Some data on the Causewayed ring-ditch monuments excavated on Thanet is presented below [map forthcoming].

Several of these barrows exhibit different phases of use, including the re-use and refurbishment of earlier monuments. As such they have been ordered according to the likely date associated with the construction of the causewayed ditch.

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Rescue Excavation instigated and conducted by John Villette, assisted by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit.

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A single ring-ditch monument with a causeway in the south-west and slots cut into the base of the ditch (possibly constructed in the Late Neolithic). Within the enclosure were the hollows, pits, a platform of rammed chalk, a semi-circular flint bank, a hearth, occupation debris including Beaker pottery and the post-holes of a pentagonal structure with an entrance corridor (associated with the chalk platform and flint bank).

A later central crouched inhumation burial covers one of the post-holes and may be associated with a renewal of the post-hole structure.

NGR 635463 165370.

Fisk 2003; Macpherson Grant 1981.

Excavation led by Nigel Macpherson Grant and David Perkins, Thanet Archaeological Unit; (LOM III).

A single ring-ditch monument with a causeway to the south. The causeway was subsequently narrowed from 4.0m to 0.6m, probably an act of closure when the original monument was abandoned.

The infilled ditch was recut (intermittently, internally and externally), possibly to proved material for a central mound which covered a central cremation burial in an inverted Collared Urn  (B2). Other cremations may have been placed within the mound, to be destroyed by later ploughing.

The skull of small-headed female (about 12-15 years old and possibly a dwarf) was found on the base of the ditch to the east. The skull had a boar’s rib placed through the foramen magnum at the back of her head (Macpherson Grant). It is not certain at present whether this act of ritual deposition is related to the original or later Early Bronze Age phase of use of the monument (but seems likely to have been the former).

Later Anglo-Saxon burials cut into the edge of the mound to the north-west and disturbed one of the internal Prehistoric pits (F1).

Excavated by Canterbury Archaeological Trust.

A small single ring-ditch with a sunken causeway to the south-west. Contained a central Beaker crouched inhumation burial and at least one other grave, plus a pit to the west.

The second burial featured the remains of both a human and a bovine juvenile.

The barrow may have been without a central mound. More information will be known when the final report is published.

Excavation led by Nigel Macpherson Grant, Thanet Archaeological Unit; (LOM I).

A four-phase triple ring-ditch monument.

The large outer ditch was dug first (Phase 1; likely during the Later Neolithic) and the subsequent infill was later re-cut during the Beaker Period  (Phase 2) circa 1950-1850 BC. Pit F1 was also dug. A burial outside the ditch (1A) may belong to either phase.

Once the inner ditch became half-infilled the middle ditch was dug (Phase 4) with a causeway to the south-east. Six burials comprising one cremation (Burial 6, with a barbed and tanged arrowhead) and five crouched inhumations (Burials 1-4 and 7) were deposited. This phase possibly occurred circa 1700-1500 BC. Finally the  causeway was 'blocked' by the digging of a trench across it.

Disarticulated human bone was recovered from both the lower and upper fills of all three ditches with the exception of the upper fill of the final, Middle ditch. Carved chalk objects were recovered from the primary silts of the Inner ditch (a 'cup/lamp'), the Middle ditch (a 'cup/lamp' and two blocks with criss-cross carvings) and the Outer ditch (a 'cup/lamp').

Excavation led by David Perkins, Trust for Thanet Archaeology; (HCW95).

This monument was sampled by four evaluation trenches and appeared to comprise an oval ring-ditch with a causeway to the north and a second, internal, half-circular ditch. Part-revealed in the centre was an apparently irregular-shaped pit with steeply sloping sides which was excavated but found to be 'too deep to bottom'. Interpreted as a possible flint mine entrance.

A lack of chalk in the ditch-fills suggests that perhaps this monument never had a mound. It could well be something other than a roundbarrow, or a ring-ditch monument that never had a roundbarrow phase. Possibly Early Bronze Age ?

Excavated by Canterbury Archaeological Trust.

A single ring-ditch monument with a causeway (1.7m wide) at the north-west. The ditch was cut irregularly in three places. No internal features. Possible evidence for a central mound.

Over 60 sherds of Middle Bronze Age Deverel Rimbury pottery were recovered from restricted segments of the ditch to the north-east.

Excavated by Canterbury Archaeological Trust.

The complex, interconnecting ring-ditch monuments VII and VIII (see below) were created in five different phases. Ring-ditch VII forms Phase Three in this sequence.

A single ring-ditch monument with two causeways to the north (2m wide) and south (0.9m wide). The southern causeway was later 'blocked' by a shallow cut (Phase Five). No internal features.

The ditch contained some Early Bronze Age pottery, plus some redeposited Deverel Rimbury sherds (in the upper fill of the western ditch).

Three Middle Bronze Age (presumably Deverel Rimbury) cremation burials are thought to be associated with ring-ditches VII and VIII.

Excavated by Canterbury Archaeological Trust.

The interconnecting ring-ditch monuments VII and VIII (see above) were created in five different phases. Ring-ditch VIIIB is a re-cut comprising a refurbishment and enlargement of un-causewayed single ring-ditch monument VIIIA which was created in Phase One (undated). VIIIB is slightly offset to the south-east and was formed in a complex sequence across Phases 2 and 4 plus a re-cut in Phase 5 (which also saw the 'blocking' of ring-ditch VII's causeway). The causeway faces south.

The offsetting of VIIIB over VIIIA may suggest that the ring-ditch of VIIIA may have entirely infilled and not been apparent when the re-cut occurred. Perhaps only the mound existed as a visible earthwork.

No apparently significant internal features were present; one small pit (?) is visible on the plan.

Excavation led by David Perkins, Thanet Archaeological Unit; (LOM V).

A single ring-ditch monument, possibly with a causeway in the unexcavated portion of the ditch. Two similar monuments nearby have a causeway in alignment with this unexcavated portion. Aerial photographs also suggest the presence of a causeway.

The circular enclosure was constructed and abandoned, then latterly re-used. The infilled ditch was re-excavated (a recut spaced alternately on the inside and outside), possibly to provide material for a central mound. Slots were also cut into the base of the ditch.

A central 'ossuary' pit was dug and filled with the selected remains of five individuals. The angle of the pit suggests that a mound may have been present. To the west was the burial of an ox, orientated at right angles to the central burial.

Later Anglo-Saxon burials were also present to the south and south-west.

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Excavation led by David Perkins, Trust for Thanet Archaeology and Mike Diack, Canterbury Archaeological Trust; latterly concluded by the Trust for Thanet Archaeology; (NFB99).

A single ring-ditch monument with a narrow causeway (0.40m wide) to the north. Within the roundbarrow were two graves (one central, one to the south-east) and a pit plus some other small and shallows pits and post-holes. A third grave was cut into the bottom of the ditch to the west of the causeway.

Both internal graves were shallow and poorly preserved. The rectangular central burial held the remains of an adult, laid on their left-hand side with the head to the south, facing west. The individual may have been laid within a coffin-structure. To the south-east of the first grave lay the even more poorly preserved burial of an individual laid within an oval grave.

Immediately to the west of the central burial was a round pit which had been filled with small nodules of burnt flint and capped by large slabs of tabular flint and sandstone (possibly non-local Greensand/Ragstone). This feature seems to represent an act of purposeful deposition and could have been connected with rituals associated the central burial or the founding of the monument.

Cut into the bottom of the ditch, close to the causeway, was the well preserved grave of a small child. A large fragment of whale bone had been laid across the surface of south-eastern side of the grave.

NGR 639700 169252.

Boast, Gardner and Moody 2006; Fisk 2003.

Click here to link to a Display with some more information and pictures on this site.

Evaluation led by Ges Moody of the Trust for Thanet Archaeology; (BSD06). Excavation led by Diccon Hart of Archaeology South East; (DPB06).

Several relatively small and shallow rectangular and oval pits were discovered in the interior; a rectangular pit lay at the centre. No burials or finds of any significance were discovered.

Though this monument has been referred to as a 'large Bronze Age round barrow' (D.Hart 2006) and may have had a barrow phase (the burial evidence of which may be largely lost to us) there is also a possibility that it may have started life as a Late Neolithic ceremonial enclosure or Henge.

The large dimensions of this feature may add weight to such an interpretation. It is the largest single and largest Causewayed ring-ditch monument excavated so far on Thanet. Only the double ring-ditched Monkton-Minster III is larger (at 35m in diameter; Fisk 2003). The ditch-depth is likely the deepest yet recorded on Thanet, while the ditch-width may be second only to LOM III (and at its potential full extent is the largest). As a whole the monument is comparable to LOM III, which was likely founded in the Late Neolithic.

The Bradstow monument may also have provided a focus for the three certain (and possibly four) roundbarrows which were constructed to the north and north-east.

The information presented here will be reviewed and updated when a report on the excavations is published by ASE. This will also permit the posting of a page giving a more detailed review (with many photographs) on this interesting site.

NGR 639399 167038.

The dimensions of the ditch are derived from measurements taken by Paul Hart during ASE's excavation. This was done with the kind permission of Diccon Hart.  The maximum diameter of the monument has been measured from a site plan published in the KAS Newsletter (D. Hart 2006).

Particular thanks goes to Pip Fisk for her work on compiling a thorough, comprehensive and invaluable gazetteer on the ring-ditch and roundbarrow monuments  excavated on Thanet (Fisk 2003).

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