KAS Maidstone Museum Exhibition
By Andy Ward, KAS Curator
The Society is keen to promote the temporary exhibition opened at Maidstone Museum. This exhibition was put together through much hard work by Dr Elizabeth Blanning, Maidstone Museum staff, and myself. It will be on display until December 2023 and has already proved popular amongst visitors.
The exhibition tells the story of the Society by showcasing a small number of collections generated by the work of the society and its partners since it was founded in 1857.
Roman objects donated to the society by William Bland of Hartlip Place, Sittingbourne, in 1858 are among those displayed and comprise some of the earliest acquisitions of the Society. The villa was discovered in the mid- 18th century, with Mr Bland opening different rooms in the mid-19th century. The villa estate comprised many buildings, including a bathhouse, a buttressed aisled building and a cellared house. The objects on display highlight aspects of the daily life of the residents.
KAS is a registered charity whose aims are to promote, protect and provide access to the history and archaeology of the ancient county of Kent. As part of our ongoing commitment to these aims, we have, and continue to run, several training excavations for members and the general public. The Roman Villa at Minster-in-Thanet was one of our longest-running training schemes, with the society operating alongside affiliated organisations – The Isle of Thanet Archaeological Society, Trust for Thanet Archaeology, and Dover Archaeological Group. The dig was run by Dave Perkins and later Keith Parfitt of Canterbury Archaeological Trust. Our temporary exhibition showcases just some of the objects uncovered. We continue to offer training excavations with the latest season at Lees Court Estate near Faversham recently, finishing on the 15th June 2023.
The Society’s other aims are to help protect and provide access to the archaeological remains of Kent. As part of this, we help to save at-risk objects. For the first time, we are pleased to display the Elham Pendant, a 7th-century gold pendant discovered by metal detectorist Paul Haigh in 2018, which the Society purchased through the Treasure Act (1996). Reconstruction drawings by Lloyd Bosworth, KAS Trustee and archaeologist at the University of Kent, show how this gold and garnet cross may have been worn by a powerful woman of the time.
The Aylesford gold takes centre stage at the exhibition. These Bronze Age artefacts are on display for the first time since Dover Museum’s “Beyond the Horizon” exhibition in 2013. The first of these circa 3,000 years old objects were purchased by society member Edward Pretty in 1861 before being joined by a further seven objects in 1869. While the exact circumstances of their discovery remain shrouded in mystery, it is hoped that future research will allow us to tell more of their story. It has been a joy for all involved in the creation of this exhibition to get these skillfully crafted pieces out from under lock & key.
The Society’s most recent purchase was of the nationally important Ozengell Anglo-Saxon Cemetery collection, which was acquired in 2022. The site was excavated numerous times between 1846 and 1982, recovering multiple objects, from jewellery and weaponry to keys, pottery, and glass vessels.
These are also on display for the first time, representing a small fraction of the 1700 objects within the collection, which it is hoped will be able to go on display once they have undergone much- needed conservation treatment.
