In 2010 Museum of London Archaeology carried out an evaluation. A settlement appears to have existed on the site from the Late Iron Age into the Roman period. An inhumation was found and, due to the presence of an iron nail, thought to date to this period of activity on the site. (1)

The site was further investigated through an archaeological excavation in 2010/2011 this revealed further Roman burials. Romano-British cemetery activity was encountered in the northern part of the site. Most of the inhumations clustered close to, and just within (ie to the west of), the major Roman boundary ditch. All the burials provisionally dated to the Romano-British period were aligned north–south, reflecting the alignment of the ditch. It is likely that the excavated area lies on the eastern side of a settlement. Whilst the burials are almost certainly contemporary with that settlement, they are not necessarily contemporary with the buildings within the excavated area which could represent later expansion of the ‘built-up’ area into a previously marginal eastern fringe within funerary activity had occurred.

A total of six Romano-British graves were identified. These burials were probably being made between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. If so they will post-date the burials identified in 2004 to the north of the site. Further Roman funerary activity has been found to the west of Tothill Street on the site of the modern cemetery. Grave sgp 88, degraded by agricultural activity, contained an adult male interred with a North Kent greyware (NKGW) vessel adjacent to the skull. Only the base and lower half of the vessel survived. The alignment and location of grave sgp 2 strongly suggest a Romano-British date but only (residual) pottery dated to 800-600 BC was recovered. A more formal or ordered level of burial arrangement is attested by the remaining three graves which were located in the north-western part of the site (sgps 3, 4 and 5). All had the head of the inhumation at the southern end of the grave cut. The ordered layout of these three graves might indicate that they are linked; they could, for example, be related individuals. Grave sgp 4 contained the remains of an adolescent 16-17years old. No associated grave goods were found within the grave although pottery recovered from the grave backfill was dated to AD 70–275. Grave sgp 5 contained the remains of an adult female. No grave goods were present. Pottery recovered from the backfill of the grave was broadly dated to AD 50– 400. 5) Grave sgp 3 contained the remains of an adolescent. No grave goods were present. Pottery recovered from the grave backfill and was dated to AD 70–275. This grave cut was much deeper than all of the other examples in the north-western corner of the site. Also uniquely, small quantities of adult human remains were recovered from the grave backfill. Another significant point of interest is the broken quern stone (roughly 50% surviving) that was deposited on edge tight against southeastern edge of the grave. Whilst not placed directly with the body itself, its placement was clearly intentional and possibly symbolic. Grave sgp 87, an adult male, was the southernmost outlier to the cemetery group. It was distinguished by having its head at the north end of the grave cut. As with grave sgp 88, a North Kent grey ware (NKGW) vessel was deposited next to the skull. This was a well-preserved complete carinated beaker with tall upright plain rim (3G). The beaker’s small diameter and height indicate it is likely to be an earlier version of this form dating to the Flavian period (Monaghan 1987, 68). A possible seventh inhumation was encountered at the northern limit of excavation. A heavily truncated feature sgp 6, containing a single fragment of human bone, may have represented a grave extending beyond the north-western limit of excavation. No dating evidence was recovered. Aside from the formal burials other human remains dating to the Roman period were found on site. The partially surviving remains of two neonates (sgp 291) were found in the backfill of the north end of SFB5. As noted above, their deposition is potentially associated with a remodelling of the northern end of the sunken featured building. (1-2)

(information summarised from sources)

<1> Museum of London Archaeology, 2010, Land Fronting Tothill Street, Mount Pleasant, Minster in Thanet, County of Kent: Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SKE18228.

<2> Museum of London Archaeology, 2012, Archaeological post-excavation assessment: Land fronting Tothill Street, Minster, County of Kent (Unpublished document). SKE31188.