Monument record TQ 86 NE 1199 - Late Iron Age field system, cremation cemetery, and roundhouse, Orchard Farm, Iwade

A Late Iron Age field system, pits, cremation cemetery, and a round house gully were identified during an excavation carried out at Orchard Farm, Iwade in 2016.

Around 50 pits were identified across the site, many of which may date from this period of activity. Many of these pits contained charcoal, and the majority appear to have been relatively small - measuring around 1-1.6m in diameter. However, one large pit was observed to measure 30.70m in length, 4.80m in width, and up to 0.70m in depth. This feature has been interpreted (1) as a possible pond or quarry.

The cemetery was represented by three deposits containing cremated bone. These comprised a truncated urned cremation in a 'Belgic' grog tempered urn, and two deposits of unurned cremated bone, one of which was radiocarbon dated to 234-86 cal BC. All cremation deposits contained bone, however, the majority of this was too fragmented to identify age, sex, or pathology; only one deposit contained sufficient remains to determine that the age of the individual was likely over 46 years.

In the Phase 1 excavation area to the north west of the site, a possible ring gully was located in the centre of a cluster of features including the cremation burials, gullies, a possible hearth, a post-hole, ditches, and pits. This was interpreted (1) as potentially representing part of a round house. This feature measured 2.4m in length, 0.23m in width, and 0.03m in depth.

In the lagoon excavation area to the south east, a cluster of ditches, pits, and post-holes was identified during the excavations. The ditches, which measured up to 82m in length, formed part of a field system and a possible enclosure, whilst other features may have represented occupation-related activity taking place during the Late Iron Age. Post-holes may have formed a possible structure within a roughly triangular area formed by gullies, however, despite a concentration of post-holes in this area, there is no clear alignment delineating a structure.

Some pottery dating from the early Roman period was recovered from the fills of earlier features, implying that occupation at the site may have continued into the later 1st century AD. (1)

<1> Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 2017, Land at Orchard Farm, Iwade, Kent, Phase 1 and 1A, Archaeological recording action (Unpublished document). SKE53116.