Monument record TQ 57 SE 292 - Late Iron Age/early Roman enclosures, pits and field systems, Waterstone Park, Stone Castle

In 2008 Pre-Construct Archaeology carried out a programme of works. Late Iron Age and early Roman activity was found on the site. This took the form of multiple phases of occupation, all within the period between 50 BC and AD 70. This activity may be divided into two types, with an earlier focus on pits and enclosures, often with numerous instances of structured deposition being found within the features. The second type of activity was represented by a field system which was laid out over the backfilled features of the earlier phase of use, though pits with structured deposits within them continued to be created.

Enclosures, post holes, gullys and ditches were found, along with five pit groups. Of these, one was a fire pit and two were for animal burials, the rest were grain storage pits. The buried animals were a dog and a foal. The burial of the foal was thought to be purposeful. The grain storage pits had cereal grains, remains of seeds from local weeds and other plants plus domestic waste. A near complete vessel was found in one pit and a beaker was found in two pieces in two separate pits. Most of a raven was found in one of these pits whilst the other contained the remains of at least two neonate if not foetal humans. An Iron Age brick was found in one pit. Also found were a whetstone, loomweights, fragments of saddle quern and metalworking slag. The enclosure was probably for livestock as little evidence of occupation on the site was found. A later enclosure had a possibly symbolic function, partial vessels being found in the ditch fill. Another pit immediately south of the entranceway also contained a semi-complete vessel. A later ditch on the site contained loomweights, an Iron Age brick, quern stone and metalworking slag. An unusual assemblage of animal remains came from one ditch: species represented included cattle, horse, sheep/goat, pig, cat and dog but also wild species such as roe deer, hare, hedgehog, mallard, woodcock, small wader, small passer, crow and two wing bones from a cormorant. A pit had been excavated into the side of the ditch and subjected to intense heat, presumably to create heated stones. A fragment of human bone was also found in one ditch, suggesting excarnation was being practiced, as opposed to cremation. A pit contained an inverted cattle skull at the base whilst another contained a complete saddle quern.

A field system was laid out across the site, cutting through the backfilled enclosure ditches. A pit group was established within the field system, one pit containing sherds from a single jar, and a loomweight was found in another, though this may have been disturbed from earlier ditches in the area. The field system was replaced with another after only a short period of use. Structured deposits were made into the ditches of this system, with a semi-complete vessel and two raven wings found. Seven post holes may relate to a rectangular timber granary. The second field system was also quickly replaced with a livestock droveway cutting across. (1)

<1> Pre-Construct Archaeology, 2009, Land at Residential Phase II, (Southern Parcel), Waterstone Park, Stone Castle, Kent: Archaeological Excavation (Unpublished document). SKE18039.