Monument record TR 15 NE 1097 - Late Iron Age/early Roman farming and Roman quarrying activity, Augustine House, Canterbury

In 2007/8 Canterbury Archaeological Trust carried out an excavation. The earliest substantial evidence for activity on the site consisted of disturbed ground, gullies, post holes and pits, indicating occupation and agricultural activity in the area. This dated from the Late Iron Age into the later first century AD. Charred plant remains, comprising hulled barley, spelt wheat and free-threshing bread-type wheat, in addition to emmer, oat and possibly pea, indicated small-scale domestic processing of food crops. A small assemblage of animal bone was recovered, comprising cattle, pig, sheep/goat, horse and domestic fowl, while marine fish bone was also present.

In the later first century AD two parallel boundary ditches were laid out across the site. Quarrying subsequently occurred within two of these plots. This activity had ceased by the end of the third century AD. The quarry pits were used for domestic refuse disposal. Charred cereal grains were similar to the assemblage recovered from the later Iron Age to early Roman period deposits, with hulled barley dominant, and spelt, bread-type wheat and a few oats also present. Cattle, pig, sheep/goat, horse, dog, hare and marine fish bone were recovered; the cattle and sheep elements present are indicative of primary butchery waste.

Five inhumation burials were located along and cutting into the partially backfilled boundary ditches. These dated to the late third century. (1)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2010, Archaeological excavation at Augustine House, Canterbury Christ Church University, Rhodaus Town, Canterbury: Assessment report (Unpublished document). SKE18094.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust Ltd, 2008, Archaeological works at Augustine House, Christ Church University, Rhodaus Town, Canterbury, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE52511.