Attitudes to Disposal of the Dead - Gazetteer Query Form

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Note that there may be a few slight discrepancies between counts given in the text and the returned results in the gazetteer. This is a result of corrections and amendments (not updates) made to the gazetteer since the research was published in BAR. This does not materially affect the picture presented but does add more detail.

Site name Dumpton Gap, South Cliff, Broadstairs

Site number 912

Burial codes 2003 2009 2022 2023 2026 2028 2030 2035 2036 2042 2051 2053 2065 2072 2084 2092 2098 2102 2111 2126 2127 2128 2143 2153 2181 1003 1009 1021 1023 1026 1028 1030 1035 1036 1043 1047 1051 1053 1065 1075 1084 1092 1097 1098 1101 1104 1108 1111 1121 1127 1128 1129 1143 1153 1161 1181

8/700bc-100bc A settlement site overlapping with 100bc-AD43. The 1971-2 excavations uncovered an occupation area bounded by a long straight shallow ditch with a wide entrance causeway. The area contained a large number of pits and post holes not necessarily contemporary. The pits included two with inhumation burials. Pit 107 contained the flexed skeleton of a female oriented ENE, lying on the left side on the pit floor, with arms lying out from the body. The head of the skeleton was resting on a stone which in turn rested on the skeleton of a dog whose body lay beneath the skull and upper chest of the female. The dog's head was to the W of the human skull, and had also been placed over a stone. The second skeleton was also of a female lying awkwardly contracted on the back, oriented E, with legs turned to the left in a pit. The feet were at a higher level than the head and pressed against the pit wall to fit the body in. The head was twisted round to face N. The pit had been filled immediately after burial in each case. [The pottery of the site is dated at present to the 5th-4th Centuries BC. ]

100bc-AD43 100 bc-AD43: A settlement site revealing La Tene III occupation material, with an extensive system of trenches or ditches, and a large number of pits many of which contained animal bones and domestic refuse. There were post holes and fragments of wattle and daub. Two oval graves were discovered, one 0.74m x 0.5m x 0.5m deep containing a Late Iron Age cordoned urn with calcined bones of a child which had been packed around with fire damaged flints. A second vessel accompanied the cremation. The other grave was 0.9m x 0.6m x 0.75m deep, lined with baked clay and contained an urn, and a pan or saucer, both incomplete, and both containing calcined bones.

Whimster includes an inhumation burial of a skeleton (No 31.2) found not far from the La Tene cremation, possibly accompanied by a small hunting lance or spear and a La Tene III brooch. He also mentions 'a series of apparently votive burials of skulls, arm and leg bones'.

Remains/Period Y2 Y1

County Kent

Region SE

National grid square TR

X coordinate 395

Y coordinate 666

Bibliographic source Hurd 1909, 1914, Birchall 1965, Minter and Herbert 1973, Whimster 1981

Query

Site name	Dumpton Gap, South Cliff, Broadstairs
Site number	912
Burial codes	2003 2009 2022 2023 2026 2028 2030 2035 2036 2042 2051 2053 2065 2072 2084 2092 2098 2102 2111 2126 2127 2128 2143 2153 2181 1003 1009 1021 1023 1026 1028 1030 1035 1036 1043 1047 1051 1053 1065 1075 1084 1092 1097 1098 1101 1104 1108 1111 1121 1127 1128 1129 1143 1153 1161 1181
8/700bc-100bc	A settlement site overlapping with 100bc-AD43. The 1971-2 excavations uncovered an occupation area bounded by a long straight shallow ditch with a wide entrance causeway. The area contained a large number of pits and post holes not necessarily contemporary. The pits included two with inhumation burials. Pit 107 contained the flexed skeleton of a female oriented ENE, lying on the left side on the pit floor, with arms lying out from the body. The head of the skeleton was resting on a stone which in turn rested on the skeleton of a dog whose body lay beneath the skull and upper chest of the female. The dog's head was to the W of the human skull, and had also been placed over a stone. The second skeleton was also of a female lying awkwardly contracted on the back, oriented E, with legs turned to the left in a pit. The feet were at a higher level than the head and pressed against the pit wall to fit the body in. The head was twisted round to face N. The pit had been filled immediately after burial in each case. [The pottery of the site is dated at present to the 5th-4th Centuries BC. ]
100bc-AD43	100 bc-AD43: A settlement site revealing La Tene III occupation material, with an extensive system of trenches or ditches, and a large number of pits many of which contained animal bones and domestic refuse. There were post holes and fragments of wattle and daub. Two oval graves were discovered, one 0.74m x 0.5m x 0.5m deep containing a Late Iron Age cordoned urn with calcined bones of a child which had been packed around with fire damaged flints. A second vessel accompanied the cremation. The other grave was 0.9m x 0.6m x 0.75m deep, lined with baked clay and contained an urn, and a pan or saucer, both incomplete, and both containing calcined bones. Whimster includes an inhumation burial of a skeleton (No 31.2) found not far from the La Tene cremation, possibly accompanied by a small hunting lance or spear and a La Tene III brooch. He also mentions 'a series of apparently votive burials of skulls, arm and leg bones'.
Remains/Period	Y2 Y1
County	Kent
Region	SE
National grid square	TR
X coordinate	395
Y coordinate	666
Bibliographic source	Hurd 1909, 1914, Birchall 1965, Minter and Herbert 1973, Whimster 1981