A Round Barrow near Haynes Farm, Eythorne

A ROUND BARROW NEAR HAYNES FARM, EYTHORNE KEITH PARFITT In 1978 the writer noted a slight chalky mound in a ploughed field off Long Lane, about 350m to the north-west of Haynes Farm, between Eythorne and Shepherdswell, near Dover. This f eature had every appearance of being the ploughed-down remains of an ancient round barrow. During 1982 members of the Dover Archaeological Group carried out a limited programme of excavation here, aimed at confirming this as a barrow site and establishing the extent of plough damage. The site lies on a ridge of chalk downland, just within the southwestern boundary of the parish of Eythorne (marked by Long Lane), about 1.25km south-west of the parish church and 39m north-east of the centre of Long Lane itself (Fig. 1, inset). (NGR TR 2716 4869) Recorded in Grinsell 's (1992) survey of Kentish round barrows as Eythorne 1/DOV, the monument is situated on a gentle south facing slope at about 92m above OD. The Tithe Map of 1842 gives a combined name for the field containing the barrow - Forty Acres and Down Wood Bottom (Tithe Apportionment No. 95). The archaeological investigations demonstrated the presence of a complex, double-ditched barrow (Parfitt 1982) but full excavation was not possible due to the limited time and resources available. Subsequent documentary research (Parfitt 1986) established that the site can be equated with the 'large barrow or tumulus' recorded by Hasted (l 800, 64) as 'lying a quarter of a mile eastwards of Eythorne Court Wood, close to the road to Waldershare' but whose exact position was later lost (see Fig. I, inset). An unpublished air photograph of the site, taken by the Cambridge Aerial Photography Committee in 1979 (Ref. CJE 45) was obtained by the Group in I 996. This reaffirms the identification of the site as a complex round barrow and provides significant additional details about its structure and adjacent features. It reveals that the monument had three concentric ditches, the inner one of which had not been located or suspected during the excavations. 397 0 N \ KEITH PARFITT -------------- --- - - - - - - -;/- - --- - - - ---- ---- - - - - Tr.15 \􀀺 Tr.14 􀀻 \\ 􀀚 \ \ \ \ ' oP', Tr.13 \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ' 􀀼 Tr.12 Ditch F.48 I \ \ I I S6􀀅 / , Tr.11 I ,' I I I I I I I I T,o􀀄h 9 :;i􀀕?􀀖􀀗ti\}-_-•..... ,::;- 6 ,. 􀀖 􀀗􀀘i-:::.Pttch·•.􀀙. , ·::: · · ·. > .---:41􀀛1t:􀀜·􀀝􀀞 Pit F. 21 , I ... - - ., .I Tr.2 :,;:..· ... Trench 10 Pit F. 8 Tr.3 Tr.7 Trench 1 0 0 .... Fig. I Haynes Farm Barrow. General site plan, with inset location map. 398 A ROUND BARROW NEAR HA YNF.S FARM, EYTHORNE THE EXCAVATIONS A series of ten hand-dug trenches (Trenches 1-10) was excavated in a radial pattern around the edge of the visible mound during JanuaryFebruary 1982 (Fig. l ). This revealed evidence for two roughly concentric encircling ditches, together with a number of other features including a grave containing a crouched inhumation [F. 22). In Trenches 3, 4 and 5 most of the features located were fully excavated but in the remaining trenches just the plough-soil was removed, exposing the surface of the natural chalk and only the tops of buried features. This allowed the arrangement of the enclosing ditches and other remains to be plotted but leaves their fills intact, for any largerscale work in the future. The Base of the Mound Before excavation an oval area of chalky soil, rising some 0.40m higher than the surrounding field, was clearly visible after ploughing. This area measured about 16.50m (NW-SE) by 14.50m (NE-SW) and must represent the last remnants of the much higher mound recorded at the end of the eighteenth century (Hasted 1800, 64 ). Clearly, in the two centuries that have elapsed, ploughing has steadily removed the mound until it is now all but gone. The simple field-names given on the Tithe Map make no reference to a mound here, which could suggest that the barrow had ceased to be a significant landscape feature by the first half of the nineteenth century. Trenching revealed that the undisturbed base of the barrow mound, consisting of cream clay loam and small chalk rubble, still survived below the plough-soil. It appeared to cover an area rather smaller than the chalky scatter visible on the surface, which had presumably been spread by ploughing. Although the surface spread of the mound extended across the line of the Middle Ditch and part of the Outer Ditch on the east side, as seen in the excavated trenches the tail of the undisturbed mound stopped at, or shortly before, the inner lip of the Middle Ditch (Fig. 2, Section No. 4). There was no clear evidence that the mound had originally sealed either the Middle or the Outer Ditch, both of which appear to have silted-up entirely through natural processes (see below). On this evidence, it would seem that the Middle Ditch had once delimited the edge of the mound, giving it a diameter of about 11 m. Three features, located directly below the plough-soil, were cut into the top of the surviving mound (Fig. 1 ). On the east side, in Trench 8, a small circular pit was partly exposed near the edge of the mound [F. 31] - no attempt was made to excavate it. Close to the 399 SE l .I/ :Y mound Section No.4 SW Section No.5 KEITH PARFITT * :¥ ./, NW :k ¥ 3 NE 0 N k f :t natural chalk Section No.6 Middle Ditch 1 Metre s + f Fig. 2 Haynes Farm Barrow. Sections across Middle Ditch of barrow and boundary ditch, F.48. northern edge of the barrow mound two inter-cutting features were discovered and partially excavated in Trench 5. [F. 21] appeared to be an irregular pit at least 0.70m deep but its loose chalky fill suggested that it could be quite recent. No datable finds were recovered. The pit had probably destroyed the Inner Ditch here and was cut by a modern, vertical sided trench dug by a machine with a toothed bucket. (Mr Price, the farmer, had no knowledge of any such recent excavation in this field). Based on the sections exposed in the sides of these two features, it would seem that the barrow mound rested directly upon the natural chalk surface, with no obvious trace of any buried soil horizon. 400 A ROUND BARROW NEAR HAYNES FARM, EYTHORNE Around the north-western edge of the barrow mound, in Trenches 5, 6 and 10, eleven probable stake-holes were recorded. Several of these cut through the surviving mound dump, here only a few cm thick and it seems quite possible that they relate to some sort of wooden revetment or enclosing fence that existed on this side of the mound. Only larger-scale excavations will clarify the details. The Inner Ditch This ditch was not located during the excavations but it is clearly shown on the Cambridge air photograph. It has an estimated diameter of about 7m and lies in the central area beyond the excavated trenches (Fig. 1). How it related to the large barrow mound that once existed here remains unclear. It perhaps seems most likely that it represents an early feature, originally buried under the main mound, but which has now been re-exposed by modern plough erosion. If this is correct, it would imply that construction of the main barrow mound was a later development on the site. Possibly, the Inner Ditch originally enclosed a small primary mound that was subsequently enlarged. The Middle Ditch Also clearly shown on the air photograph is the Middle Ditch, running concentric to the Inner Ditch. From the trenches excavated, this would appear to have delimited the main barrow mound and been almost circular in plan, enclosing an area 10-11 m across. A narrow break in the ditch, about 0.25m wide, occurred on the south side. The ditch varied in width from 1.50-2.00m. It was sectioned on the northeast (Trench 4) and north-west (Trench 5) sides and was found to be 0.75m deep, with steep sides and a flat base. Where excavated, the lower fills consisted of a series of sterile, fine chalky soils with much small chalk rubble [HFB-18], representing rapid, natural silt. These deposits were sealed by layers of fine brown clay loam [HFB-16 & 17], representing slower natural silting after the initial deposits had formed (Fig. 2, Section Nos 4 & 5). Such a sequence is very common on local chalkland sites where ditches have been left untouched after their original excavation (or last cleaning). The upper ditch fills produced six waste flint flakes, four calcined flints, twenty-seven fragments of animal bone, including a fragment of shed roe deer antler and thirteen sherds of pottery, mostly prehistoric in date (see below, Groups 1 & 2) but also including two conjoining pieces of Romano-British Upchurch ware in Trench 5 [HFB-17]. These latest sherds (Group 5) could suggest that the last remnants of the ditch became finally filled during the Roman period. 401 KEITH PARFITT I 0 1 Metre Fig. 3 Haynes Farm Barrow. Plan of grave, F.22. The bulk of the ditch, however, seems to have been filled much earlier. In Trench 4, on the north-east side, the upper filling of the Middle Ditch (Fig. 2, Section No. 5, HFB-16) was found to be cut by an oval grave-pit (F. 22], measuring 1.60m (NW-SE) by 1.20m (NE-SW) and 0.35m deep (Fig. 3). This contained a well-preserved, crouched, inhumation burial (see below). The unaccompanied skeleton, of a young male, lay on its right side with the head at the south-east end and clearly represents a secondary interment. A femur from the skeleton was submitted for radio-carbon dating in 1999 (Beta 129270). The result obtained was 3460±50 BP ( l 875- I 700 Cal BC, I sigma; 1900-1650 Cal BC, 2 sigma), indicating that the burial was made sometime during the early Bronze Age, when the ditch was almost 402 A ROUND BARROW NEAR HAYNES FARM, EYTHORNE completely silted. The brown clay loam and chalk filling of the grave [HFB- I 3 & 14] yielded seven waste flint flakes, two calcined flints, three fragments of animal bone and eight sherds of Grooved Ware (Group 1). Stake-holes between the Middle and Outer Ditch The 0.90- l .80m wide baulk of undug natural chalk separating the Middle and Outer ditches was cut by a series of probable stake-holes (except on the north-west and south sides where they seemed to be absent; Fig. 1 ). All thirty-two stake-holes located were excavated. They were 0.04-0. l 8m in diameter and 0.04-0.27m deep. Most were filled with brown clay loam and chalk grit. From the limited work undertaken, no regular pattern was obvious but it seems possible that they mark the position of a wooden fence or free-standing stake circle. There was no clear evidence that the barrow mound ever extended across the in-filled Middle Ditch, so it is unlikely that these stakes could have served as a revetment to the mound, as may be the case with similar stake-holes located on the inner edge of the Middle Ditch (see above). The Outer Ditch Although not quite concentric, the Outer Ditch enclosed the Middle Ditch and the stake-hole complex. It delimited a roughly circular area 16.50-18.00m in diameter, with a large break, at least 7m across, on the northern side. The ditch was 2.60-3.60m wide and where sectioned on the south-west (Trench 3) and north-east (Trench 4) side was found to be about 0.78m deep, with a flat- bottomed profile similar to the Middle Ditch (Fig. 4, Section Nos. 1 and 2). The sequence of fills, too, was similar to the Middle Ditch with coarse, chalky rapid silts giving way to finer, brown clay loams in the upper part of the ditch, all seemingly of natural origin. In Trench 3 the primary chalk silt deposit across the base of the ditch [HFB-7] produced a tooth from a ?cow and three waste flint flakes. The middle filling [HFB-6] yielded two conjoining base sherds of Grooved Ware (Group 1), whilst the upper soil fills [HFB-5 & 8] produced five more prehistoric sherds (Groups l, 2 & 3), together with one piece of Belgic grog-tempered ware (Group 4) and another sherd of Roman date (Group 5). Five struck flints, including a finely worked awl and eight pieces of animal bone were also recovered. In Trench 4 a small deposit of charcoal [HFB-11] rested on the base of the ditch, against its inner edge (Fig. 4; Section No. 2). This was 403 SW .:le. I NE { + Section No.1 4 Ii Section No.2 ¥ 􀀃 Outer Ditch i i. 3 :k -i. 3 * natural chalk Outer Ditch 2 Metres -1. :I,. 'i:. 􀀄 ¥.. Pit F. 9 SW + J,. j, Pit F. 8 -:f. NE Ditch F. 15 Fig. 4 Haynes Farm Barrow. Sections across Outer Ditch of barrow and other features. ;:,;: A ROUND BARROW NEAR HAYNES FARM, EYTHORNE sealed by a silt layer [HFB-10) and must have been deposited in the ditch very soon after it was dug. A sample of the charcoal was submitted for radio-carbon dating in 1997 (Beta 106448; Parfitt 1998, 378). The result was 3400±70 BP (1755-1615 Cal BC, 1 sigma; 1885- 1515 Cal BC, 2 sigma). This date is very close to that subsequently obtained from the skeleton cut into the Middle Ditch (see above) and again indicates that the Outer Ditch was dug in the early Bronze Age. The layer over the charcoal [HFB-10] yielded three waste flint flakes and three Grooved Ware pot-sherds (Group 1; Fig. 5, 3). The soil filling the top of the ditch [HFB-9) produced three more prehistoric pot-sherds (Group 3) and another probably of 'Belgic' date (Group 4), together with twenty-five pieces of animal bone. Boundary Ditches North-East of the Barrow and Other Features Diff erential drying of the plough-soil to the north-east of the barrow site revealed substantial lengths of two probable field boundary ditches. Running north-eastwards away from the barrow, curving ditch [F. 48] was traced for a total distance of 36m, at which point it joined with a straight ditch, aligned NW-SE (Fig. I). This second ditch could be seen running for well over 60m, towards the south-eastern edge of the field. Both ditches can also be clearly discerned on the air photograph; the straight ditch appears to have terminated a short distance north-west of its junction with [F. 48). No other significant ditch lines are visible on the photo. The plough-soil over [F. 48} was removed at six points (Trenches 8, l 1-15) in order to establish its width, but time only allowed the fill to be excavated in one place (Trench 11 ). The ditch was 1.00-1 .35m wide and where sectioned was 0.55m deep, with sloping sides and a rounded base (Fig. 2, Section No. 6). The fill was again separated into a sterile primary silt of loose small chalk rubble and an upper fill of brown clay loam, with lesser amounts of chalk. This upper filling [HFB-19) produced a single struck flint, three calcined flints and a fragment of animal bone but no readily datable material. Excavation in Trench 8 showed that the western end of the ditch stopped some 0.40m short of the Outer Ditch of the barrow with a neatly rounded terminal, implying that it was contemporary with, or post-dated, the monument. In the northern end of Trench 4 part of another possible field boundary ditch was located [F. 15). Its full size was not determined but it was at least 0.50m wide and 0.30m deep, filled with brown clay loam and chalk (Fig. 4, Section No. 2). It appeared to be running northeastwards but its relationship to the Outer Ditch had been destroyed by a later feature [F. 9]. F. 9 had steep sides and a slightly rounded 405 KEITH PARFITT base and was 0.50m deep (Fig. 4, Section No. 2). Whether it was a pit, or the terminal of a later ditch running northwards, was not determined. No datable finds were recovered from the filling of [F. 15] but [F. 9] yielded ten struck flints, including a finely worked scraper, three cores and six waste flakes, together with three calcined flints and eleven pieces of animal bone [HFB-12]. Another feature [F. 8] partially examined in Trench 3, to the southwest of the Outer Ditch, could be part of the terminal of a ditch running south-eastwards, or a pit (Fig. 4, Section No. I). Its upper filling of brown clay loam [HFB-4] produced two conjoining sherds of coarse flint gritted pottery (Group 3), probably of early Iron Age date. THE FINDS Due to the limited nature of the excavations the number of finds recovered from the site was fairly small. Nevertheless, the general impression gained was that the barrow never served as a focus for the deposition of domestic refuse and much of the material recovered is probably residual. The bulk of the finds consist of struck flints, mostly collected from the surface of the barrow mound and the surrounding field. All the material from the site has been deposited in Dover Museum with a copy of the site archives. The Pottery (Fig. 5) based on notes by Nigel Macpherson-Grant The site produced a total of forty-five pot-sherds, representing at least thirty-three different vessels, the bulk of which seem to be of late Neolithic Grooved Ware. Most of the sherds are small and abraded and none is likely to be in a primary context. The pottery has been divided into five separate chronological groups, each briefly discussed below: Group I: Late Neolithic Grooved Ware (Fig. 5, J-5) Two-thirds (30 sherds) of the total pottery assemblage appears to belong to the late Neolithic Grooved Ware tradition. This material was recovered in roughly equal quantities from the filling of the Middle Ditch, the Outer Ditch and the grave [F. 22] with four sherds found on the field surface in the area of the barrow. The fabric consists of a soft orange-brown/black ware, with small amounts of chalk and burnt flint occurring in some, but not all, pieces. Three rim sherds were recovered (Fig. 5, 2-4) and there is one base fragment (Fig. 5, I). There are six instances of grooved decoration, one of fingerpinched 'rustication' (Fig. 5, 5), and one possible example of shell-edge decoration. Cleal, in her recent general survey, has highlighted the close correlation between Bronze Age barrow sites and the occurrence of late Neolithic Grooved Ware (Cleal and MacSween 1999, 6). When the present site was excavated only one other location producing Grooved Ware had been published from Kent (Wainwright and Longworth 1971, 278) and this was at East 406 A ROUND BARROW NEAR HAYNES FARM, EYTHORNE Malling near Snodland, some 55 km to the west. Just over a dozen sites with Grooved Ware are now known (Cleal and MacSween 1999,189), most notably the newly discovered Bronze Age barrow at Ringlemere Farm, Woodnesbor ough, about 8.5 km north of the present site (Parfitt 2003). The small assemblage from Eythorne, nevertheless, remains a very useful group. Groups 2 and 3: Late Bronze Age and Iron Age (not illustrated) Four sherds tempered with coarse burnt flint grit (Group 2) could belong to the later Bronze Age. Two of these sherds came from the upper filling of the Middle Ditch [HFB- I 6 & 17), one came from the upper filling of the Outer Ditch [HFB-5] and another was a surface find [HFB-3]. Six more sherds tempered with a slightly finer flint grit are likely to be of Iron Age date (Group 3). Three of these came from the upper filling of the Outer Ditch [HFB-9]. Two more came from pit [F. 8] and one was a surface find [HFB-1 ]. No rims or bases were recovered and the fragmentary nature of the sherds does not allow any definite dating. Groups 4 and 5: Belgic Grog-tempered and Roman Wares (not illustrated) Two fragments of Belgic grog-tempered ware (Group 4) were recovered from the upper fill of the Outer Ditch [HFB-8 & 9]. Group 5 material was represented by a handle fragment from a small Roman flagon found in the upper filling of the Outer Ditch [HFB-5) and two joining sherds of Upchurch Ware from the top of the Middle Ditch [HFB-17]. CATALOGUE OP ILLUSTRATED POTTERY (FIG. 5) No. I Base of a small Grooved Ware vessel, in orange-brown fabric, with sparse flint grit tempering. Trench 4, upper filling of Middle Ditch [HFB-16]. No. 2 Upright rim fragment from a vessel of Grooved Ware. Traces of an incised line on top of rim; roughly incised linear decoration on the exterior. Internal thickening of the rim bears impressed decoration. Soft, black, fabric with sparse chalk grit tempering, light brown surfaces. Trench 4, upper filling of Middle Ditch [HFB-16]. No. 3 Upright rim fragment from a large vessel of Grooved Ware. Internal horizontal moulding of sub-rectangular cross-section. Exterior decorated with at least three deep horizontal grooves, typical of the Clacton sub-style. Rim-top and inner lip bear impressed decoration. Fairly soft, black fabric with sparse chalk grit tempering; black exterior and dark brown interior surface. Trench 4, lower filling of Outer Ditch [HFB-10]. No. 4 Everted rim fragment from a small vessel of Grooved Ware in soft orange-brown fabric. Traces of deeply impressed circles on the exterior. Lower filling of grave, F. 22 [HFB-14]. No. 5 Wall sherd of soft orange-brown fabric with finger-pinched 'rustication' on the exterior. Grooved Ware, or possibly Beaker. Upper filling of grave, F. 22 [HFB-13]. 407 ... ------􀀉---- - - - - .,,,, ..... - - -_-_ .%"-""';,::' ..... :: : - - ... ..- :, 􀀏 ; - - ,,. ... 􀀐-;,. - 􀀑- Joo, - -- =:...-.... ........ ... ,,,. '- .c;? <-.'-' ... ... F􀀕=;-:::::􀀖:;=􀀗:::-􀀘::1 􀀙---􀀚 ..;. • 2 3 4 I􀀂 ) 5 Fig. 5 Haynes Farm Barrow. Late Neolithic Grooved Ware from the site (I :2). Drawn by Nigel Macpherson-Grant } A ROUND BARROW NEAR HAYNES FARM, EYTHORNE Prehistoric Flint-work (not illustrated) by Geoff Halliwell The investigations produced a total of 184 prehistoric struck flints and nineteen calcined flints. Of the struck flints, well over three-quarters were recovered from the surface of the field [HFB-1, 2 & 3], particularly across the site of the barrow [HFB-2 & 3]. where a careful search was undertaken before the excavations began. The excavated trenches produced a further thirty-five flints, most of which are likely to be residual and not directly connected with activity at the monument. Eleven pieces were discovered in the fillings of the Outer Ditch and six more came from the fillings of the Middle Ditch. The general filling of the grave [F. 22] contained another seven pieces, whilst the largest single group was represented by ten flints recovered from pit [F. 9]. A broken flake came from boundary ditch [F. 48]. The flints discovered on the surface are characterised by a dense white patina and most show some degree of erosion due to ploughing and weathering. Apart from one piece of Bullhead flint (see below), the raw material used is typical local downland flint with a thick, coarse, white cortex. The bulk of the struck pieces are waste flakes; most are fairly thick and there are very few blade-like pieces. Only two cores and one hammer-stone are present. There are also a number of worked artefacts, including sixteen scrapers, part of a crudely chipped axe, a bi facial notched 'spoke-shave' and a finely made fabricator in Bullhead flint. The scrapers are all of moderate size and are generally fairly crude. They include end, end-and-side and side-scrapers. There are no particularly diagnostic tool-types present within this assemblage - a broad later Neolithic to earlier Bronze Age date seems most likely. Similar surface scatters of struck flints, also probably of this general period, are common on the downlands around Dover and, within Eythorne parish, other significant assemblages have been recovered from the ridge to the north-west of Malmains Farm, some 2km to the east (R. Hoskins, pers. comm.). The stratified flints from the excavated trenches, in overall appearance, are slightly different to the surface finds. They are generally fresh and unweathered, usually with a thin blue-white patina. Again, the local downland flint with a coarse white cortex provided the raw material for working, with another single exception in Bullhead flint, which is also readily available locally. As in the surface collection, the bulk of the stratified assemblage is represented by waste flakes, with three largish 2-3 platform cores contained within the filling of [F. 9], one re-used as a hammer-stone. From a technological point of view, the stratified flakes are generally thinner than the surface finds, with rather more blade-like flakes. There are just two worked pieces - a finely retouched nosed scraper from the filling of [F. 9) and a long, well-made awl on a blade from the lower filling of the Outer Ditch [HFB-7). As with the flints recovered from the surface, there are no particularly diagnostic pieces in the present assemblage. The significant amount of Grooved Ware pottery recovered from the site strongly suggests that at least some of the flint-work is likely to be contemporary but a broad later Neolithic/earlier Bronze Age date-range is all that may be suggested on the basis of the flints themselves. Of the small amounts of calcined flint recovered, seven fragments were found scattered across the surface of the field beyond the barrow. Four more 409 KEITH PARFI1T came from the filling of the Middle Ditch of the barrow, with two from the filling of the grave [F. 22]. Three came from the filling of pit/ditch [F. 9) and another three from boundary ditch [F. 48). Although very common on prehistoric sites, they are not closely datable finds. The small quantity of struck flint associated with the Haynes Farm barrow stands in marked contrast to the early Bronze Age round barrow site excavated by the Dover Group on Mill Hill at Deal, about 9km to the east. Here very large quantities of rough struck flint-work had eventually been dumped into the upper part of the barrow's single enclosing ditch, indicating extensive knapping in the immediate area of the mound, probably during the later Bronze Age (Parfitt 1990, 11; 1998, 379). Substantial quantities of struck flint were also recovered during the excavation of the complex round barrow near Eastling Wood, about 3km south-east of the Haynes Farm site, although these were thought to be mostly residual (Allen 1997, 32; see below). Possible Bead from Trench 5 (not illustrated) by Keith Parfitt The otherwise sterile lower filling of the Middle Ditch in Trench 5 [HFB-18] produced a small, roughly spherical piece of hard chalk-like stone, with a central perforation about 4mm in diameter. This may be identified as an example of the common chalk fossil sea-sponge, Porosphaera globularis. The natural perforation through the centre could have readily allowed the object to be threaded to form part of a necklace (see Parfitt 1988) but whether the present specimen was ever so-used must remain uncertain. Given the general Jack of other artefacts found within this silt deposit, it perhaps seems most likely that this is an entirely natural object, untouched by human hands. The Human Skeleton from Grave, F. 22 by the late P.H. Garrard MBBS Considering its age (see above), this is a well-preserved skeleton (Fig. 3), being light-coloured and unstained except for a dark mark on the left parietal bone of the skull, cause not known. It was buried in chalky ground, but the bones are not unduly brittle. Many bones show fine grooves and crossmarkings, possibly due to insect or root activity. The following bones were present:- Ribs and sternum All the ribs from both sides, only three being unbroken. Sternum, manubrium sterni and xiphisternum. Upper limb Both clavicles, the right broken. Left humerus intact. Right humerus broken but complete. Epiphyseal lines of heads of humeri are prominent, suggesting incomplete fusion. Left radius intact. Right radius broken but complete. Left and right ulnae broken. Both lower epiphyses detached. Five wrist bones. Fifteen phalanges. Left scapula intact except for some erosion of the ala. Only the glenoid cavity and coracoid process of the right scapula are present. Humerus 29.5cm. Radius 23cm. 410 A ROUND BARROW NEAR HAYNES FARM, EYTHORNE Lower limb Left hip bone complete except for pubic part. Acetabulum intact. No arthritis. Right hip bone: ilium missing. Acetabulum normal. No arthritis. Serrated condition of pubic bone suggests that union with opposite pubic bone was not complete. Angle of sciatic notch (about 75 degrees), size of acetabulum and strong structure suggest a male. Both femoral shafts broken but bones complete. Lower epiphyseal lines are prominent and suggest incomplete fusion. No arthritis. Femur 43.5cm. Both patellae. Left tibia complete but shaft broken in lower third. Lower end of right tibia detached and bone crushed. Bones from the mid-foot and most of the phalanges. Tibia 35cm. Vertebral column All the vertebrae are present in good condition except for erosion in places. The radial ridging of the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae indicate that the epiphyseal plates have not united. Lower part of sacrum and coccyx missing. Skull The vault is complete but most of the bones are broken. They are rather thin. The bones of the base of the skull are fragmented. The maxilla is complete. All l 6 teeth have fully erupted, are unworn and in very good condition except for early caries in the first upper left molar. The mandible is complete but broken through in the midline. Both mandible and maxilla are heavily built. A male, with a height of 166cm (5ft 6in.) (see Trotter and Gleser 1952; I 958). The unworn teeth and immature epiphyses suggest an age of 20-23. There is no evidence of injury sustained before death, and there is no disease. All the fractures appear to have been sustained after burial. Animal Bone by Jill Bowers The site produced some 80 fragments of animal bone (700g), of which five were surface finds. Most pieces are still fairly hard and in a reasonably good condition, although about half are too fragmentary for identification. The bulk came from the filling of the ditches encircling the barrow mound. The Outer Ditch produced thirty-four pieces, all from the upper fill, except one. This group includes, three sheep teeth, two cow teeth, one scapula from a cow and several leg bone fragments from sheep, cow and possibly pig. The upper fill of the Middle Ditch yielded twenty-seven bone fragments, including part of a scapula, probably from a cow and parts of two probable pig jaws. The boss of a shed roe deer antler was also recovered from Trench 4. This was probably too small for use as an antler pick and there is no evidence that it has been utilised by man. The lower filling of F. 9 (pit or ditch terminal) produced eleven pieces of bone, including two sheep teeth, part of a scapula of uncertain species and three very small bones, possibly bird. The general filling of the grave [F. 22] produced three unidentified bone fragments and another uncertain fragment came from the upper fill of the field ditch [F. 48]. 411 KEITH P ARFITI Land Molluscs No controlled sampling of the excavated features for land mollusc remains was undertaken, although sixty-six shells were recovered by hand during the course of investigations (not analysed). Most features were found to contain shells of terrestrial snail and it seems probable that some useful samples could be obtained during any future excavation. DATING AND DISCUSSION From the fairly limited investigations undertaken it is clear that the barrow near Haynes Farm is a complex monument associated with three concentric encircling ditches (Fig. 1) and seemingly incorporating several successive phases of development. In the eighteenth century the site was still marked by a large mound but by the later twentieth century this had been almost completely ploughed away. The two radio-carbon dates available indicate that much of the activity connected with the monument occurred during the earlier part of the Bronze Age, although a significant amount of residual late Neolithic Grooved Ware pottery recovered clearly indicates previous activity in the immediate area (see below). Based on the available evidence, a provisional sequence for the development of the present monument may be tentatively put forward here but only complete excavation will confirm this. The earliest feature, untouched by excavation, is likely to be represented by the Inner Ditch shown on the Cambridge air photograph. About 7m in diameter at the centre of the monument, this probably pre-dated the main covering barrow. Conceivably, it enclosed a small primary barrow, sealing central burials, or perhaps a timber structure. This might represent the source of the Grooved Ware pottery recovered and could suggest a late Neolithic origin for the site. Radio-carbon dates associated with Grooved Ware excavated from pits on Mill Hill at Deal, some 9km to the east, indicate that such pottery was in use there between 2880 and 2450 Cal. BC (Parfitt 1998, 377). If the present monument was first established during the late Neolithic, a period of use for around a thousand years would seem t o be implied. The close association of Grooved Ware finds with subsequent Bronze Age barrow sites is now a well established phenomenon that has yet to be fully explained (Cleal and MacSween 1999). Later, the Middle Ditch, enclosing an area about 1 Im across, was constructed around the monument leaving an undug causeway on the south side. This causeway appears to be too narrow to represent an entrance gap. Spoil from the ditch may have been used to create or enlarge a central mound, sealing the Inner Ditch. The Middle Ditch 412 A ROUND BARROW NEAR HAYNES FARM, BYTHORNE itself seems to have slowly silted-up through natural weathering and when it was almost full a crouched inhumation was placed in a shallow grave dug through its upper filling on the north-east side. A radio-carbon date indicates that this was sometime during the period c.1900-1650 Cal BC. A second radio-carbon date implies that it was also within this period, or slightly later, that the Outer Ditch was constructed. The fact that the two excavated ditches were apparently not quite concentric perhaps helps to confirm that they are not exactly contemporary. Spoil from the Outer Ditch is likely to have been used either to enlarge an existing central barrow mound or to raise one for the first time. Either way, the mound does not seem to have extended across the line of the Middle Ditch; indeed, it may have been partially retained by a revetment of wooden stakes set around the inner lip of this ditch. Another, probably discontinuous, line of wooden stakes appears to have once occupied the area between the Middle and Outer ditches. These could have been erected either before or after the cutting of the ditches. Calculations suggest that the Middle Ditch would have produced around 42m3 of spoil, which could have formed a mound about 11 m in diameter but less than 1 m high. The Outer Ditch would have produced roughly l 90m3 of spoil which could have been used to increase the height of the original mound to about 3m, a figure more consistent with Hasted' s description. Both the ground investigations and air photograph evidence suggest that the barrow was associated with a system of ditched fields. At least one of the field boundary ditches (F. 48) respects the Outer Ditch of the barrow, implying it is contemporary with, or only slightly later than the monument, although there is no other useful dating evidence. The occurrence of barrows within ancient field systems has been frequently noted in other parts of Britain (Fowler 1983, 112). The excavation at the Haynes Farm site represents one of an increasing number of investigations undertaken on Kentish round barrows over the last twenty-five years. Unlike the chalklands of Yorkshire and Wessex, however, there is no large body of prehistoric material from the campaigns of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century barrow digging in east Kent with which to compare the data from more recent excavations (Ashbee and Dunning 1960, 48; Grinsell 1992, 356). The absence of extensive collections of prehistoric material from Kentish sites is not due to any lack of barrow diggers and it seems that widespread destruction of these early mounds had already taken place by the start of the nineteenth century and many more have been lost subsequently. Recent aerial surveys have shown 413 KEITH PARFITT that there are, in fact, numerous barrow sites in the region, virtually all now largely destroyed by ploughing, but still surviving as crop marks. The Isle ofThanet appears to be especially rich (Elworthy and Perkins 1987, 338-9). Several excavations, particularly on Thanet, have revealed prehistoric barrow sites with double and triple ditches and it now seems quite possible that such 'complex barrows', including the present site, will be found to form a distinctive group in our region, as has already been suggested for Thanet (Champion 1982, 32). Excavations in the l 970s at Lord of the Manor on Thanet revealed a large, triple-ditched barrow associated with a series of burials (Macpherson-Grant 1977) and more recent work at nearby Monkton has exposed about half a double-ditched example (Bennett et al. 1996). Just 3km south-east of the present site, investigations during 1995, ahead of the construction of the Whitfield-Eastry by-pass near Eastling Wood, allowed the complete excavation of another complex double-ditched barrow with associated burials (Grinsell 1992, Sutton 2/DOV; Allen 1997). On the evidence of the work so far undertaken at Haynes Farm, it is clear that this site would fully repay complete excavation, if time, money and resources became available. There is no doubt that modern ploughing will continue to slowly destroy the mound and any underlying burials so that eventually such evidence, if indeed it does survive now, will be completely removed. These comments unfortunately apply equally to very many other barrow sites on the Downlands of east Kent. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The excavations were possible through the good offices of the farmer, Mr S. Price, of Haynes Farm. Of the Group members who took part in the work, Mrs Joan Briggs, Mrs Shirley Creasey, Miss Tina Avann (now Mrs Parfitt) and Messrs Ben Stocker, Geoff Halliwell, Mike Halliwell and Howard Jones must be mentioned for their hard work during the project. Mr Peter Keller kindly assisted with drawing the human skeleton on site and Barry Corke has prepared all the fielddrawings for publication. The production of this report has been greatly assisted by the detailed local knowledge and research of Richard Hoskins. The Group is also grateful to the late Dr P.H. Garrard of St Margaret's Bay for examining and reporting on the skeleton. Mr Nigel Macpherson-Grant undertook the study of the pottery recovered and provided the illustrations; Dr Ian Longworth and Dr Alex Gibson kindly commented on the late Neolithic Grooved Ware. 414 A ROUND BARROW NEAR HAYNES FARM. EYTHORNE BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen. 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