The Margate to Broadstairs Pipeline: Recent Discoveries
The plan by Southern Water Services to lay a new underground wastewater pipe has given Wessex Archaeology a wonderful opportunity to further investigate the archaeology of the Isle of Thanet. The pipeline, which runs from Margate Headworks to Broadstairs Headworks and Weatherlees Hill wastewater treatment works, runs across a varied landscape. It travels from the chalk cliffs of Margate, across the plateau, before sloping down below Cottington Hill towards the Wantsum peninsula.
The archaeological discoveries have been equally varied. So far, eight significant areas have been excavated along the route, but work is still going on, and more sites may yet be found.
There have been exciting discoveries; Late Bronze Age ingots (1100-700BC); four Romano-British cemeteries; a medieval oven or bakery; and a large ditch, possibly a flood defence for the Wantsum Channel.
The earliest finds were a number of Late Bronze Age ditches, pits and postholes; and the bronze ingots at Ebbsfleet Lane. These add to the two Bronze Age hoards discovered on this site in 2004. Close to Star Lane, a single cremation burial dating to the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age (1100-400BC) was found. Cremation burials of this date are rare.
Of the four Romano-British cemeteries, one was on the higher ground close to Coltswood Farm Road, and the other three were close together at the base of Cottington Hill.
At Coltswood Farm Road some of the cremation burials had been placed in wooden caskets. Grave goods had been placed with the burials. Two of the burials contained samian vessels stamped TERITIVSFE.
At the bottom of Cottington Hill, two of the cemeteries lay close together, one containing cremation burials, the other inhumations. The cremation burial cemetery was particularly interesting. The burials had been placed in Dressel 20 olive oil amphorae, the type most commonly found in Roman Britain. This practice has been seen before at other cemeteries in Kent, notably Springhead. Like the other cemeteries, the Cottington Hill amphora contained other pots as well as the burial. Pots were also found with some of the inhumations and one also contained a copper alloy buckle.
Only two burials were found in the third cemetery at the base of Cottington Hill, both of which had been disturbed by later activity. The graves, however, lay very close to the edge of the excavation, so there may be others beyond its boundaries.
In two of the excavations, a large ditch, almost 2m deep and 5-6m wide, was found. It had been dug in the Late Iron Age/Early Romano-British period, and may have formed part of a flood defence associated with the Wantsum Channel.
The discovery of two medieval ovens has been interpreted as the site of a small bakery. Recent work in Kent has uncovered several other similar sites. Like this one, they all have one large and one small oven. It is thought that the smaller oven was for helping the dough to rise whilst the other was for the actual baking.
Angela Batt
Wessex Archaeology
MAIN PICTURE: Careful excavation of the copper alloy buckle.