Roman agricultural features were excavated at 5-5a Rhodaus Town, Canterbury in 2019. These included a field system, a cultivated soil horizon, pits, and quarry pits.

The field system comprised seven field ditches. Ditch 1 was aligned NW-SE, measuring 38m in length, ditch 2 was aligned parallel and had a visible length of 18.4m, ditch 3 potentially represented a continuation of ditch 2 and measured 4.2m in length. Ditch 4 measured 7.2m in length, ditch 5 measured 4.4m in length, ditch 6 was aligned perpendicular to ditch 1 and measured 9.2m in length, ditch 7 was parallel to ditch 6 and measured 2.4m in length. The break between ditches 3 and 4 is suggested to represent an entranceway access via which was controlled by ditch 5 and by two post-holes and an associated possible ground beam possibly representing a fence of gateway.

The pit-like features were sub-rectangular-oval in form and measured 1.26-2.73m in length, 0.53-1.85m in width, and 0.19-0.70m in depth.

The quarry pits measured 3.20-6.78m in length, 1.52-5.78m in width, and 0.55-0.70m in depth.

Finds associated with the features included Roman pottery, animal bone, ceramic building material, daub, metalworking residues, marine shell, a horse skeleton (recovered from the fill of one of the field ditches), glass fragments, iron nails, two copper alloy coins, a jet bead, an iron hobnail, a piece of unidentified fine wire, alongside residual burnt and worked flint (TR 15 NW 2653). (1)

Late Iron Age - Roman features were excavated at an adjacent site in 2015-2016. These features have been included in the same record as they appear to represent a continuation of the features identified in the 2019 excavation. These features include a coaxial field system, a soil horizon, and a trackway, which have all been dated to the late Iron Age or early Roman period. The site continued in use into the mid Roman period when the field system was replaced by two parallel boundary ditches and a large quarry. The presence of miscellaneous pits at the site also suggests associated occupation activity.

The field system was represented by 6 ditches; ditches 1-4 were aligned NW-SE, and ditches 5 and 6 were aligned NE-SW. Pottery recovered from these features dated between 130-270 AD, with a small number of the sherds dating from 0-150 AD and attributed to field marling.

Finds associated with the soil horizon included burnt and worked flint, Roman CBM, and late Iron Age-early Roman pottery.

The sunken lane comprised a linear feature aligned NE-SE and over 58.6m in length (extending beyond the limits of the excavation). This feature had a maximum visible width or 4.3m and a depth of 1.65m. This lane has been previously excavated at other sites in Rhodaus Town, and has a combined length of 128m exposed, and measured up to 17.2m in width. Pottery was recovered from the feature dating from 25 BC-70 AD, with later fills suggesting that the lane was still in use into the Anglo-Saxon period.

Two boundary ditches were established during the second phase of occupation at the site - one to the north of the site, and one to the south. The northern boundary ditch was aligned NE-SW and appeared to have a visible length of around 36.8m, and measured between 1.35-2.73m in width, and between 0.32-0.7m in depth. The ditch had been recut in the late 4th century AD; this measured 1.17-2.13m in width, and 0.44-0.84m in depth.
The southern boundary ditch was aligned NE-SW and measured 30.9m in length, 2.83-3.39m in width, and 0.32-0.86m in depth. The ditch had been recut, measuring 2.79m in width, and 1.43m in depth.
Finds recovered from both of the ditches included pottery dating between 43-420 AD, including sherds from a jar in Richborough/Canterbury grog-tempered ware, 7 Roman coins, including one dating to the late 3rd century, and five dating to the mid-4th century, a copper alloy bracelet, and two copper alloy pins, and a copper alloy ring.

86 cut features interpreted as quarry pits were focused to the north of the northern boundary ditch. These pits covered an area of around 2347m square, and measured between 0.98-25.08m in length, with depths of between 0.49-2.75m. These features were interpreted as clay and gravel extraction pits.

Other pit features excavated at the site include 17 sub-circular features which were interpreted as domestic refuse pits. These pits measured between 0.38-4.53m in length, 0.36-2.72m in width, and 0.10-1.17m in depth. The pits contained pottery dating between 150-300 AD. (2)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust Ltd., 2021, 5-5a Rhodaus Town, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2RJ: Post-excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design (Unpublished document). SKE55692.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust Ltd, 2017, Former Peugeot Garage, Rhodaus Town (A28), Canterbury, Kent CT1 2RH, Post-Excavation Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE52730.