Story of the KAS Collections, 1856-2023

1 Dec

The origins of the Kent Archaeological Society’s collection go back to the very beginnings of the Society. At its inaugural meeting, on 14th April, 1858, thanks were given to William Bland of Hartlip Place, Sittingbourne, for his ‘kind and liberal donation of antiquities’ found at the remains of a Roman villa on his estate.

The villa was originally found in the mid-18th century and by 1798 Edward Hasted recorded that much of one building had already been emptied out in the hopes of finding treasure. In 1845, Mr Bland opened up several rooms, returning to excavate more areas in 1848. These were described by the noted antiquarian Charles Roach Smith in Volume 2 of his publication Collectanea Antiqua. The published plan shows a scattered group of buildings including a bath building, a buttressed aisled building and a cellared house. Hasted recorded that the cellar had contained several bushels of burnt grain.

Illustration of Hartlip Roman Villa Charles Roach Smith, Collectanea Antiqua Vol II, 1852

Gold from the Medway (Middle – Late Bronze Age, 1600 – 800 BCE)

Some of the Kent Archaeological Society’s most precious items, the Bronze Age gold ‘torcs’, have mysterious origins. Edward Pretty, Assistant Secretary of the Society and the first curator at Maidstone Museum, reported that in 1861 he was offered three gold armlets and a trumpet-shaped ornament which were said to have been found in a box in the River Medway, near Aylesford. The box was reputedly thrown back into the river. He bought these articles, which were subsequently purchased by the Society. We have even less information about the remainder of the gold items; these were also reported as found in the River Medway, near Aylesford, later purchased by the Society and comprised two twisted torcs (neck rings), a fragment of gold bar (probably a portion of another torc) and a further four bracelets.