Located in the central part of the excavated area, during investigations associated with the construction of the Ramsgate Harbour Approach road in 1997/1998 was a series of three, possibly four or five, concentric arcs of discontinuous groups of cut features. These features were understood to represent part of a ‘causewayed enclosure’ of Early Neolithic Date.

Seemingly concentric to the Inner Arc on its western side was another arc of cut segments (middle arc). Only the northern and southern parts of this arc were visible in the excavation area, the presumed connecting section of the arc lying to the west, though there was no sign of this visible on aerial photographs. The Inner and Middle Arcs were separated by a gap of about 16-17m, and the overall length of the reconstructed Middle Arc would have been in excess of 180m. Seven segments were recorded relating to this arc, three to the south and four to the north; like the Inner Arc, these were quite shallow, short linear features rarely exceeding 0.3m in depth filled with generally homogenous silts with occasional small to medium sized chalk and natural flint inclusions. The space between the eastern limit of excavation and the eastern terminal of Segment 1 of the Middle Arc was over 13m, perhaps suggesting the termination of the arc at this point, the existence of a large ‘entrance’ to the south of a closed circuit, or the loss of previously existing features to truncation.

The finds from within the fills included early Neolithic pottery and worked flint as well as evidence of cattle and unidentified mammal bone, various shellfish, and traces of charcoal, grain and seeds. At least some of these finds were within what may have been placed deposits.

Segment 1 was formed by a very shallow linear feature 2.9m long, 0.56m wide and just 0.12m deep, aligned approximately west/east. A gap of 10.5m separated Segments 1 and 2. Segment 2 was again formed by a shallow linear feature 5.15m long and 1m wide with a maximum depth of 0.3m. A gap of 5.5m separated Segments 2 and 3. Segment 3 had been substantially truncated by a later feature which had removed much of the western side of the cut and its southern terminus. The surviving evidence suggests a linear cut approximately 1.5m wide at its northern end (where it ran into the section) and around 0.35m deep. The eastern edge of the feature could be traced for about 6m to the south. The later cut was a flat-bottomed linear feature (F1014) around 9.5m long. At its southern, roughly squared terminus the feature was around 0.6m deep and 0.6m wide, broadening to a maximum width of 1m with a depth of 0.22m to the north, where it ran into the edge of excavation. Approximately half way along the segment a small post-hole/pit (F1012) with a diameter of 0.32m and 0.12m deep cut the fill of feature. Only the eastern extremity of segment 4 was seen running beyond the western limit of excavation more than 75m to the north of Middle Arc Segment 3. The primary cut (F1500) had been heavily truncated by a later feature and only its southern edge survived. Segment 5 was formed by a single linear feature running roughly east-west for around 6.5m, truncated at its western end. It was 0.8m wide at its western end, broadening to 1.2m in the eastern 4.5m of the cut, with a maximum depth of 0.28m. Segment 6 was formed by a linear feature, 5.3m long, 1.5m wide and 0.23m deep. Its silt fill yielded a large assemblage of 115 flint artefacts in addition to over 50 sherds of early Neolithic pottery. Twenty cattle teeth and two sheep teeth (among other unidentified bone fragments), four burnt unworked flint fragments and a piece of heat-affected clay and traces of charcoal, seeds and oyster shell were also recovered. Eleven flint scrapers from this context were clustered in a discrete and apparently ‘placed deposit’ at the north-west terminal. Segment 7 was primarily formed by a linear gully (F1224; Fig 18 and 19; Pl 2), running approximately 9.7m from the eastern edge of excavation. Just 0.4m wide at its western end, the feature broadened to a maximum width of 1.5m towards the north-east; its maximum depth was 0.28m. A subcircular pit 1.1m in diameter and 0.33m deep, cut the fill of this segment near its western terminal, truncated on its southern side by a later field ditch. It contained a large and dense cluster of artefacts indicating either a spatial focus for deposition or a single ‘placed deposit’. Another oval pit, (1.39m long, 0.62m wide and 0.23m deep) had been cut about 4m to the northeast. (information summarised from source (1-2)

<1> 2019, Chalk Hill - Neolithic and Bronze Age Discoveries at Ramsgate, Kent (Monograph). SKE56208.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1997, Excavations at Chalk Hill, near Ramsgate, Kent 1997-98: Integrated assessment & updated research design (Unpublished document). SKE29640.