Monument record TR 36 SW 461 - Group of possible sunken featured buildings discovered on land off Canterbury Road, Cliffsend

Summary

A group of possible sunken featured buildings were uncovered during evaluation trenching on land off Canterbury Road West in Cliffsend, Thanet. none were exposed fully and their interpretation therefore, remains tentative. Finds from the fills of these features range in date from the Bronze Age (likely residual) to Iron Age. Features including pits and postholes were located nearby and may be associated. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Location

Grid reference Centred TR 3438 6492 (21m by 21m)
Map sheet TR36SW
County KENT
District THANET, KENT
Civil Parish CLIFFSEND, THANET, KENT

Map

Type and Period (4)

Full Description

A group of possible sunken featured buildings were uncovered during evaluation trenching on land off Canterbury Road West in Cliffsend, Thanet. The first of these was located in trench 25, it was 6.20m+ long, 1.8m+ wide, 0.18m deep but there was no alignment visible within the trench. The possible structure contained two fills the upper fill was a moderately compact mottled mid greyish brown and light mid orange brown clayish silt with rare small sub angular flint and small chalk fleck inclusions. It produced 2 sherds of pot dating to Early to Mid – Mid to Late Iron Age 600-50BC, 33 flakes of worked flint dating to Early Neolithic 4000 – 3550/2900 BC, assumed residual, Beaker Period to Early Bronze Age 4000 – 1500BC, again assumed residual due to the pot dates as well as Middle Bronze Age to Mid Iron Age and later 1550 – 600/350BC and 25g burnt flint. The basal fill moderately compact to firm mottled mid greyish brown, with mid orange brown patches, clayish silt surrounding a deposit of small-large (up to 0.24m) sub angular flint, with a depth ranging from 0.04m to 0.16m. This feature had no visibly defined shape bar the straight NE edge, with gentle inward sloping sides and an undulating to flat base. Approximately 4.3m to the NE of this feature was another possible structure. This was 3.5m long, 1.8m+ wide with gentle inward sloping sides and a flat base, aligned SE-NW with no determined shape visible. It contained a single fill of moderately compact to firm mottled mid greyish brown and orange clayish silt with moderately frequent small chalk flecks and rare small sub angular flint inclusions, with a depth of 0.13m. This fill produced 4 pieces of cbm, 10 flakes of struck flint and 1 possible worked flint dating to Early Neolithic 4000 – 3350/2900BC as well as worked flint dating to Middle Bronze Age through to Mid Iron Age or Later 1550 – 600/350BC. 2.55m to the NE of the second possible structure was a was a 1.55m long, 0.45m wide pit/linear terminus aligned S-N with a gentle inward sloping W edge, steep inward sloping E edge and a moderately steep concave base. It contained a single fill of soft mid brown clayish silt with frequent small to large angular flint inclusions with a depth of 0.14m, producing an Fe object (possible brooch pin or nail). A second linear was located 2.2m to the north east. It was a 2.50m long, 1.07m, aligned S-N with gentle inward sloping sides and a slightly undulating to flat base. It contained a single fill comprised of firm to moderately compact greyish brown clayish silt with moderately frequent chalk pieces and rare small sub angular flint inclusions with a depth of 0.12m, producing 5 pieces of debitage dating to Beaker period to Early Bronze Age 4000 – 1500BC. A further possible sunken featured building was also located in trench 26 to the south. This was 1.5m from the NW edge of the trench was a 2.7m+ long, 2.3+m wide, 0.1m deep. It was sub rectangular in shape with gentle inward sloping sides and a flat base. This feature sealed three post holes and a pit and a further pit and post hole were located to the south. (information summarised from source) (1)


<1> Swale & Thames Archaeological Survey Company, 2022, Report on Archaeological Investigations of Land East of 40 Canterbury Road West, Cliffsend, Thanet, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE55758.

Sources/Archives (1)

  • <1> Unpublished document: Swale & Thames Archaeological Survey Company. 2022. Report on Archaeological Investigations of Land East of 40 Canterbury Road West, Cliffsend, Thanet, Kent.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (3)

  • Intrusive Event: Archaeological evaluation (Phase 1) Canterbury Road West, Cliffsend, Thanet, Kent - Trench 25 (Ref: CWC-EV-21) (EKE22857)
  • Intrusive Event: Archaeological evaluation (Phase 1) Canterbury Road West, Cliffsend, Thanet, Kent - Trench 26 (Ref: CWC-EV-21) (EKE22858)
  • Event Boundary: Archaeological evaluation (Phase 1) Canterbury Road West, Cliffsend, Thanet, Kent (Ref: CWC-EV-21) (EKE22832)

Record last edited

Jan 15 2024 5:55PM