Category Archives: What’s going on?

What is the Trust for Thanet Archaeology up to at the moment?

Stonehenge Skeletons

Education, Thanet archaeology, Uncategorised, What's going on?

Five years ago the Trust for Thanet Archaeology assisted with a research project to explore the Beaker population of Britain by identifying isotopes in the  teeth of individuals who buried with  beaker vessels in the Early Bronze Age.

The isotopes give clues to the diet and mobility of the populations, in attempt to find out whether people using Beakers in their burials were part of the general population, or had come to Britain in a new wave of migration from the continent.

Skeletons of Stone Henge, showing on Channel 4 0n Sunday 10th of March will be exploring some of the results of the research, and the implications to the  history of our largest prehistoric monument, Stonehenge which may have been built by these Beaker using people.
The programme will include film of two Beaker period Skeletons excavated in Thanet by the Trust for Thanet Archaeology, and hopefully, some more information on their significance in the geral population.To find out more about the Beaker burials that have been found in Thanet, visit our Virtual Museum Beaker Gallery here: http://www.thanetarch.co.uk/Virtual%20Museum/2_Galleries/GBeaker%20Content/GBeaker_Intro.htm

Early Bronze Age Beaker Vessel
A Beaker from a burial at North Foreland, Broadstairs, Kent

If you miss the programme on Sunday, follow this link to the programme website and watch it later!

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/secrets-of-the-stonehenge-skeletons

To find out more about the aims of the research follow this link to the Sheffield University research page: http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology/research/beaker-isotope

Link to the Past 2013

Education, Thanet archaeology, Uncategorised, What's going on?

Link to the Past was held at the Powell-Cotton Museum on Sunday the 10th of February. Bringing together many groups from Thanet and Kent who are involved in preserving and promoting the rich heritage of Thanet and the rest of Kent. Stands and displays that displayed the work of the groups, or each of the historic sites, were threaded through the amazing galleries of the museum.

Many people braved the threatened snow to find out how they can get involved in history, archaeology and genealogy; or visit and support some of the heritage attractions of the region.

Four fascinating talks were held over the day, on the role of Quex House in World War One, Kent’s underground sites, how a family love story was discovered in the National archives and the archaeology of the Quex Park Estate.

The Trust for Thanet Archaeology stand held our handling collection of artefacts representative of the long prehistory of Kent and of the Isle of Thanet. In another gallery we had our children’s activities with a collection of historic costumes, dig boxes and a chance to try out archaeological recording techniques on a skeleton.

It was a great privilege for the Trust to to have been able to work in partnership with Powell-Cotton Museum to facilitate Link to the Past, and help  showcase the great range and depth of Heritage and history in Thanet and Kent and bring this community together for the event.

Image of a selection of the stands at Link to the Past
A selection of the stands at Link to the Past

The Romans in Westgate

Education, Uncategorised, What's going on?
A recruit to the Roman Army

Friday the 7th of December was Roman Day at St. Saviours C. of E. Junior School in Westgate. The Trust were invited to bring some Roman themed activities to the event, as well as Roman objects that the children could use to understand the everyday life of Roman people.

There was also an introduction to the army of Rome, which first conquered Britain in 43 AD and one young recruit was dressed in the full armour of a Legionary soldier and put through his paces as a new recruit to the Roman Army.

Armour and shields of the Roman soldiers

Organised into three legions, under standards bearing each Legion’s symbol, the Lion, the Eagle and the Tiger, the army of Westgatians marched in battle order around their school hall. The noise of their feet and cheering must have been heard in Rome.

A final battle saw two soldiers of each legion defend their standard bearer and legion’s standard with their shields from a ferocious bombardment with rubber balls.

Roman objects on display
Roman objects on display

Surviving with their standards and honour intact the Legions retired from the field to a well-deserved lunch.

Later the demobbed Legionaries had a chance to see and handle a range of Roman artefacts representing the objects of everyday life and personal items, as well as the new building materials and construction methods the Romans brought to Britain.

Everyone signed their initials in a wax tablet, just as the Romans of Westgate may have done two thousand years ago.

A Roman wax writing tablet
The initials of all the the children at the Roman Day written in the wax of a Roman writing tablet

A new Chairman for the Trust

Thanet archaeology, Uncategorised, What's going on?
Chairman's handover
Outgoing and incoming Chairmen

Mr Chris Gibbs, who has been Chair of the Council of Trustees of the Trust for eight years, stepped down from the post at the Annual General Meeting which was held at Broadstairs on the 19th of November.  Mr. Simon Perry, who has been a member of the Council of Trustees for five years, was elected as Chair at the meeting. The Trustees and guests welcomed Simon as the new Chair and on handing over, a presentation was made to Chris and he was warmly thanked for his long service in the role.

Directors update
Directors update

The meeting heard reports from the officers and Emma Boast, the Director of the Trust, gave a round up of the year’s commercial and educational activities and thanked the many volunteers who have assisted in delivering another year of important research and education in Thanet’s archaeology.

Following the meeting, Deputy Director Ges Moody, gave a presentation on a future strategy for The Trust. A key proposal was to actively develop a role for archaeology in Thanet’s growing Heritage community.Practical steps to encouraging interest in Thanet’s archaeological heritage would be the production of a locally focused book series, building on the success of the Trust’s Underground Thanet publication. Renewed emphasis on connecting people with their heritage through engagement with the Trusts collection of artefacts, which would include hands on activities and workshops, would also be a significant element of the future strategy.
A useful discussion and informal exchange of ideas followed with the participants, who included representatives of the Isle of Thanet archaeological society, volunteers and other active members of Thanet’s archaeological community.

Thanet’s Historic Coast Displayed

Education, Thanet archaeology, Uncategorised, What's going on?

Trust members were at Ramsgate Harbour for the day on Sunday October 28th October, taking part in the  Historic Coast at Ramsgate event, held for Kent’s Coastal Week. The weather proved to be surprisingly mild after the lashing wind and surprise hail storms of the day before.

Picture of our stall at Historic Coast Ramsgate
The Trust’s stall at the Historic Coast Ramsgate Event

The Trust’s display focused on the dynamic coastal change which has altered the shape of the Isle of Thanet over the centuries.  Finds of pottery and flint were on show on our stall, collected from the beach under Dumpton Gap where a settlement dating from the Late Iron Age and Roman period erodes with every fall of the chalk cliffs.

Reconstruction plans showed the sequence of change of the east Kent coast from the Mesolithic period, which has removed so much of the land mass that once stood at the confluence of the  Thames valley and the English Channel, where Thanet now stands.

The immense changes to the regions coastline proved to be a talking point for the steady flow of visitors to the Trust’s stand and those of the other local historical groups who were there on the day. The day went well despite the cold wind that got up later in the afternoon. It was an opportunity to renew friendships and make new contacts.

Neolithic surprises at Perry Wood

Perry Wood Archaeology project, Uncategorised, What's going on?
Image of trench excavation
Trench where Neolithic pottery was excavated

Perry Wood is famous for discoveries of flintwork that were left by the first hunter-gatherer groups of Mesolithic people who ranged through the landscape after the last ice age more than six thousand years ago. The excavations we carried out  on Windmill hill earlier this year have uncovered some  rare and important evidence that the first Neolithic farmers settled on the same hilltops two thousand years later.

In a trench excavated to search for evidence of a Roman fort of the the first century AD, we were surprised to  find  some flint-tempered pottery  in the earliest layers which  might be evidence of a settlement three thousand years older than expected.

Several sherds joined to form part of a round bodied vessel, decorated by smoothing and polishing the outer surface of the clay. Traces of soot on the surface suggest the sherds are from a cooking pot likely to date to around 3500 BC, in the Neolithic period.

Image of Early Neolithic pottery from Perry Wood
Early Neolithic pottery from Perry Wood

Neolithic people had cleared the ancient forests where their ancestors had hunted wild animals and grew crops like wheat on the cleared land. The farmers settled near their fields making the first distinctive pottery cooking and storage vessels which archaeologists use, along with the remains of the pits and ditches they dug, to recognise the settlements of Neolithic people.

The finds from the small excavation at Perry Wood suggest that there may be more evidence for Neolithic settlement in the area which could be explored in further archaeological excavation.

What have we been doing at Perry Wood?

Perry Wood Archaeology project, Uncategorised, What's going on?
Young Archaeologists excavating
Canterbury young archaeologists at work on the southern ditch

In the last couple of months we have been doing some more exploratory excavation and survey work on Windmill Hill at Perry Wood, near Selling.

With the help of volunteers from the local community, students from the University of Kent and Canterbury Young Archaeologists we are building on the work we did with the Perry Wood Archaeology Project between 2009 and 2010.

You can read the report for that work here

More sections have been excavated through the rectangular earthwork on the hill. This time we’re hoping for some proper dating evidence!

ditch profile viewed from the west
Ditch profile at the north east of the enclosure viewed from the west

We’re also looking for the remains of that Windmill.

We’ve got two trenches open in the windmill area but nothing conclusive yet!

We have a few more days of digging planned so hope there will be more news soon…