Evidence of the earliest activity on the site was generally sparse and represented by few securely dated features. Of these, a large ramped waterhole, located 75m west of Thurnham Lane, produced a large bronze needle and a small bronze rapier, dateable on stylistic grounds to the Middle Bronze Age (c. 1750 - 1150BC). Several flint flakes and sherds of flint tempered pottery were recovered from the lower fills of the feature. A number of distinctive pits, filled with burnt flint and charcoal and scattered about the south-eastern end of the site, arer potentially of later prehistoric date, although this could not be proved conclusively. The remains of a cremation placed in a shallow pit and sealed by a medieval ploughsoil could also belong to this period. Struck flint was also present across the site, mainly as residual finds but a sparse scatter of in situ flints was present on the surface of the pre-roman soil preserved beneath the villa layers(1).

(See TQ 75 NE 374 and TQ 75 NE 375)

<1> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1999, Thurnham Roman Villa, Thurnham, Kent Detailed Archaeological Works Interim Report Final (Unpublished document). SKE7014.

<2> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1997, Thurnham Roman Villa and Land to the South of Corbier Hall, Thurnham, Kent Archaeological Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SKE7015.

<3> Stratascan Geophysical & Specialist Survey Services, 1995, A report for Oxford Archaeological Unit on a Geophysical Survey carried out at Thurnham Roman Villa. (Unpublished document). SKE7016.