From the report:

"In 1992, the Lower Medway Archaeological Group carried out a building survey of No.24 High Street, Rochester (TQ 76 NW 271). The works included an archaeological examination of the basement. The basement had a dirt floor, which had been well swept. It was also noted that the basement had been cleared and had not been subjected to hard use. An area near the party wall with No.22 was excavated to examine the wall foundations of the basement, only to find Roman pottery sherds within the first 25mm. This was very unusual, as Victorian or Georgian dated deposits had been expected. An extension of the cut revealed that the basement wall had been built on a thin layer of mortar, directly on top of the brickearth which contained the sherds. This might suggest that the brickearth was redeposited as part of the basement foundation work? (compiler's view).
The examination cut was expanded across the width of the basement and deepened until an apparently natural soil level was reached. A line of flints forming a right angle was exposed near the party wall, which the report has interpreted as the remains of a possible early wall on the site, dating to the Roman period. No edge was observed to the deposit containing the sherds and the report does not explain how the deposit relates to the possible wall. The examination could not be established whether the material was in a pit, had been laid on an earlier surface and built up, or even relaid during the 17th century building operations.
The report hypothesises that the deposit containing the Roman sherds could be from a midden for a 1st century roadside kitchen, or as the quality of the pottery is good, the rubbish may have come from the Roman garrison kitchen or the house of a civic official. If the deposit was part of the fill of a Roman pit, then it is presumed that any Early Medieval and Medieval material had been truncated away by the later post medieval basement."

(1)

From the report:

"The excavation of the brickearth layer revealed a substantial collection of Roman pottery. Over 100 sherds were recovered and of these 18 are…described in the catalogue. No cut edge was detected and it is not clear if these finds came from a large pit, a ditch or from a stratified deposit. It is possible, though less likely, that they represent material distrubed by much later building work and redeposited.

The pottery forms an important collection from Rochester. The site lies well within the Roman town walls and the pottery must relate to a nearby structure, from which it must have been discarded as domestic rubbish. The fragments are generally large and in good condition. They range in date from the second half of the first century to perhaps AD220.

What is clear, and most important, is that much more Roman material is likely to survive in the cellar area and perhaps also under adjacent properties. Any works to improve the existing area must be closely monitored so that prior excavation takes place, should this involve the cellar area." (compilers view)

(2)

<1> Lower Medway Archaeological Research Group, 1992, 24 High Street, Rochester. Building recording: May 1992 (Unpublished document). SKE6786.

<2> Lower Medway Archaeological Research Group, 2002, Building surveys at 24 High Street, Rochester, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE13329.