In 2004 Canterbury Archaeological Trust carried out an excavation at the former cattle market, Canterbury. The ditches of the Late Iron Age/early Roman field system were replaced in the Roman period with continuous ditches that respected the earlier alignment.

Two large quarries were dug in one field. The southern quarry consisted of three intercutting pits. The pits were backfilled with material of the 1st and 2nd century AD, amongst which was a dog burial. A coin of Domition dated to AD 84 was found in one quarry. The second quarry consisted of up to seven intercutting pits. It is thought the two quarries were contemporary. The northern quarries also contained material of the 2nd century in their backfilling. Both were thought to be for brickearth extraction presumably to supply the nearby kilns to the south of the site. A large spread of kiln debris was found in the southern corner of the excavated area. The spread contained 2nd century pottery.

Post holes and stake holes indicate that structures were built on the site. These features post dated the kiln debris spread. No particular structures could be identified from the distribution but it is thought likely that they were timber-built structures with fences. There was little datable material from these features, though 2nd century pottery was found in a few of them.

16 pits were found across the excavated area. Two pits had stakeholes in their base, perhaps from a wattle lining. One pit had a central post hole and another had been used as a cess pit. 1st to 3rd century pottery was found in the pits.

An isolated inhumation was found parallel with one of the field ditches. It was of a male, aged 30 to 40, and he had been buried wearing hobnailed footwear. A white marble plaque had been laid over the backfilled grave, above the head. It was inscribed but had been placed facedown, suggesting it had been reused as a gravemarker. The inscription consisted of three lines of text but they were poorly preserved. It was a funerary inscription but the name of the deceased was unclear. One possible reconstruction of the inscription lines two and three is: "Filora, his wife, lived most dutifully". (1)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2009, Archaeological excavation at the Former Cattle Auction Yard, Market Way, Canterbury: Assessment Report (Unpublished document). SKE17915.