18 features in all - combination of pits, small pits/post-holes and a flat-bottomed gully. Seven of the features in trench 5 extend beyond the trench. A number of pottery sherds (c.74) some late Iron Age, others Late Iron Age/Romano British dated the features . Single piece of struck flint found in the 'overburden' of trench 3. (1)


Post excavation report notes that there were 53 features in all and that the evaluation trenches yielded 72 sherds and the excavation 148 sherds of Early Iron Age to Roman Age pottery from 39 pit and posthole fill contexts. Most of these finds are very small, broken and abraded. Where their function is known, most of the pottery assemblage is identified as storage jars, some beaded rim jars, with one cooking pot and a poppyhead beaker (where their function is known). Two contexts yielded late C1st-early C2nd Roman sherds including the poppyhead beaker (AD70-130), a grog-tempered, lid-seated bead-rim jar of (AD 50/70-140) and pieces from wheel-turned vessels in fine Upchurch grey and Hoo oxidesied fabrics.

Some worked flint which may be on Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age date.

Cereal and wild seed residue taken from pottery finds date from Mid-Iron Age to C1st AD. (2)

<1> Archaeology South-East, 2003, Archaeological evaluation of land at Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent. (Unpublished document). SKE13224.

<2> Archaeology South-East, 2004, Archaeological Investigations At Maidstone Hospital, Maidstone, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE13525.