On the western periphery of the Iron Age settlement was a group of twenty-six intercutting pits These varied greatly in size, from 0.61m–1.14m wide and 0.14–1m deep, extending over an area some 7m by 12m. Backfilled largely by deposits of clay silt, flecked with carbon and chalk it was only the presence of occasional bands of more chalky silt that allowed the identification of individual features. Despite their proximity to the adjacent settlement, the fills were surprisingly sterile, with sherds of pottery and fragments of animal bone the only cultural material recovered. On the eastern side of the settlement, A cluster of inter-cutting quarries occupied an area of some 18.5m by 8.5m, with the features up to 0.95m deep. Most had steeply sloping sides, both undercutting and stepped in places, with irregular bases. They were filled with a mixture of sandy silt and re-deposited chalk, apparently deliberately deposited.

It seems likely that the pits, situated on the opposing side of the valley were contemporary with the settlement. Functionally, it is clear that these features were very different to the storage pits that dominated the area of settlement. Instead, it seems likely that they represent an area of quarrying. The purpose behind chalk quarrying in this period remains slightly unclear although it has been suggested that it was extracted and used as marl in the surrounding fields. Alternatively, the extracted chalk may have been used as a building material in the form of clunch as was the case in the Roman and medieval periods. (1) (information summarised from source)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2023, Beneath the Seamark: 6000 Years of an Islands History (Monograph). SKE55405.