Monument record TQ 96 SE 1185 - Late prehistoric or Romano-British ditches, Station Road, Teynham

Sections of a late prehistoric or Romano-British ditch were identified running across several trenches at Station Road, Teynham, during an evaluation carried out in 2019. The ditch was aligned NE-SW measured 1.4-1.8m in width and 0.33-0.68m in depth. Artefacts associated with the fill of the feature included worked flint, burnt flint, and Roman pottery.
An environmental sample was taken from the fill of the feature and a Bronze Age pit at the site. Charred material alongside the "remains of terrestrial molluscs, a fragment of marine mollusc (mussel) and a small animal bone were also present. The bulk sediment samples also contained burnt and unburnt bone, slag, small animal charred coprolites and a probable fish bone." (from the original report, 1). Plant remains including hazelnut shell, meadow grass, clover, and nettle were also recovered through environmental sampling. (1)

Three sections of ditch were also identified to the north of the site during a strip, map, and sample excavation carried out in 2019. One ditch was dated to the later prehistoric or Roman period and appeared to represent a continuation of the NE-SW ditch identified during the evaluation. This feature measured 1m in width and 0.65m in depth, and contained worked and burnt flint alongside five sherds of Roman pottery.
Two other sections of ditch (0.25-0.66m in width and 0.11-0.55m in depth) were located slightly north of this feature. These were both dated to the later prehistoric period as one is aligned with the later prehistoric/Roman ditch above, and the other is cut by both features. However, no artefacts were recovered from either ditch. One of the ditches was interpreted (1) as a continuation of another section of ditch identified during the evaluation. (2)

<1> CgMs, 2019, Archaeological evaluation, Land at Station Road, Teynham, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE53100.

<2> RPS Group, 2019, Archaeological excavation and Geoarchaeological test pitting, Land at Station Road, Teynham, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE54548.