Welcome from the Editor

Welcome to the Spring 2020 Newsletter.

What strange times we currently live in. One week we are busy working on archaeological sites, the next, everything is shut down because of COVID-19 and over the coming months, we are all faced with far-reaching changes. Unsurprisingly, this issue has less content than we are used to, but that does not reflect on the quality of material, which is as fascinating as ever.

This issue contains critical statements from the Society leadership team, outlining decisions taken to keep the Society running and keeping the membership informed.

The Newsletter remains an outlet not only for the fantastic heritage and the tremendous work going on out there, but also as a method of communicating important information. Moreover, it exists so that you, the membership, may convey a broad range of topics devoted to the history and archaeology of

Kent. During these unprecedented times, I encourage many of you to pen that article you had always meant to but didn’t have spare time. In essence, additional time is now something we all have in abundance, so I implore all members to think about writing that article and help inform the broader historical and archaeological community of what is taking place in our heritage-rich and diverse County.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Gerald Cramp for his service as President these past four years.

I’ve known Gerald for many years, and I appreciate his support and contributions to the Newsletter, as President, Trustee, Society member and friend.

I’d also like to welcome our newly-appointed President- Elect, Professor Kerry Brown, who is no stranger to publishing articles in the Newsletter and I’m sure will successfully lead the Society into a very different future to what we all envisaged six months ago.

Enjoy this issue, stay safe and let’s look forward to more settled times when we can, once again, get outside, engage with and enjoy the history and archaeology of our County. I appreciate some of the events mentioned in the Notices section may not now happen, but I’ve published them nonetheless to make you aware and hopefully, they may be rearranged at a later date.

Richard Taylor

The editor wishes to draw attention to the fact that neither he nor the KAS Council are answerable for opinions which contributors may express in their signed articles; each author is alone responsible for the contents and substance of their work.