In the summer of 2012 an archaeological evaluation followed by excavation was carried out on land adjacent to Giles Lane at St Edmund’s School, St Thomas’ Hill, Canterbury during works associated with the construction of a new astro-turf pitch.

The evaluation revealed tentative evidence for the presence of settlement activity dated to the late Bronze Age to the early Iron Age (1100–700 BC). The evidence included two enclosure ditches filled with abundant charcoal, burnt flint and pottery fragments, several post-holes and a very rare example of a domestic fire pit with burnt sides and base, surrounded by up to six stake-holes.

The subsequent archaeological excavation discovered a dense and long lived prehistoric settlement overlooking the river basin of the Great Stour. There were at least three phases of occupation with evidence for up to five irregular structures and a possible round house with a subcircular drip gully.

The earliest phase (late Bronze Age / early Iron Age) consisted of a field system and some possible post-built structures that may have represented small-scale industrial activity as the postholes contained loomweights and slag residue.

During the second phase the settlement was bounded by a substantial elliptical enclosure ditch most likely used for defence. Post-holes and shallow pits likely formed smaller storage structures or fence lines within the settlement.

Finds from the site are predominantly pottery with little to no surviving bone. Preliminary spot dating of the assemblage indicate that there is a range of pottery styles and type that span from the late Bronze Age/early Iron Age to the Later Iron Age (1000 BC to AD 43). This assemblage includes a number of diagnostic rim and base sherds as well as the near intact base of a single vessel.(1) The vessel base may potenbtially be related to a ceremonial or spiritual use (for example, that of a cremation burial), or may have had a utilitarian function (2).

The post holes and stake holes are thought to relate to sunked featured buildings (2).

An archaeological evaluation was carried out at the site in April 2012. This evaluation revealed evidence for Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age features including 8 post-holes, 9 ditch segments, a fire pit, and 3 associated stake holes. The fills of these features contained cultural material including burnt flint and pottery (some of which was flint tempered) which was used to date them. (3)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2012, Land adjacent to Giles Lane, St Edmund's School, St Thomas' Hill, Canterbury, Kent, Interim Report (Unpublished document). SKE52055.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust Ltd, 2016, Proposed Classroom Building, St Edmund’s School, St Thomas’s Hill, Canterbury Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment Report (Unpublished document). SKE52683.

<3> Canterbury Archaeological Trust Ltd., 2012, An archaeological evaluation on Land adjacent to Giles road, St Edmunds School, Canterbury, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE55715.