Monument record TR 37 SE 38 - Ring ditch, Northdown, formerly thought to be a henge
Summary
Location
Grid reference | TR 386 705 (point) FCE |
---|---|
Map sheet | TR37SE |
Civil Parish | MARGATE, THANET, KENT |
District | THANET, KENT |
Map
Type and Period (6)
Full Description
TR 386705. Cropmark site of Henge at Northdown. Scheduled. See illustration card. (No further information. Nothing visible on AP St Joseph ADI 68 (see extent covered by this air photograph on illustration card) or AP OS/75/020/No 030 22.3.1975). (1) TR 38507045. Hengiform monument excavated in August and September 1984 by the Central Excavation Unit as a condition of Scheduled Monument Consent prior to house construction over the site. The excavation showed that the site was more closely related to a burial site than a henge. The neatly circular ditch had no trace of a causeway, and evidence of an external bank was found. The ditch seems to have been deliberately laid out around a large solution hole in the chalk bedrock. There was no central or other burial which might be regarded as primary although a few pieces of beaker (one AOC) in secondary positions in the ditch fill may date the monument's construction. Within the ditched enclosure there were five small pits which may have been cremations, one containing a bronze fragment. The monument continued in use for a considerable period shown by the deposition in one area of the lower ditch silts of disarticulated and partially articulated human and animal bones. A grave was cut into the inner edge of the ditch but, nothing remained of any skeleton. A chalk quarry pit was cut into the ditch side. This quarry pit and the ditch-edge grave were both sealed by the deposition in the partially silted-in ditch of a layer of domestic rubbish, including scrapers, knives, hammerstones, quern fragments, spindle whorls, a bronze conical boss, a bronze razor, bronze tweezers and pottery attributable to the period 1000-700 BC. Three small ring ditches outside the ring ditch suggested that it had later been incorporated in the corner of a Romano-British field and in this period two E-W orientated extended inhumations were inserted in the top of the silted-in ditch. (2) TR 385705 (Sited to nearest 50m) Cropmark of barrow or henge. Site No.14. (3) TR 38497049. Ring ditch incorrectly identified as "cropmark of henge". (4,5) Aerial photograph. (6) A circular ditch which originally had an outer bank laid around a central hollow was found. Five small pits in the ditched enclosure yielded a bronze fragment and human and animal bones. A grave was cut into the inner edge of the ditch whilst the outer edge revealed a chalk quarry pit. Domestic rubbish, flint scrapers, knives, quern fragments, pottery (c1000-700 BC) were also found. The site later formed part of a Romano-British field (see illustration card). (7) Scheduled listing. (8) Deschuled 2nd december 1998 (9)
<1> DOE(IAM) AMs Rec Note Oct 1982 (OS Card Reference). SKE41421.
<2> Arch Cant 101 1984 361-2 (GH Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE34568.
<3> Thanet The Arch Heritage c1982 4 (Thanet Dist Coun & Isle of Thanet Arch Unit) (OS Card Reference). SKE49892.
<4> RCHME Excavation Index Thanet Kent 14 PRN 15349 (OS Card Reference). SKE48998.
<5> AP (CUC AN X 24-5; 16.5.66) (OS Card Reference). SKE33371.
<6> AP (NMR TR 3870/3; 16.7.79) (OS Card Reference). SKE33791.
<7> Isle of Thanet Arch Unit Sites and Mons Archive 1988 Record No 14 (OS Card Reference). SKE44695.
<8> DOE(IAM) SAMS 1988 Kent 23 (OS Card Reference). SKE41454.
<9> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, Pers Comm EH to KCC 02/12/98. (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.
Sources/Archives (9)
- <1> SKE41421 OS Card Reference: DOE(IAM) AMs Rec Note Oct 1982.
- <2> SKE34568 OS Card Reference: Arch Cant 101 1984 361-2 (GH Smith).
- <3> SKE49892 OS Card Reference: Thanet The Arch Heritage c1982 4 (Thanet Dist Coun & Isle of Thanet Arch Unit).
- <4> SKE48998 OS Card Reference: RCHME Excavation Index Thanet Kent 14 PRN 15349.
- <5> SKE33371 OS Card Reference: AP (CUC AN X 24-5; 16.5.66).
- <6> SKE33791 OS Card Reference: AP (NMR TR 3870/3; 16.7.79).
- <7> SKE44695 OS Card Reference: Isle of Thanet Arch Unit Sites and Mons Archive 1988 Record No 14.
- <8> SKE41454 OS Card Reference: DOE(IAM) SAMS 1988 Kent 23.
- <9> SKE6440 Miscellaneous Material: Not applicable. SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry. Pers Comm EH to KCC 02/12/98..
Finds (5)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- Non-Intrusive Event: Geophysical survey, Northdown 'henge', Margate (EKE21108)
- Intrusive Event: NORTHDOWN (Ref: EI 15349) (EKE4238)
Record last edited
Jul 31 2023 3:31PM