A Romano-British ritual shaft was excavated by Burchell (1) in 1948 (2) on a hill-top site, the property of the Hammill Brick Co. 3 miles from Sandwich. The finds are in the British Museum (Accession No 1949 6 1 1-37). (1)(2) The approximate site of the pit was pointed out by Mr. B. Hamlin of the Hammill Brick Co at TR 29935616. (3) A chamber in the shaft (see plan) contained large quantities of fragmented Samian and Romano-British sherds. A layer of chalk lumps intermixed with similar sherds sealed the shaft. That part of the shaft sunk through chalk was lined with clay. At the bottom of the shaft was a complete Belgic jar broken into small pieces. Near it were pieces of two other large vessels. The top 48 ft of the shaft yielded sherds and animal remains. The shaft was dated by Burchell to circa 100 AD. 44 ft north of the shaft was a saucer-shaped hollow containing sherds, flints, an antler of red deer, a group of horses teeth, bones of horse, ox, sheep or goat, and part of a pipe-clay Venus figurine. A small circular pit containing pottery had been largely destroyed by mechanical digging prior to archaeological excavation. (4) Ritual shaft at Hammill, TR 29935616. (The theories as to the possible provenance of the 70 ft shaft are discussed (a) Chalk pit (b) Well (c) Ritual shaft. The former two explanations are not considered likely and evidence is presented to support each case.) It is impossible to give an exact date for the construction of the Hammill shaft and for its infilling. From a study of the pottery and from Major Burchell's description of the layers of soil around and in the shaft, it would appear that the shaft was dug and the pottery placed at the bottom at some time in the second or third centuries A.D; that a fall of clay from the bulge `L' (see illustration card) occurred soon afterwards; and that the rest of the shaft was then filled with soil from the adjacent occupied area. It is unlikely that the shaft was open for long at any stage of the infilling because there was no evidence of the collections of rubbish or wild animal remains or silting that are usually found in open shafts. A subsiding pit was found three metres north of the path. (5) Ritual pit on hilltop, with round chamber and a shaft 71 feet deep. Broken Belgic jar found with part of a pipe-clay Venus from another pit. (6) Select bibliography - listing of article by S. P. T. Burchell. (7)additional references (8-9)

<1> Arch NL No 9 Jan 1949 13 (JPT Burchell) (OS Card Reference). SKE36805.

<2> Arch Cant 72 1958 1971 (F Jenkins) (OS Card Reference). SKE35504.

<3> F1 FGA 07.07.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42898.

<4> Notes JPT Burchell (OS Card Reference). SKE47688.

<5> Studies Anc Europe (Ed Coles and Simpson) 1968 255-268 illusts (A Ross) (OS Card Reference). SKE49695.

<6> Arch Cant 98 1982 145-166 (J Ogilvie) (OS Card Reference). SKE36309.

<7> The Religions of Civilian Roman Britain BAR 24 1976 231 (M Green) (OS Card Reference). SKE50489.

<8> Ancient Europe 1965 271 (S Piggott) (OS Card Reference). SKE33065.

<9> Field report for monument TR 25 NE 16 - July, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5721.