Category Archives: Broadstairs

VM_365 Day 177 Beaker Decoration Detail

Archaeology, Beaker, Broadstairs, Uncategorised, VM_365 Project

VM 177

Our image for Day 177 of the VM_365 project shows four close up pictures of the decoration on the body of the Beaker vessel from North Foreland shown yesterday for Day 176.

The first impression is that this vessel looks like a very finely and carefully decorated pot but if you look closely you can see that this is not the case because there are some errors in the execution of the decoration.

The decoration was applied using a comb with square-sectioned teeth and is arranged in four zones. The neck (top left) is decorated with opposed filled triangles bordered above and below by a ladder pattern defined by encircling combed lines. The triangles are separated from each other by three vertical ladder motifs.

The waist decoration (top right and bottom left) is separated from the neck decoration by a plain band approximatley 1 cm deep. The waist is made up of a band of herringbone motif bordered above by three, and below, by two encircling lines. There is overlapping in the decoration.

The belly (bottom right) is decorated with a ladder motif and is separated from the waist by another plain band and is encircled above and below by two lines.

The base decoration (Bottom right) is separated from the belly by an undecorated band and comprises a zone of ladder pattern similar to the belly but more untidy where there seems to have been an attempt at forming three encircling lines above and two below but the execution is careless and there is overlap between the horizontal and vertical elements. The lower part of the vessel is undecorated.

How did the potters decide how to divide up the vessel into decorative areas and what patterns to apply? Did they use mathematical principles to divide up the circular space or were there rules of thumb that made the job easier? Perhaps we will never know.

References

Gibson, A. 2005. The Beaker and other Pottery from Beaufort, North Foreland, Broadstairs, Kent. Unpublished Pottery Report.

VM_365 Day 176 Beaker vessel from North Foreland

Archaeology, Beaker, Broadstairs, Uncategorised, VM_365 Project

VM 176

The image for Day 176 of the VM_365 project shows a Beaker vessel dating between 1900-1700BC excavated from a grave at North Foreland, Broadstairs in 2004.

The vessel accompanied the crouched inhumation of a female aged over 40 years old who had been buried in a large pit cut into the chalk, around which a ring ditch had been excavated. The Beaker had been placed at her feet and a small flint scraper may have been placed near her head.

The Beaker is of the S2 type series, similar to the example found at Manston and has been decorated in four zones using a comb. It is made of very hard, well fired fabric that has been rapidly open fired.  An old break at the base shows possible traces of coil or ring construction.

VM_365 Day 174 Roman Chalk vessel from Broadstairs

Archaeology, Broadstairs, Roman, Uncategorised, VM_365 Project

VM 174

The image for Day 174 of the  VM_365 project shows fragments of a nearly complete vessel carved from a chalk block found at the Roman building at Fort Hill, Broadstairs in 2009.

The vessel was found in  a deposit of building tumble  within the remains of a cellar. The edges of the separate fragments are worn and the breaks are abraded. The vessel is roughly diamond shaped and its outer dimensions measure 0.25 metres by 0.25 metres and 0.22 metres high.

The base and edges of the vessel are rounded and the outer surface has been dressed with small tool marks visible on the surface. One edge may be incomplete although its edge appears worn rather than broken. The inner dimensions of the vessel measure 0.12 by 0.12 metres and 0.13 metres deep with near vertical sides and a slightly rounded base with a smooth, lightly pitted inner surface.

The function of the vessel is unclear. Its size and shape raises some interesting possibilities in its interpretation. The bowl could have been supported upright by a free standing frame or set into a structure. Although there is no evidence of mortar adhering to it, it could have been set into a wall possibly to form a niche. It may be that it was not originally intended to rest on its base at all, but one of its flat sides. It is also feasible that one edge was originally shallower in depth than the others.

What could the vessel have held? There is no residue remaining in its interior to aid with interpretation. As a vessel it could have been used in a domestic kitchen or perhaps it was used in a more religious or ritual context perhaps for washing hands or for water purification possibly with a subsidiary vessel inside it. As a niche the vessel could have been used to hold a candle or perhaps form part of a shrine holding a household deity.

VM_365 Day 166 Palaeolithic Hand Axe from Westwood, Broadstairs

Archaeology, Broadstairs, Palaeolithic, Uncategorised, VM_365 Project

VM 166

Today’s VM 365 image for day 166 shows the two faces of a small flint Palaeolithic hand axe which was found at Westwood, Broadstairs in 2000.

The axe is of Acheulian pointed heavy butted type and measures less that 10cm in length. It is unpatinated and is sharp on its edges and struck facets indicating that it had not moved far from the place where it was lost or discarded approximately 400,000 years ago.

VM_365 Day 165 Reworked Polished Flint Axe

Archaeology, Beaker, Broadstairs, Uncategorised, VM_365 Project

VM 165

The image for Day 165 of the VM_365 project shows a reworked polished flint axe that was found in the primary ditch fill of a Beaker period barrow at North Foreland, Broadstairs in 2004.

This was originally a small polished axe that was reworked to make it usable after it broke at the butt end. The butt end was tapered to aid re-hafting and the cutting edge was re-sharpened.

 

VM_365 Day 157 Iron Age salt container from South Dumpton Down

Archaeology, Broadstairs, In the Store, Iron Age, Uncategorised, VM_365 Project

VM 157

Today’s image for Day 157 of VM_365 shows three views of an interesting  square pottery vessel, which may have been used as a salt container.

The square pot is made of a thick, flint tempered fabric, fired to a dark brown to black colour. The flint tempering can be seen in section where parts of the wall of the container have broken. The container was found at the Iron Age  coastal site at South Dumpton Down, Broadstairs where concentrations of post holes within a boundary enclosure seem to represent the focus of the settlements within the enclosure. The square vessel was found within the fill of one of the main groups of post holes.

The suggestion that this was a salt container was made by the ceramic specialist, Nigel Macpherson-Grant in his report on the pottery.  Because it is essential to the biological functions of livestock, and a valuable method of preserving produce to extend its life, salt was a valuable commodity in the Iron Age period, as it was throughout history. Salt may have been extracted from the sea water near to the settlement.

 

VM_365 Day 156 Iron Age Bone Pin from Broadstairs

Archaeology, Broadstairs, In the Store, Iron Age, Uncategorised, VM_365 Project

VM 156

Today’s VM_365 image is of an Iron Age bone pin  excavated from a pit at Dumpton Gap, Broadstairs in 1994.

The pit had been used for the disposal of domestic refuse which included animal bone, quern stone fragments and sherds of pottery dating to the Early Iron Age before being used to bury a single adult individual in a similar way to the burial at North Foreland.

The bone pin, possibly used to fasten a cloak, was found at  the left shoulder of the skeleton, fragments of an Iron buckle were found at the right shoulder.

VM_365 Day 135 How to carve a spindle whorl.

Archaeology, Broadstairs, In the Store, Iron Age, Uncategorised, VM_365 Project

VM 135-a

Day 135’s  VM 365 image shows the two sides of an unfinished spindle whorl of Late Iron Age or Early Roman date, which was found at in 2005 at Dumpton Gap, Broadstairs .

This particular object is  interesting because it shows the different stages that the maker went through to carve the spindle whorl from Chalk. The first stage would have been the selection of a suitable sized piece of hard chalk, probably picked up from the beach nearby, and carve it roughly into shape.  It seems likely that the outline was then scored in the chalk using a pair of compasses, marking the location of the central hole at the same time. The central hole would then have been drilled through the chalk and the finished object was shaped and finished more carefully using the scored circles as a guide.

We do not know why this object was abandoned part way through the manufacturing process, it may have been because the fragment was damaged, a large chip that had been removed from one side (left image) may have been the cause.

Although many of the objects archaeologists examine have been broken after use, it is rare to see one that gives such an insight into the manufacturing methods, because it has been abandoned while it was being made.