Askew, P. and Booth, P. (2006). The Prehistoric, Roman and Medieval Landscape at Northumberland Bottom, Gravesend, Kent. Oxford: Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture. https://doi.org/10.5284/1008830. Cite this using datacite

Title
Title
The title of the publication or report
Title:		 The Prehistoric, Roman and Medieval Landscape at Northumberland Bottom, Gravesend, Kent
Series
Series
The series the publication or report is included in
Series:		 Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture unpublished report series
Downloads
Downloads
Any files associated with the publication or report that can be downloaded from the ADS
Downloads:
WNB_ISR_Text.pdf (765 kB) : Download
Licence Type
Licence Type
ADS, CC-BY 4.0 or CC-BY 4.0 NC.
Licence Type:
ADS Terms of Use and Access icon
ADS Terms of Use and Access
DOI
DOI
The DOI (digital object identifier) for the publication or report.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5284/1008830
Publication Type
Publication Type
The type of publication - report, monograph, journal article or chapter from a book
Publication Type:		 Report (in Series)
Abstract
Abstract
The abstract describing the content of the publication or report
Abstract:		 As part of an extensive programme of archaeological investigations carried out in advance of the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), the Museum of London Archaeology Service was commissioned to undertake archaeological recording to the west of Northumberland Bottom, Southfleet, in Kent. The excavation areas lie c.1.5 km to the southeast of the Roman ‘small town’ at Springhead. The site lies alongside the A2 (Watling Street) between Hazells Farm and Wrotham Road, and is 1.75 km long (OS NGR 562536 171753 to 564123 171006). The investigations were carried out between June 1998 and May 2000, under the project management of Rail Link Engineering, on behalf of Union Railways (South) Limited (a subsidiary of London and Continental Railways Limited).Earlier prehistoric evidence consists entirely of isolated funerary features (burials with no surviving indications of barrow mounds). The earliest of these was a late Neolithic/early Bronze Age double inhumation burial, with pottery beakers, found overlooking the Wrotham Road dry valley. The primary burial was radiocarbon dated to 2120–1780 cal BC (3601±40 BP, NZA-22735) and the secondary burial to 2280–1980 cal BC (3743±40 BP, NZA-22736). A single cremation burial of early Bronze Age date was found in an upturned collared urn, overlooking the Downs Road dry valley, and a single middle to late Bronze Age cremation burial was found on high ground, roughly equidistant between Wrotham Road and Downs Road.The earliest evidence for settlement occupation occurs in the earlier middle Iron Age and was concentrated near Hazells Farm. Evidence comprised a scattered group of five pits, a cooking pit, a water hole, a metalworking area consisting of bowl furnace bases and an area of possible animal pens. One of the pits contained a La Tène brooch, dating from the 5th to 4th century BC; another contained a large, mixed deposit of partially dismembered animal carcasses, perhaps evidence for feasting. A red deer bone from the pit was radiocarbon dated to 370–190 cal BC (2222±30 BP, NZA-22748).Evidence for later middle to late Iron Age activity extended over a much wider area, although indications of settlement activity in this period remain concentrated in the western half of the site. The Hazells Farm site continued in use, but there is evidence, in the form of enclosures, droveways, a pair of adjacent four-post structures and other features, that the rising ground to the east of Downs Road was increasingly exploited in this period. In the late Iron Age or early Roman period an enclosed site of uncertain function was established c.300 m to the east of Downs Road. The enclosure developed alongside a minor track, and appears to have been abandoned before c AD 70. Associated features include a number of pits, several ovens or kilns, a hearth, a horse burial, a possible ritual pit deposit containing unburnt human bone, a well or deep quarry, and a cremation burial.There were two foci of agricultural activity during the Roman period. The earliest, on the high ground to the west of the Wrotham Road dry valley, consisted of a group of adjoining rectangular enclosures bounded by banks and ditches. Activity at this location was mainly in the 1st century AD, extending into the 2nd century, and included evidence for cereal processing and domestic activity, including an oven. There were also two pits containing neo-natal burials.The second, later focus of Roman activity was located near the junction of Hazells Road and Downs Road. Features included the masonry foundations of a twin-chambered ‘corn dryer’ and elements of a field system, lying alongside a metalled track (probably a Roman precursor of Downs Road). The coin and ceramic assemblages from this site comprise the only exclusively late Roman (late 3rd to 4th century) site assemblages from the CTRL Section 1 project.Two medieval sites, found on either side of Downs Road, were dated by ceramic evidence to the 12th/ 13th century. They perhaps form part of a medieval precursor of Hazells Farm. They comprised at least one large rectangular timber post-built building, located c. 200m east of the present farm, and traces of two circular domed clay ovens, lying alongside Hazells Road. Some 600 m to the east, on the higher ground between Downs Road and Wrotham Road, was a sequence of enclosures, with some indication of structures, ovens and rubbish pits, also dating from the 12th or early 13th century.Evidence for more recent land-use includes a brick clamp dating from c 1450-1700, located c 100m north of Hazells Farm. A Second World War army camp and anti aircraft battery were recorded just to the west of Wrotham Road.
Author
Author
The authors of this publication or report
Author:		 P Askew
P Booth
Publisher
Publisher
The publisher of the publication or report
Publisher:		 Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture
Other Person/Org
Other Person/Org
Other people or organisations for this publication or report
Other Person/Org:		 London and Continental Railways (Responsible body)
Year of Publication
Year of Publication
The year the book, article or report was published
Year of Publication:		 2006
Locations
Locations
Any locations covered by the publication or report. This is not the place the book or report was published.
Locations:
Location - Auto Detected: Springhead
Location - Auto Detected: Wrotham Road
Location - Auto Detected: Hazells Road
Location - Auto Detected: Northumberland Bottom
Location - Auto Detected: Downs Road
Country: England
Location - Auto Detected: Kent
Location - Auto Detected: Watling Street
Site: Northumberland Bottom
Parish: GRAVESEND
Location - Auto Detected: Hazells Farm
Location - Auto Detected: Southfleet
County: Kent
Grid Reference: 562540, 171750 (Easting, Northing)
Grid Reference: 564120, 171000 (Easting, Northing)
Subjects / Periods
Subjects / Periods
Subjects / Periods associated with this record.
Subjects / Periods:
early Bronze Age (Auto Detected Temporal)
middle Iron Age (Auto Detected Temporal)
5th to 4th century BC (Auto Detected Temporal)
2nd century (Auto Detected Temporal)
June 1998 (Auto Detected Temporal)
Roman (Auto Detected Temporal)
Prehistoric (Auto Detected Temporal)
later middle to late Iron Age (Auto Detected Temporal)
1st century AD (Auto Detected Temporal)
early 13th (Auto Detected Temporal)
2120–1780 cal BC (Auto Detected Temporal)
late Neolithic/early Bronze Age (Auto Detected Temporal)
2280–1980 cal BC (Auto Detected Temporal)
c 1450-1700 (Auto Detected Temporal)
late Bronze Age (Auto Detected Temporal)
late Iron Age (Auto Detected Temporal)
12th/ 13th century (Auto Detected Temporal)
Medieval (Auto Detected Temporal)
early Roman (Auto Detected Temporal)
AD 70. (Auto Detected Temporal)
late Roman (late 3rd to 4th century (Auto Detected Temporal)
12th (Auto Detected Temporal)
ANIMAL BURIAL PIT (Monument Type England)
urn (Auto Detected Subject)
track (Auto Detected Subject)
masonry (Auto Detected Subject)
enclosures (Auto Detected Subject)
ditches (Auto Detected Subject)
hearth (Auto Detected Subject)
human bone (Auto Detected Subject)
barrow (Auto Detected Subject)
ceramic (Auto Detected Subject)
pits (Auto Detected Subject)
cremation (Auto Detected Subject)
burials (Auto Detected Subject)
cremation burial (Auto Detected Subject)
bowl furnace bases (Auto Detected Subject)
rectangular timber post-built building (Auto Detected Subject)
kilns (Auto Detected Subject)
funerary (Auto Detected Subject)
metalworking (Auto Detected Subject)
ovens (Auto Detected Subject)
field system (Auto Detected Subject)
brick clamp dating (Auto Detected Subject)
horse burial (Auto Detected Subject)
pottery beakers (Auto Detected Subject)
ANIMAL BURIAL (Monument Type England)
pit (Auto Detected Subject)
radiocarbon (Auto Detected Subject)
bone (Auto Detected Subject)
enclosure (Auto Detected Subject)
burial (Auto Detected Subject)
cereal (Auto Detected Subject)
double inhumation burial (Auto Detected Subject)
rectangular enclosures (Auto Detected Subject)
brooch (Auto Detected Subject)
settlement (Auto Detected Subject)
coin (Auto Detected Subject)
circular domed clay ovens (Auto Detected Subject)
rubbish pits (Auto Detected Subject)
well (Auto Detected Subject)
ANIMAL REMAINS (Object England)
cooking pit (Auto Detected Subject)
Identifiers
Identifiers
Identifiers associated with the publication. These might include DOIs, site codes, Monument Identifiers etc.
Identifiers:
Archsearch Import RCN: CTRL09-4
Source
Source
Where the record has come from or which dataset it was orginally included in.
Source:
Source icon
ADS Archive (Channel Tunnel Rail Link)
Relations
Relations
Other resources which are relevant to this publication or report
Relations:
Project archive: https://doi.org/10.5284/1044802
Created Date
Created Date
The date the record of the pubication was first entered
Created Date:		 24 Nov 2016