During excavations at Lanthorne Court in Broadstairs, Thanet ahead of the redevelopment of the site, evidence for Roman activity was discovered. was characterised by some maintenance/ re-cutting of the Iron Age field system, which presumably was still in use, quarry pitting, refuse pits, an inhumation burial and possible road.

A ditch containing pottery dated c.AD 43-100 represented re-cutting of one of the Iron Age ditches. It measured 0.81m wide x 0.21m deep and contained a single fill It was possible that there may have been some re-organisation of field boundaries during this Roman phase of activity at this site.

Evidence of quarry pitting during Period 3 was encountered in SMS1. Quarry pit G5 It measured 4.03m wide x 1.03m deep and contained four fills. Datable finds included a mixture of residual Early/Middle Iron Age sherds and some early Roman pot. Intercutting pit group G22 may have represented further quarrying activity, although it was difficult to tell as these pits were only partially visible, continuing beyond the eastern limit of excavation of SMS1. A total of 7 pits were identified. These pits varied in size between 1.44m-2.65m long x 0.70- 3.01m wide x 0.30-1.14m deep. Late Iron age and early roman pottery was discovered in the fills of these pits.

Within SMS2, a grave containing skeleton was encountered. The burial was oriented broadly N-S, the skeleton was in a supine position and was in quite a poor state of preservation. Post-excavation analysis determined that the individual was an adult. Grave goods were also present consisting of two complete vessels, a cup and platter, thought likely to belong to the immediate Conquest period or soon after and so the burial has been assigned to the Roman phase. A small amount of residual Early/Middle Iron Age pot was recovered from the grave fill. Although no traces of coffin wood remained, several coffin nails were recovered which were also diagnostic of Roman types. Animal bone recovered from the grave fill may suggest some kind of funerary ‘offering’ or feasting

In the eastern half of SMS2, a group of intercutting pits G7 was recorded and yielded pottery, bone and shell from the fills. In all, seven pits were discernible which made up this refuse dump (‘midden’), and although they each contained similar brown silty fills, it was possible to determine stratigraphic relationships in section. It is thought that they were however broadly contemporary, with the ‘midden’ added to as required. Two pits located south of the grave also yielded Roman pottery. The first measured 1.91m long x 1.32m wide x 0.70m deep. It contained early Roman pottery. The second measured 2.22m long x 1.18m wide x 0.17m deep and contained two brown silty fills; the lower fill had a very high chalk content and contained pottery dated c.AD 43-100. A third pit was located next to enclosure ditch G12 and was excavated during ground reductions for housing plots 10 and 11 on the watching brief. It measured 0.77m long x 0.53m wide x 0.17m deep and had a concave profile in section. A single potsherd dated c.AD43-100 was recovered from the single silty fill of the pit.

Remains of a heavily truncated metalled surface G14 were encountered in the southern extent of SMS2. It survived to 5.14m long x 4.75m wide x 0.07- 0.09m in thickness. Undiagnostic potsherds dated to the Early/Middle Iron Age were recovered from the top of the feature, but these were thought to have been residual. This surface likely formed part of a metalled road/trackway and looked to be running in a N-S direction. There were no surviving associated drainage ditches or traces of an agger remaining, and the silty ‘fill’ had appeared to form over the top of the metalling. G14 has
been preliminarily assigned to Period 3, however it must be noted that, although currently rare, Late Iron Age metalled surfaces are known at Manston and Dumpton.

<1> Archaeology South - East, 2023, Archaeological Excavations at Lanthorne Road, Broadstairs, Kent A post-excavation assessment and updated project design (Unpublished document). SKE57117.