
AT EBBSFLEET
Above and below: excavation continues at
the Ebbsfleet site searching for more
remains of the Straight-Tusked Elephant
(Palaeoloxodon antiqus) illustrated in the
sketch at the foot of the page.
©QAPhotos/CTRC - produced by the kind
permission of Union Railways.
hen the news
b r o ke that the
A r c h b i s h o p s ’
Palace at Charing
had been selected
to be one of
the representatives for the
South East in a new
Restoration Series on BBC
2, there was great excitement
and some apprehension
amongst the population.
We were given a certain
amount of guidance
as to how to proceed and a
Campaign Committee was
set up under the
Chairmanship of Ty l d e n
Reed.
The film company
Endemol, under contract
to BBC2, were contacting
local people whom they
thought would be suitable
to illustrate different
aspects of the documentary.
My first effort was to
totter around the village
with a very large basket,
the second was to meet
inside the palace grounds
with ‘Herbie’ Lockyer who
has worked for the owners
for nigh on 50 years. We
finished by inspecting a
restored corbel that had
fallen from the wall of the Great
Hall and was found in a field. It
was eventually restored and put
to rest in a bread basket and kept
under lock and key in ‘Herbie’s
shed’ until the day when it can
go back on the wall of a restored
Great Hall.
Financial support was offered
from the county and borough
councils and local businesses in
recognition of the palace’s important
place in Kent’s history.
Several organisations, both within
the county and nationally,
publicised the need for support in
their newsletters and by word of
mouth. Kent County Council
gave us room on their stand at
the County Show. A group of
Charing residents manned a
stand at the Cobtree event for the
Young Archaeologists. A plane
towing a banner was seen flying
round the county. The Messenger
Group editions supported us
week by week, as indeed did
other county papers. Local televi-
Autumn 2004
11
Palace in Charing.’
After the first euphoria,
Tylden Re e d
brought us back to
earth by saying ‘And
now you will have to
work twice as hard,
you must persuade
people to vote again,
which is not easy for
a second time’.
All Charing got to
work again, more
posters and postcards
were printed, up
went the plane again
over the whole of the
county, and one
Sunday c.3000 people
enjoyed the privilege
of entering the courtyard
for a closer look.
Emails arrived offering
support, not only
from the county but
nationally and countries
far and wide. All
support in whatever
guise has been
recorded with appreciation
and will be
kept with local
records.
Finals day arrived
and a coach to
Hampton Court was
quickly filled. We arrived about 3
pm. and rehearsed with all the
other finalists until 9pm, when
we ‘went live’. The public had
been sent out at the usual closing
time, but I don’t think they went
far away because there came a
time when the lighting displays
on Hampton Court were
switched on, as were the lights
on the very modern stage. The
public had been readmitted and
there were people and children
everywhere on the grass from the
roped off area to the gates. The
supporters for every final group
had been marshalled into ‘pens’
surrounding the sides of the
stage and a TV presenter interviewed
the groups. At 9pm Griff
Rhys-Jones introduced the programme
and the first finalists
went up on the stage and were
interviewed.
Dr J. Litten of The Traditional
Building Preservation Trust was
sion and radio also joined the
team. We were spending our
grants on banners, posters, postcards,
placards, costumes etc.
Information was delivered by an
army of volunteers.
At the annual Church fete, a
procession was organised with
volunteer actors from all over the
county depicting a visit
of Henry VIII and Queen
Catherine. At the time the King
was a young man and Princess
Mary was about 6 years old. The
Royal family had been staying in
the Palace and came out to mingle
with the locals and watch
local children dancing. We
gained publicity and the Church
a great deal more money than
they usually achieved. Three film
units were there.
Then came the day when we
went to the Parish Hall to hear
the results of the first round.
Everyone held their breath until
a commentator said ‘and the
winner is the Archbishops’
THE
ARCHBISHOPS’
PALACE
THE
ARCHBISHOP’S
PALACE
THE
ARCHBISHOPS’
PALACE
THE
ARCHBISHOPS’
PALACE
THE
ARCHBISHOPS’
PALACE
THE
ARCHBISHOPS’
PALACE
THE
ARCHBISHOPS’
PALACE
THE
ARCHBISHOP’S
PALACE
THE
ARCHBISHOPS’
PALACE
THE
ARCHBISHOPS’
PALACE
THE
ARCHBISHOPS’
PALACE
THE
ARCHBISHOPS’
PALACE
T H E A R C H B I S H O P S ’ PA L A C E ,
C H A R I N G O N B B C R E S T O R AT I O N 2
Pat Winzar at the Palace gate.
© Kentish Express
continued on page 12
Autumn 2004
12
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
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to be interviewed first but ‘I
could interrupt if I wanted to do
so’. My official contribution
would follow his and I was given
30 seconds. I would be asked
what I felt about the Palace and
tell the story of the corbel. Two
minutes later back came our
‘minder’ to say they were
running late and that I would not
be asked about the corbel only
having 20 seconds. On we
went and I was asked the first
question and then was nearly
thrown because Griff said ‘I
would like to hear about the find
of the corbel.’ Luckily, I did
remember most of it.
We didn’t win the final but
the interest that the event has
caused has put Charing ‘on the
map’. Visitors have been coming
in their hundreds hoping to see
the palace, and local volunteers
have been stewarding every
Sunday through September so
that visitors can get a closer look
at the courtyard and Great Hall.
What of the future? The
Traditional Building Trust is still
hoping to find funding for the
purchase and restoration of the
complex. Once restored the Great
Hall will become a most impressive
venue for concerts, exhibitions,
conferences, receptions,
banquets etc., the present farmhouse
will be used as administration
offices, committee rooms
and educational facilities, and
the west range will house a
much-needed new parish hall
with all modern facilities. Once
restoration work is completed it
is hoped that the complex will be
run by a Charing Trust.
We will have to continue
working hard to help ourselves,
but have been heartened by
the spontaneous offers of help
and support that have been forthcoming
and are promised for the
future.
Pat Winzar
The Campaign Committee wish to
say ‘thank you’ to all those Kent histo -
rians and well-wishers who supported
the bid for the Archbishop’s Palace in
Charing, the only entry for the southeast
in the final. Not only individuals
supported us, but important organiza -
tions in the county and nationally.
Some sent funds and others circulated
their membership via Newsletters etc.
Numerous letters have been received
wishing Charing success. It would be
invidious to mention supporters by
name but you know who you are and
so do we. We can look to the future
with hope even though we were not
the final winner.
Tylden Reed
Chairman, Campaign Committee
St Michael’s Church, East
Peckham: Parish and People
by Margaret Lawrence
0 906746 60 4, £15.00 (hardback
£17.00), 128 pages, 53 col. illus.,
33 b/w.
Using sources from every century,
the author seeks people of both
high and low status whose lives
centred around their parish
church. How did their beliefs
affect their lives, the church building
and the community they lived
in? The latter part of the book
Towards a New Stone Age:
aspects of the Neolithic in
south-east England edited by
Jonathan Cotton and David Field.
CBA Research Report 137 £28.00,
1 902771 39 7, 237pp.
A series of
r e g i o n a l
o v e r v i e w s
on such
subjects as
soils, aerial
survey and
h u m a n
r e m a i n s ,
with cont
r i b u t i o n s
on specific
sites, artefacts
and
the natural
environment. Intended as a summary
of recent work and a
reminder of the richness
and diversity of
the record available
for study in the
south-east. 21 diverse
subjects range from
an examination of
Thanet’s oval barrows
by Dave Perkins, to an
ethnography of prehistoric
flint extraction on
the South Downs by
Pete Topping to ‘Transmanche:
l’entente cordiale
or vive la difference’
by Ian Kinnes.
presents the building and its contents,
with various authorities on
the subject providing detail. The
children of the redundant school
and the Foundlings who made
their homes in the parish are also
examined.
Available by post (pp £1.25) from
Barnfield, Church Lane, East
Peckham TN12 5JJ. Cheque
payable to Margaret Lawrence.
Proceeds to Church Conservation
for the maintenance of St
Michael’s Church.
Parish Portraits: Memories of
Willington, Otham and
Langley collected by Anne
Clinch. £8.00.
Photographs and reminiscences of
3 parishes to the east of
Maidstone, mostly covering the
period from 1940 to the
late 1960’s. The
amassing of a
parish archive,
on which this
book is based,
received the support
of the Allen
Grove Local
History Fund.
Available by
post (pp £2.00)
from 3 Milners,
Upper Street,
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ME17 1GZ.
Cheque payable
to A.Clinch.
N E WB O O K S
continued from page 11
Autumn 2004
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B l a i r-Chirac initiative to mark the
centenary of the Entente Cordiale. The
project involves Kent, the Université
du Littoral and universities at Lille.
Kent has appointed Steve Willis from
the archaeology department at
Durham to help take this forward.
Anthony Ward says “We are
delighted to welcome Steve. He will
help develop courses and the research
agenda to assist in enhancing understanding
of the archaeology of Kent
in the context of the near Continent.
After all, through much of its history
Kent has arguably had more in common
with communities across the
Narrow Seas than areas north and
west of the Thames!” Steve has
research interests in Flanders and has
spent much time field-working in
Picardie, particularly on Iron Age
sites.
Steve is enthusiastic about his
role; “Late prehistory is a period when
we can identify a series of Continental
contacts which become increasingly
manifest, particularly in the later Iron
Age and through the Roman era, raising
interesting questions for study,
such as landscape and
settlement development
and the importance
of coastal
trade.”
“There is also
scope for sharing best
practice with colleagues
from the near
Continent in relation
to research, development-
funded archaeology,
heritage management
and presentation
and the public
participation in
archaeology.”
Anthony Wa rd
confidently predicts that “archaeology
at Kent has an exciting future as numbers
of staff and students continue to
increase. We look forward to collaborating
with other archaeologists in the
region to advance the practice of the
discipline and our understanding of
the archaeology of the south-east of
England.”
More information on archaeological
courses at Kent can be obtained from
Anthony Ward, Classical and
Archaeological Studies, Cornwallis
Building, University of Kent, Canterbury
CT2 7N. tel: 01227 823879,
a.h.ward@kent.ac.uk
rom its beginnings in the
1970’s within the continuing
education programme, archaeology
at the University of Kent
has constantly evolved. By the
late 80’s part-time awards were
in place, which by the early 90’s had
developed into a full programme taking
p a r t-time students through from
Certificate to Degree. Anthony Ward,
senior lecturer in archaeology, points
out, “hundreds of students have
achieved university awards with us. I
think we can say that the University
has made a real contribution to archaeological
learning in the county in
which many members of KAS have
participated.”
In the late 90’s the University
offered archaeology to full-time students
and degrees are now offered in
both Classical & Archaeological Studies
and History & Archaeological Studies,
with Archaeology & Anthropology
available shortly. There is also archaeological
input into the Forensic Science
degree and a new Heritage Science
degree.
Since 1999 ‘full-time equivalent’
archaeology students have risen from
30 to 120. Archaeological staff in
Classical and Archaeological Studies
have increased from 2 to 6, supported
by part-time colleagues. Kent also has
2 lecturers in Biological Anthropology
who are archaeologically trained. The
teaching and research interests of the
full-time Classical and Archaeological
Studies staff are wide ranging:
Dr Ellen Swift – Late Antique
and early Medieval
Dr Gabor Thomas – Anglo
S a xon and Viking Age studies and
landscapes
Dr Patty Baker – Classical
A r c h a e o l o g y, gender studies and
ancient medicine
Dr Evanagelos Kyriakidis –
Greek and Aegean Bronze Age with
particular interests in Minoan iconography
and Linear B
Dr Steve Willis – Iron Age and
Roman, with particular specialism in
ceramics and landscapes
Dr Anthony Ward – British and
European Prehistory and landscapes
This summer a major six- w e e k
training excavation for students was
organised by Gabor Thomas who was
research officer with Sussex
Archaeological Society before joining
Kent in 2003. It took place at
Bishopstone in Sussex, where a 9th to
11th century Anglo-Saxon village was
investigated in a joint venture between
Sussex Archaeological Society and
Kent, building on Gabor’s previous
work in the area. Results were exciting,
including a pre-Conquest cemetery,
houses, halls and a tower with a
cellar in which was found a collection
of iron tools. It is anticipated that fieldw
o r k-training opportunities will be
offered in Kent in 2005 and subsequent
years.
Classical and Archaeological
Studies is now broadening its horizons.
The appointment of Evanagelos
Kyriakidis this summer takes it firmly
into the archaeology of the East
Mediterranean. Closer to home, in
future it will participate in the
University of the Transmanche, initially
setting up a MA in the ‘Archaeology
of the Transmanche’ focussed on later
prehistory and the first millennium
AD. Modules from this programme will
be available as part of the programme
of the new trans-frontier university, a
New appointment, Dr Steve Willis
Excavation at Bishopstone.
A N ANGLO-SAXON SI
Autumn 2004
14
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
n March 1967 a gold pendant
cross was discovered
by Mr P. Beer whilst harrowing
a field near the
village of Thurnham
( Kelly 1967). The cross,
which was inlaid with
garnets, dated to the mid-7th
century AD, and would probably
have formed the central ornament
of an elaborate necklace
belonging to an Anglo-Saxo n
lady of considerable status.
Clearly the finding of such a
piece suggested that an Anglo-
S a xon burial might be present;
the site was listed as an isolated
find that might be indicative of
a burial in the author’s thesis on
A n g l o - S a xon cemeteries in Ke n t
(Richardson 2000). However,
between 1967 and 2003 no further
finds of Anglo-Saxon date
were recorded from this site,
although it is of course possible
that unreported finds were
made during this period. On
9th August 2003, however, Nigel
Betts, John Darvill, Brian Pe t i t
and Keith Stafford, all members
of the Mid-Kent Metal Detector
Club, decided to carry out a
metal detector search of the
field, having obtained permission
to do so from the landowne
r. During this search Nigel
recovered an oval gold pendant
set with a piece of polychrome
mosaic glass (fig 1), and Ke i t h
found a gold biconical spacer
bead (fig 2). In the following
days a second glass-inlaid gold
pendant, this example being
p e a r-shaped, was found by
Nigel (fig 3), and three sections
of an elaborate copper alloy
chatelaine complex were found
by John and Brian (fig 4).
Realising the potential significance
of their discovery, the
finders quickly contacted the
Kent Finds Liaison Officer, who
met them on site a few days
l a t e r. Findspots were plotted
using a handheld GPS reciever,
and it was established that the
finds were scattered across an
area of approximately 20m by
5m. This scatter of finds lay
not far from the recorded findspot
of the cross pendant found
in 1967. All were of a comparable
date to the cross, and the
pendants and spacer bead were
exactly the type of objects that
would be expected to form the
necklace of which the cross
would have formed the centrepiece.
It thus seemed likely that
the contents of a single high
status female burial had been
disturbed by ploughing.
The pendants, bead and
chatelaine fittings were all
declared Treasure at an inquest
held by Roger Sykes, the
Coroner for Mid-Kent on Friday
11th June 2004, where it was
held that the balance of
probability was that all these
items were derived from a single
burial.
Given the importance of
these finds, it was decided to
carry out an excavation at the
site. The aims of this were as
follows:
to provide a context for
the recovered finds and to confirm
the presence of a burial or
burials at the site;
to recover any other finds
from the same context or burial;
to gain information on
the probable size and extent of
the site;
to establish the level of
disturbance and damage to
which the site has been subjecte
d ;
to mitigate the potential
threat of the site being looted
when the finds become public
k n o w l e d g e ;
and to meet the threat of
damage to the context of the
recovered finds through the
process of on-going ploughing.
Having obtained a Home
Office licence for the removal of
any human remains and the permission
of the landowner, this
e xcavation took place between
Sunday 15th and Friday 20th
August 2004. The author led
a team including volunteers
from the Portable Antiquities
Scheme, Kent County Council,
Kent Archaeological Society,
University of Kent at Canterbury,
Maidstone Area Archaeological
Group and Otford Archaeological
Group, among others. The finders
also helped, Nigel Betts in
particular spending virtually the
whole week on site. Mr Mark
Yates kindly assisted with a geophysical
survey and by plotting
the site grid using GPS on the
first day of fieldwork.
The difficulty presented by
this site was that the finds were
widely scattered, with no obvious
point of origin. Thus a series of
25 trenches were dug (the majority
by hand) across the area of
the scatter in an effort to locate a
grave or graves. For most of the
week, no significant finds were
recovered, although tantalisingly
small fragments of clearly
ancient and possibly human
bone were recovered from a
Fig. 4
N SITE AT T H U R N H A M
Autumn 2004
15
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
ANGLO-SAXON
SITE AT
THURNHAM
number of trenches. These
included a very worn human
tooth from Trench 15 found by
Helen Jarvis. Finally, late on
Thursday afternoon, Michael
Lewis, former Kent Finds
Liaison Officer and now Deputy
Head of the Portable Antiquities
Scheme, located some bones in
the end of Trench 16.
E xcavation the following day
revealed a single very badly
damaged inhumation, aligned
w e s t-east. No grave cut was
identified; the body had in fact
simply been laid on the chalk
bedrock. Neither was there any
trace of a ring ditch, but some
of the chalk surfaces in the
immediate vicinity of the body
showed possible signs of
weathering, prompting speculation
that the grave had been
covered by a barrow mound
formed by scraping topsoil from
the surrounding area. No grave
goods survived with the body,
although two iron nails from
beyond the feet might be evidence
of a coffin.
Opinion amongst the exc avation
team remains divided as
to whether this slight, shallow
burial is the one from which
such exquisite jewellery was
derived. However, no trace of
any other burials were found,
and the widely scattered grave
goods imply a badly damaged
grave. A major question
remains ‘were any unreported
finds made between 1967 and
2003?’ Furthermore, the
whereabouts of the first find,
the gold cross, is currently
unknown. The author would
be very interested to hear from
any readers with any information
on either matter.
Andrew Richardson
Kent Finds Liaison Officer
Re f e r e n c e s :
Kelly DB 1967 T h u r n h a m .
Archaeologia Cantiana 82, 297-8.
Richardson AF 2000 T h e
A n g l o - S a xon Cemeteries of Ke n t .
Unpublished PhD thesis,
University of Wales, Cardiff.
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY
DAYS AROUND KENT
Autumn 2004
16
ment group Re g i a
Anglorum arrived en
masse and set up a living
history encampment,
whilst YAC supplied
entertainment
too; Saxon charms from
the leechcraft stall,
Saxon food and many
creative children’s
activities. An exhibition
of 12 local history and
archaeology groups, as
well as county services
such as the Centre for
Kentish Studies, provided
visitors with information
about ways they
could participate in exploring the past.
In Bromley, Poverest Road Roman
Bath House was open for a ‘hands-on’
family fun day. Adrian Green, Curator
of Bromley Museum, sees National
Archaeology Days as “a very useful
opportunity to open the Bath House,
which takes booked tours but is not
generally open to the public. This is a
fantastic chance to show local
residents, and those from further
afield, the archaeology of the area.”
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ational Archaeology Days take
place in July, and are increasingly
popular with each passing
year. The event, coordinated
by the Council for
British Archaeology and its
Young Archaeologist Clubs,
and supported by English Heritage,
aims to inform and enthuse the public
about their local heritage and to give
them access to information which can
be used to further their interest. Sites,
museums, archaeology units and amateur
groups take part, with a wide variation
in the type of events. This year
saw over 250 venues taking part
around Britain, with 8 in Kent. We
hear from just some of those in our
county…
Director of Dartford District
Archaeological Group, Chris Baker, said
“It’s been very helpful that for the last
few years the Dartford Festival dates
have coincided with National
Archaeology Days. This has allowed us
to set up a small excavation, ‘Digging
up the Park’, within Central Park in
Dartford, as part of the Festival. And
we’ve had some great finds – so much
so that the public have accused us of
planting them the night before! The
medieval and Roman pottery that’s
come out of the ground has been recognised
by some visitors as similar to that
dug up in their gardens; we talk to
them about the archaeology and they
have the opportunity to find out more
by getting involved in the Dartford
District Archaeological Group.”
North Downs Young Archaeologists’
(YAC) event ‘Life and Death in
Saxon Kent’ was held in the Museum
of Kent Life at Sandling. TV archaeologist
Julian Richards appeared and
proved a great draw, despite a wet
morning and the Kent County Show
only a couple of miles up the road.
Julian brought bones and a reconstructed
face made for ‘Meet the
Ancestors’, and spent the day giving
talks on these and on the role of
archaeology in the media. Re-enact-
EDITOR : LYN PALMER
55 Stone Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2QU
Telephone: 01892 533661 Mobile: 07810 340831
Email evelyn.palmer@virgin.net
or newsletter@kentarchaeology.org.uk
Orpington and District
Archaeological Society’s displays
attracted much interest
from older visitors,
whilst children enjoyed a
mock excavation set up for
the day.
Extra activities were laid
on at Crofton Roman Villa,
Orpington, as children
entered a competition to
draw and label artefacts,
each receiving a certificate.
Visitors were fascinated by a
display of finds and archival
material from 3 local Roman
sites, previously unseen.
Director Brian Philp
enthused “This was another brilliant
event and very well supported – children
and adults alike enjoyed themselves.”
National Archaeology Days are an
e xcellent way of promoting local
archaeology to local people. If you
would like to hold an event in 2005 get
in touch with Jan Cox at the CBA,
St Mary’s House, 66 Bootham, York
YO30 7BZ, 01904 671417 or
JanCox@britarch.ac.uk
Copy deadline for the next issue in January is Wednesday December 1st.
The editor wishes to draw attention to the fact that neither she nor the Council of the KAS are answerable for
opinions which contributors may express in their signed articles; each author is alone responsible for the
contents and substance of their work.
Published by the Kent Archaeological Society, The Museum, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent. ME 14 1LH
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
Julian Richards examining young visitors’ finds at the Museum of Kent Life.
Part of the Dartford exhibition.
Enjoying digging at the
Poverest Road Roman
Bath House.