Welcome to the Summer/Autumn 2016 Newsletter from

the Kent Archaeological Field School

WELCOME

BREAKING NEWS:

BREATHTAKING ARTIFACTS

FROM THE 3^RD MILLENIUM

Dear Member, we will be sending a Newsletter

email each quarter to keep you up to date with

BREAKING NEWS/2: ROMAN

news and views on what is planned at the Kent

PALATIAL VILLA FOUND

Archaeological Field School and what is

UNDER THE CHURCH AT

POSITANO IN ITALY

happening on the larger stage of archaeology

both in this country and abroad. For more

BREAKING NEWS/3: KING

ARTHUR'S PALACE FOUND

details of courses and trips see www.kafs.co.uk

I do hope you enjoy this newsletter which looks

BREAKING NEWS/4: NEW

forward to a summer of exciting

‘digging’

AREAS OF POMPEII NOW

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

opportunities. Paul Wilkinson.

RESEARCH NEWS: ROMAN

VILLA FOUND NEAR

SITTINGBOURNE, KENT UK

RESEARCH NEWS/2: SHIP

GRAVEYARD REVEALS

Letters: Stonehenge again

ANCIENT TREASURES

The National Trust and English Heritage have been criticised for backing a tunnel

BOOK REVIEW: PAX ROMANA

by Adrian Goldsworthy

under Stonehenge, which it is claimed could lead to the site losing its World

Heritage status. In a letter to The Times, Kate Fielden, the vicechairwoman of the

COURSES AT THE KENT

ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD

British Archaeological Trust, warned that the engineering works required to bury

SCHOOL FOR 2016 INCLUDE:

the A303 would irreparably damage "substantial tracts of an internationally

KAFS BOOKING FORM

renowned archaeological landscape — a World Heritage site that the government

is committed to protect under the 1972 World Heritage Convention". She added: "It

KAFS MEMBERSHIP FORM

is a matter of deep regret that the road scheme is supported by the National Trust...

and English Heritage."

Dr Fielden, a founding member of the Stonehenge Alliance, which opposes the

tunnel, said that it could lead to Stonehenge being "delisted" by Unesco, the UN

body that grants world heritage site status. The alliance prefers the option of a

bypass. Detailed planning has begun for the £2 billion, 1.8mile tunnel, which was

given the goahead by the government in 2014. In May the tunnel won the backing

of Unesco, which said the scheme must protect the "outstanding universal value" of

the site.

Breaking News:

Breathtaking artifacts from the 3^rd millennium BC

Evidence of the esteem in which crystals were held can be found in a remarkable

set of crystal weapons found in the megalithic tombs of south western Spain. At the

site of Valencina de la Concepcon, archaeologists have uncovered crystal

arrowheads, an exquisite dagger blade, and cores used for creating the artifacts

that date to the 3rd millennium BC.

The Montelirio tholos is a great megalithic construction...which extends over 43.75

m in total, constructed out of large slabs of slate. At least 25 individuals were

interred within the structure, along with "an extraordinary set of sumptuous grave

goods...the most notable of which is an unspecified number of shrouds or clothes

made of tens of thousands of perforated beads and decorated with amber beads".

Additionally however, a large number of crystal arrowheads were found together,

which be suggestive of a ritual offering at an altar. The arrowheads have the

characteristic long lateral appendices of flint arrowheads from the area

- but

investigators remarked that "even greater skill must have been required to produce

these unique features when using rock crystal."

Another large twochambered megalithic construction made from slate slabs. In the

second chamber archaeologists found the body of a young male aged between 17

and 25 lying in the foetal position along with a large set of grave goods. These

included an undecorated elephant tusk laid above the young man's head, a set of

23 flint blades, and numerous ivory objects. Additionally, red pigment made from

cinnabar had been sprayed over the body and the objects surrounding it. The

"remarkable crystal dagger blade", however, was not found with these grave

goods, but instead in the upper level of this chamber.

The rock crystal dagger blade appeared in the upper level of Structure 10.049 of

the PP4Montelirio sector, in association with an ivory hilt and sheath, which

renders it an exceptional object in Late Prehistoric Europe... The blade is 214 mm

in length, a maximum of 59 mm in width and 13 mm thick. Its morphology is not

unheard of in the Iberian Peninsula, although all the samples recorded thus far

were made from flint and not rock crystal...

The manufacture of the rock crystal dagger blade must have been based on an

accumulation of transmitted empirical knowledge and skill taken from the

production of flint dagger blades as well from knowhow of rockcrystal smaller

foliaceous bifacial objects, such as Ontiveros and Montelirio arrowheads... It was

obtained from a large monocrystal at least 220 mm in length and 60 mm in width.

Given that these single crystals are hexagonal, they would have a similar width

along all their different axes.

The rock crystal source used in creating the crystal weaponry has not been

pinpointed exactly at this stage, though analysis suggests two potential sources,

"both located several hundred km away from Valencina".

To access the full paper: The allure of rock crystal in Copper Age southern Iberia

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Breaking News/2: Roman palatial villa found under the

church at Positano in Italy

Once we reach the spot, you won’t believe your eyes,” says archaeologist Luciana

Jacobelli of the University of Molise as she opens a small door to the crypt of the

church of Santa Maria Assunta in the centre of town. It’s very dim inside, and she

has to use a torch as we make our way. We slowly climb down a series of ladders

through a forest of iron scaffolding toward what seems to be the only welllit area,

nearly 30 feet under the church. Jacobelli then leads me into a room and, as

promised, frescoes in dazzling green, yellow, red, and blue seem to illuminate the

space on their own. We have arrived at the extraordinarily wellpreserved remains

of a lavish villa marittima, or seaside villa, once a luxurious retreat for the rich of

ancient Rome to escape the summer heat and the hustle and bustle of city life in

the first centuries B.C. and A.D.

Swiss architect and engineer Karl Weber, the first scholar to supervise excavations

of the areas destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, appears to

have seen the villa on April 16, 1758, during his explorations. In his field report he

writes that he had begun to dig near the “church with bell tower, not far from the

beach that is at the base of Mount Santa Maria a Castelli and Mount Sant’Angelo;

at a depth of 30 spans we found a famous ancient building whose first mosaic is

made of white and fine marble.” It was only during restoration work on the crypt in

2003 that archaeologists had a chance to enter the villa’s stunning triclinium, or

dining room, for the first time. But after only three years of digging, they were forced

to stop when funding ran out, and it wasn’t until the summer of 2015 that

excavations resumed. For the rest of the year, before funding for the project ran out

again, Jacobelli led a rescue excavation under the supervision of the local

archaeological superintendent, Adele Campanelli, and archaeological supervisor

Maria Antonietta Iannelli. A team of archaeologists and conservators worked to

remove mud and lapilli (small stones ejected by a volcanic eruption) and to expose

and clean the stunning wall paintings emerging from the debris (Archaeology

August issue 2016)

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Breaking News/3: King Arthur’s palace found

A royal palace has been discovered in the area reputed to be the birthplace of

King Arthur.

The palace discovered at Tintagel in Cornwall is believed to date from the sixth

century around the time that the legendary king may have lived. They believe the

onemetre thick walls being unearthed are from a 6th century palace belonging to

the rulers of the ancient southwest British kingdom of Dumnonia.

Excavations have been taking place at the site as part of a fiveyear research

project being run by English Heritage at the

13th century Tintagel Castle in

Cornwall to find out more about the historic site from the fifth to the seventh

centuries.

Using cutting edge techniques, Cornwall Archaeological Unit

(CAU), part of

Cornwall Council, uncovered the walls of the palace and more than 150 fragments

of pottery and glass which had been imported to the site from exotic locations

across the globe indicating it was inhabited by wealthy individuals. Finds include

sherds of imported lateRoman amphorae, fragments of fine glass, and the rim of a

Phocaean redslip ware which is the first piece of fine tableware found on the site

Made in western Turkey and dating from the 5th or 6th century , experts say it is the

fragment of a bowl or a large dish which may have been used for sharing food

during feasting.

Win Scutt, English Heritage’s properties curator for the West, said: “This is the most

significant archaeological project at Tintagel since the 1990s.“The threeweek dig

is the first step in a five year research programme to answer some key questions

about Tintagel and Cornwall’s past. “The discovery of highstatus buildings -

potentially a royal palace complex - at Tintagel is transforming our understanding

of the site. "We’re cutting a small window into the site’s history, to guide wider

excavations next year. We’ll also be gathering samples for analysis. It’s when

these samples are studied in the laboratory that the fun really starts, and we’ll

begin to unearth Tintagel’s secrets.”

The team dug four trenches in two previously unexcavated terrace areas of the

island settlement and discovered buildings believed to date from the fifth centuries,

when RomanoBritish rulers fought for control of the island against the Anglo

Saxon invaders. Geophysical surveys of the terraces earlier in the year detected

the walls and layers of the buried buildings, and the archaeologists have

discovered two rooms around 11 metres long and 4 metres wide.

Tintagel is one of Europe’s most important archaeological sites. The remains of the

castle, built in the 1230s and 1240s by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, brother of Henry

III, stand on the site of an early Medieval settlement, where experts believe high

status leaders may have lived and traded with faroff shores, importing exotic

goods and trading tin.

Previous excavations have uncovered thousands of pieces of pottery at Tintagel -

with the vast majority dating from the fifth to seventh centuries and imported from

the Mediterranean.

The excavation team, directed by Jacky Nowakowski, principal archaeologist at

CAU, is working with specialists from Historic England and geophysicists from

TigerGeo Ltd. She said: “CAU are very excited to be involved in English Heritage’s

research project at Tintagel. This new archaeological research project will

investigate unexplored areas of the island in order to find out more about the

character of the buildings on this significant postRoman settlement at Tintagel. "It

is a great opportunity to shed new light on a familiar yet infinitely complex site

where there is still much to learn and to contribute to active research of a major site

of international significance in Cornwall. Our excavations are underway now, and

will run both this summer and next, giving visitors the chance to see and hear at

first hand new discoveries being made and share in the excitement of the

excavations.”

The earliest accounts about King Arthur have come from the writings of the sixth

century monk Gildas. A much fuller account of Arthur's life was written many

centuries later by Geoffrey of Monmouth, which may have drawn on earlier sources

but was suspected of being wildly embellished (Daily Telegraph August 2016).

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Breaking News/4:

New areas of Pompeii now open to the public

Tourists in ancient Pompeii have freshly restored marvels to admire, including a

merchant’s luxuriously decorated home and a more modest middleclass dwelling.

A business where Pompeii residents brought fabrics to be cared for and a structure

with thermal bathing areas are also among the six buildings opened to the public

this year after a €105m (£77m) restoration.

In 2008, the Italian government declared a “state of emergency” at the crumbling

site and in 2010 the House of Gladiators collapsed. But a Unesco report in 2012

found little had been done. Pompeii in recent years has been plagued by union

disputes, which left tourists locked out, and the collapse of some ruins, with a

chronic shortage of funds for maintenance.

But the Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, expressed optimism at the unveiling of

restored ruins in the city destroyed in AD79 by a volcanic eruption. He said: “We

made news with the collapses, now we are making news with restoration.”

One of the most eagerly anticipated restorations (now open) is of the Fullonica di

Stephanus, a specially designed laundry equipped with large baths for rinsing dirty

tunics and basins for dyeing fabrics. There was a press for ironing and a place to

store urine, which was collected in public toilets and used to get out tough stains.

Clothes would be trampled by workers in tubs at the back of the premises.

(Credit: Paul Wilkinson)

Paul Wilkinson’s Archaeological Guide to Pompeii is to be published in the spring

of 2017: An excerpt from the description of the Marine Baths is published below:

“The main entrance (1) is located to the north of the porticoed road leading uphill to

the Marine Gate. Comprising a gated vestibule with a façade framed by two half

columns, walk through and you are in a porticoed (2) triangular area paved with

creamy white slabs of tufa stone. The entrance to the baths is on the right through

the changing room (3), frescoed in the 4^th style with eight numbered erotic scenes

on the upper part of one wall.

We have entered a world of unbridled sexuality where various positions and

pleasures are numbered, presumably so the male clientele could, if they wished,

after their bath, retire upstairs to the three flats and enjoy from prostitutes ‘number 5

or number 7’. The staircase to this sexual heaven is located internally, in the south

corner of the complex (4).

The scenes are half of the original number to have survived and, frescoed just

beneath the erotic scenes, are painted numbered cupboards, probably just like the

remains of red cupboards that were found below by archaeologists.

From the changing room (apodyterium) we enter the cold room (5), with its cold

plunge pool on the right (6). The changing room is floored with marble slabs, 4^th

style stucco, and the pilaster columns supported a corbel and a barrelvaulted roof,

whose ceiling is panelled with stucco reliefs, which include cherubs riding tritons,

with others showing chariots drawn by billygoats. The chariots are filled with

various objects, including cornucopias, thyrsus and theatrical masks.

The wall panels are framed by fluted pillars capped by an ovolo, arched cornice

with egg and dart decoration. The subject matter of the panels ranges from

cherubs to flying storks.

Leading off from the cold room (frigidarium) is the cold plunge pool (6), with its

walls frescoed with seascapes and Nilotic scenes. The pool (balneum) was filled

by a cascade of water from a highly decorated nymphaeum, framed in a mosaic

covered alcove arch, with two columns holding up a mosaiccovered architrave

topped by triangular pediments.

The central wall mosaic in the niche portrays Mars and two cherubs holding his

weapons.

The next room is the warm room (7) with its hypocaust heating of the floor and

walls and in the corner of the room is a door to the sauna (8), with its four apses set

into its wall. The circular laconicum was used for dry sweat baths. The circular

shape is a standard design for this type of room - a small circular space, where

high heat could be produced (Vitruvius 5.10.5). The room is roofed with a masonry

cone that springs just above the crown of the four apses set into its walls.

The baths are devoid of statues and furniture and it seems the bath house was

badly damaged in the earthquake of 62 AD and was still undergoing repair at the

time of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. After the eruption it seems salvage work

by the Romans took place, which continued throughout the Middle Ages to modern

times. Archaeologists have found both medieval and 18^th century pottery sherds in

secure contexts and, although known about in the

19^th century, it was not

completely excavated till the excavation campaign of 19871992.

Even in its sorry state, the magnificence of the decoration, the beauty of the rooms

and the sheer thrill of stepping back into an almost complete, state of the art 1^st

century BC Roman bathhouse is an experience not forgotten.

Leaving the bathhouse, turn left and ascend the original Roman road, with its

basalt rock surface, to the Marine Gate. On your right you will see the imposing

remains of ‘The Imperial Villa’, built at the end of the 1^st century BC against the city

walls. A portico, supported by 41 fluted stucco columns, supported the roof and

protected the rear wall of the portico, which was decorated in the 3^rd style with a

black fresco background, framed by slender aedicules and embellished by

figurative medallions and small ‘emblem’ painting, most of which were removed by

the 18^th excavators. Midway along the portico, and its architectural focus, is an

imposing structure, interpreted as a dining or entertainment room. The fresco

decoration is in the 4^th style and shows scenes from mythology, including Theseus

slaying the Minotaur, Daedalus flying and Icarus, having fallen from the air, dead

on the ground.

We enter Pompeii by one of the original gates, now called ‘The Marine Gate’. The

road to the gate is too steep for carts and it is likely that goods and cargo from the

nearby harbour would have been carried by mule or porter. The gate originally had

two arches, one for pedestrians only and was subsequently rebuilt as one

entrance, with a barrelvaulted roof in opus caementicium (mix of mortar and

stone). Both entrances were closed with sets of double doors, as can be seen by

marks left by the doors on the basalt road surface”.

The book will have over 50 numbered plans drawn from site survey just for this

book. An example, the Marine Baths is below.

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Research News: Roman villa found near Sittingbourne, Kent UK.

Paul Wilkinson reports on a research project by the Kent Archaeological Field

School. Field walking two years ago identified the remains of a Roman building at

Borden just to the south of Sittingbourne. An initial geophysical survey was

inconclusive but a follow up archaeological evaluation exposed the remains of

Roman foundation walls (plan below and photo).

The building is on the fringe of the field and because of deep ploughing most of the

structure has been ploughed away and just survives below the plough zone. As a

Roman villa the building should face southeast and it is possible that we have

exposed the southern ‘wing’ of the villa with the rest of the ‘winged’ villa awaiting

discovery to the northeast. Incidentally in an area that field walking has retrieved

hundreds of sherds of Samian ware which now await dating. Artefacts retrieved by

excavation and field walking include multi coloured painted plaster, hundreds of

terracotta tessellated floor tiles, box flue tiles which show the building had central

heating and literally tons of ceramic roof tiles, both tegula and imbrix. This is just

another Roman villa along the north Kent strip of Watling Street and now takes the

number of known Roman villas to 22 and we are sure there are others awaiting

discovery.

Excavating one of the walls of the Borden Roman villa (credit Paul Wilkinson)

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Research News/2: Ship Graveyard reveals ancient

treasures

Over a stretch of two weeks in September, tips from local fishermen and sponge

divers led a team of Greek and American archaeologists to the precise locations of

22 shipwrecks in a 17squaremile area around the Fourni archipelago in the

eastern Aegean.

The find is remarkable both for the sheer number of wrecks in the small area and

the range of time periods the vessels came from.

The earliest wreck dates to the Archaic Period (700480 B.C.), while the most

recent is from the Late Medieval Period

(16th century A.D.). Ships from the

Classical Period (480323 B.C.) and the Hellenistic Period (32331 B.C.) were also

found, though a majority—12 of the 22—sailed and sank at some point during the

Late Roman Period (300600 A.D.)

“It’s an extremely rich area,” says Greek director George Koutsouflakis, an

archaeologist with the Hellenic Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities.

Finding 22 shipwrecks in only two weeks is incredibly rare, but more discoveries in

the area are likely—the team has surveyed only 5 percent of Fourni’s coasts, and

local fishermen have given them many more tips.

All the ships were merchant vessels traversing a route that connected Anatolia,

Samos, and the Black Sea region to Rhodes, Cyprus, and even Egypt. Wooden

ships generally decompose underwater or get eaten by sea worms. But their cargo

—ancient clay storage jars called amphorae—survive. Each ship was carrying

several hundred amphorae. By assessing the size and shape of the jars,

archaeologists can infer where and when they were made.

Residue or DNA analysis will confirm what they contained, but the primary goods

are not in doubt.

“We know from comparable shipwrecks and terrestrial sites that the three major

goods would have been olive oil, wine, and fish sauce,” says Jeffrey Royal, a co

director from the Floridabased RPM Nautical Foundation.

The archaeologists have only begun to analyse the material they collected from

the shipwrecks in September, but the abundance of late Roman ships is already

striking. They suspect that this apparent spike in traffic may be linked to the rise of

Constantinople and the Eastern Roman Empire in the fourth century. They expect

their ongoing research to answer many specific questions about ancient maritime

trade networks and how they related to the shifting political structures of the

Eastern Mediterranean.

Fourni was already known to some smugglers before this September’s survey.

Locals had reported seeing suspicious activity in the water near certain sites, and

the archaeologists found some evidence of looting when they dove the wrecks.

Pinpointing exact locations for 22 of the area’s shipwrecks will make it easier for

Greek authorities to supervise the sites. The archaeologists also hope that the

knowledge gained during excavations will give local communities a stronger

sense of connection to their history.

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Book Review: Pax Romana by Adrian Goldsworthy

"The Pax Romana provided a remarkable period of peace and stability, rarely seen

before or since. Yet the Romans were first and foremost conquerors, imperialists

who took by force a vast empire stretching from the Euphrates in the east to the

Atlantic coast in the west. Their peace meant Roman victory and was brought

about by strength and dominance rather than coexistence with neighbours. The

Romans were aggressive and ruthless, and during the creation of their empire

millions died or were enslaved.

But the Pax Romana was real, not merely the boast of emperors, and some of the

regions in the Empire have never again lived for so many generations free from

major wars. So what exactly was the Pax Romana and what did it mean for the

people who found themselves brought under Roman rule?

Acclaimed historian Adrian Goldsworthy tells the story of the creation of the

Empire, revealing how and why the Romans came to control so much of the world

and asking whether the favourable image of the Roman peace is a true one. He

chronicles the many rebellions by the conquered, and describes why these broke

out and why most failed. At the same time, he explains that hostility was only one

reaction to the arrival of Rome, and from the start there was alliance, collaboration

and even enthusiasm for joining the invaders, all of which increased as resistance

movements faded away.

A groundbreaking and comprehensive history of the Roman Peace, Pax Romana

takes the reader on a journey from the bloody conquests of an aggressive

Republic through the age of Caesar and Augustus to the golden age of peace and

prosperity under diligent emperors like Marcus Aurelius, offering a balanced and

nuanced reappraisal of life in the Roman Empire."

A couple of questions and answers from the Yale University Press catalogue:

Why this book?

Peace is always a rare and precious thing and this makes the “Roman Peace” all

the more remarkable, and I wanted to understand how it came about. I wanted also

to understand what the Roman Empire meant to the people who lived in it. What

was it like for the other peoples in the ancient world who found themselves living

next to the Roman Empire, or were incorporated into it, whether by force or choice?

It is simplistic to demonize empires—just as it once was to celebrate them

uncritically—and there is a danger of turning conquered peoples into passive and

virtuous victims of imperialist aggression. The truth is more complicated, and

looking at Roman power from the viewpoint of Romans and outsiders provides

many relevant insights to our own world.

But wasn’t "Pax Romana" the peace imposed by the victors, whose conceit

was that they were bringing civilization to barbarians?

The Romans fought a lot of wars, and never granted other peoples equal status.

Other kingdoms and states were either allies or real or potential enemies. Peace

made Rome and its allies safe. Only once they were well on their way to

establishing a large and permanent empire did the Romans begin to talk of a duty

to bring peace, order, and the rule of law to a wider world. This was not achieved

solely or even primarily by force. People wanted to be Roman. Peace became a

reality, even if imperfect.

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Courses at the Kent Archaeological Field School for 2016

include:

May 30^th to June 17^th 2016 excavating at 'Villa B' at Oplontis

next to Pompeii in Italy

A brilliant three weeks with over 25 students each week excavating a number of

important area of the Roman Palace. For more information access the story so far

with the report on the Preliminary Notes on Two Seasons of Research at Oplontis

B during 2014 and 2015. Printed in the Journal of Fasti Online (ISSN 18283179),

and published by the Associazione Internazionale di Archeologia Classica. Please

use the link below to download the full report.

CLICK HERE to download the article and read more

August 6^th to 14^th 2016. The Investigation of a substantial Roman Building at

Abbey Barns in Faversham

Ongoing excavations at a previously unrecorded Roman building in Kent have

uncovered evidence of an emporium serving the port at Faversham - then called

Durolevum.

Discovered in 2012 by the Kent Archaeological Field School (see CA 261), recent

work has shown that the waters of the Swale estuary lapped the buildings, which

during the Roman period sat beside a large tidal inlet deep enough to harbour

ships.

Current work on the complex’s bathhouse has yielded prestigious small finds

including silver jewellery, exotic glass vessels and large quantities of coloured wall

plaster which, together with the structure’s impressive dimensions, measuring

some 45m by 15m, suggests a building of some importance.

A silver finger ring found in the demolition rubble has been dated to the Anglo

Saxon period and similar rings found at Dover have a date of c. 575625 AD. The

ring, only big enough for a child’s hand suggests the building was demolished in

the late 6^th century to make a platform for a timber hall found in last year’s

excavation. Pottery in the cill beam slots dated this building also to the 6^th century.

KAFS director Dr Paul Wilkinson says the latest findings suggest it had rather

humbler origins, however.

‘The building was originally built in the 2^nd century AD as an aisled barn with a

concrete and chalk floor,’ he said. ‘We have found the remains of stalls used to

house farm animals in the Roman estate. But very soon afterwards the building

was rebuilt as a huge bathhouse, with plunge pools, hot rooms, steam rooms, and

warm rooms for massage.’

‘The decoration has the feel of a municipal baths with none of the luxurious

features one would expect of a private enterprise bathhouse,’ he added. ‘Given the

size of the bathhouse it is far too large for a Roman villa estate and must have

catered for another set of clientele. It is probably too far from the main Roman road

to London (Watling Street) to have been an Imperial posting house with hotel but it

probably sits astride the Roman port of Faversham and may have catered for the

crews of visiting ships.’

Pottery from the site has been dated by Malcolm Lyne which indicates the building

continued in use to the late 4^th century and into the early Saxon period being

demolished in the 12^th century. ‘Latest investigations in 2016 have unravelled

some of the mystery of the building’s function including the uncovering the bases

of three of the stone columns of the aisled building. This is the second very large

stone aisled building to be excavated by the field school and in both instances the

‘posts’ were not timber but constructed out of stone blocks with on this occasion an

op sig floor. We will return for more investigation in 2017.

September

3^rd to

11^th

2016. Investigation of Prehistoric features at

Hollingbourne in Kent

Villagers in Harrietsham pride themselves on living in a historic Kentish village, but

do they know quite how old it might be? An archaeological dig in a field near Court

Lodge Farm has uncovered evidence of a prehistoric settlement. A dozen

volunteers directed by Dr Paul Wilkinson, of the Kent Archaeological Field School,

conducted an investigation after some aerial shots revealed what looked like a site

of interest. The team unearthed signs of a drovers' road leading down from the top

of The Downs to a spring, bordered by two ditches [dated to the Bronze Age by

pottery sherds], and also postholes and ditches from an enclosure. Dr Wilkinson

said: "It's a very exciting site because it has been in multioccupation. "There is

evidence of Bronze Age, Iron Age and early Roman settlement. "There were two

enclosures: one from the Iron Age, and inside it what seems an early Roman fortlet

with a watchtower. 'There is evidence of Bronze Age, Iron Age and early Roman

settlement' "The tower would have given the Roman army a fantastic view over the

countryside and control of who accessed the springs." Some fragments of pottery

were recovered from one of the ditches and are currently undergoing analysis. Dr

Wilkinson said: "It's what we call a black and white site: under a thin layer of top

spoil there's chalk, which makes it very easy to see where the archaeology is as it

shows up black." After 10 days, the dig has been closed for this season and the

findings covered over, but Dr Wilkinson said he would return with another KAFS

team next year. "It's a work in progress," he said. Once the report on this year's dig

has been written, the findings will be published on the field school's website.

Exclusive by Alan Smith [email protected]