Fieldwork Committee

During the winter the Fieldwork Committee has supported the KAS History and Archaeology Show and the Metal Detectorist Conservation Day. Both these events, which took place in Maidstone Museum, received good attendance from the public and fee-paying metal detectorists on their day.

Ringlemere has been the site of most interest, with some fine artefacts found by Keith Parfitt and his band of volunteers at this most exposed of Kentish locations. For further details see the article on pages 10 & 11. The first draft report on the site, including the gold cup, has gone to the British Museum and should be published for the October Bronze Age show in Dover.

Reports on the Abbey Farm, Minster excavation are being finalised and prepared for print, including the final text for Building Four in this year's Archaeologia Cantiana, and for Building Six, which is in the final stages for publishing. To date there are 225 boxes of wall plaster catalogued by context, and 220 still to be catalogued. Altogether there are in the region of 7000 pieces of plaster.

Excavations for 2006 include the expected two-week dig at Ringlemere at the end of May (details on this page), the continuation of the East Farleigh Roman Villa excavation starting after Easter (contact Albert Daniels, tel 07966 172807 if interested), and the Lenham Archaeological Group's excavation of a possible Medieval Manor just outside the village during the weekend 22 to 24 April (contact Lesley Feakes, tel 01622 688837 or email lmfeakes@tiscali.co.uk).