Monument record TR 16 SE 315 - Roman features, land at Sturry

Roman features and deposits including ditches, postholes, a likely beamslot and a spread deposit were identified during an evaluation carried out at Broad Oak Farm and Sturry in 2017. The ditches measured 1.3-4.45m in width and 0.24-0.4m in depth, a beam slot and several pits measuring up to 0.75m in depth and 1.4m in diameter. Some of the features formed a double-ditch which has been suggested to have similarities to Roman military features (1). The features contained the remains of a juvenile horse skeleton within their fills.

Artefacts associated with the fills of the features included pottery, two maxillary molars from domestic cattle, and ceramic building materials dating between the 1st and 4th centuries AD. Pottery recovered from the site included a pre-conquest amphora sherd alongside an early 2nd century samian vessel. The vessel was 75% complete and has been interpreted by the authors of the report (1) as evidence for a possible ploughed out burial.
Ceramic building material dating from the Roman period largely comprised tile, around 25% of which had been burnt, implying the reuse of the material in hearths or ovens. (1)

<1> Oxford Archaeology, 2017, Land at Broad Oak Farm and Sturry Kent Archaeological Evaluation Report Issue No 2 (Bibliographic reference). SKE57273.