Hawkinge Settlement Spanned Two Centuries
Between May and August 2005, AOC Archaeology Group Ltd undertook an archaeological investigation on behalf of Pentland Homes on 3.5 hectares of land at the former Hawkinge airfield near Folkestone. This identified an extensive Prehistoric and Romano-British landscape, located on the northern side of a small spur which descends gently to the east. The position, along the North Downs ridge, overlooks the Channel, and is c.10km to the north-east and 11km to the south-west respectively, of the Roman ports of Dover and Lympne.
Following machine stripping, a plan was prepared which revealed an extensive system of boundary ditches defining at least nine sub-rectangular enclosures, which extend north and south beyond the site boundary. Substantial pottery and finds assemblages indicate two main periods of occupation.
The earliest occupation would appear to be Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age (c.900 - 600BC), although there is a small quantity of residual material demonstrating occupation in the local vicinity between c.550 - 400 BC.
The most prominent feature associated with this earlier phase is a large ring ditch measuring more than 30m in diameter to the west of the site, which has two visible entrances, one to the north and one at the south-east. The entrance to the north also had an associated oblique ditch, probably acting as a corral mechanism for livestock, the terminus of which produced one of several large Late Bronze Age loom weights found scattered across the site. Within the ring ditch enclosure were scattered numerous post-holes and pits.
The second, and by far the most prevalent period represented, is Late Iron Age – early Romano-British (1st century BC – 1st century AD). Many of the forms and fabric types were associated with 'Belgic' pottery, including grog tempering and decoration using both curvilinear grooved and combed or scored ornamentation.
The most visible and prolific of the features identified were the sub-squared and rectangular enclosure ditches. The general impression is that the enclosures and associated structures represent a small agrarian settlement. From the large quantities of cultural material associated with the ditches, the enclosures appear to have developed during the Late Iron Age and continued with later subdivision into the early Romano-British period, representing a period of two hundred years of continuous occupation and land use.
Many of these enclosures contained structural evidence, including at least a dozen four-post structures, traditionally associated with grain storage. Two grain storage pits were also identified in the south central enclosure, containing large quantities of burnt grain. Many other pits, identified as waste pits, may have served this function originally. Several groups of post-holes would, on initial inspection, appear to make up at least three large rectangular structures, either domestic or agricultural in function. In the north-west enclosure was located a smaller sub-enclosure 14m square, with an entrance to the east. Within this were several post-holes forming a possible hut circle, the only one identified on site.
Given the quantity of cultural material, this lack of round houses is a notable feature of the site.
tempting to speculate that this could support previous observations that rectangular buildings become more common by the latter part of the Iron Age, and the prospect, at least for the south-east of England, that there may be a correlation between the demise of circular huts/round houses and the emergence of the Belgic dynasties (Drewett et al, 1988).
At present we are at the very early stages of analysis, and this statement is a provisional account of the excavation. Given the abundance of material recovered, detailed post-excavation analysis will focus on further refining the chronology of the phases of activity and perhaps addressing issues of regionality and cultural changes in south-east England during the last centuries BC.
Mike House
AOC Archaeology
Refs:
Drewett, P., Rudling, D., & Gardiner M., (1988). The south-east to AD 1000