Attitudes to Disposal of the Dead - Gazetteer Query Form

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Site name Ramsgate 1, Lord of the Manor 1, Thanet
Site number 944
Burial codes 4005 4007 4009 4021 4024 4025 4028 4030 4032 4035 4036 4043 4047 4051 4053 4065 4071 4072 4084 4093 4094 4098 4103 4104 4105 4106 4107 4108 4109 4110 4111 4124 4128 4143 4153 4161 4170 4181
2500bc-14/1300bc A triple ring ditch with 4 suggested phases. In phase 1 a deep enclosure (the outer) ditch and internal bank were constructed, with no entrance, from pottery and flintwork evidence of Late Neolithic date. About 5m outside the south east quadrant of this ditch was a grave G1A oriented NE containing the inhumation of a female c22-25 set on its left side, and very tightly bound in an extreme foetal position.

In phase 2 the enclosure ditch was recut, and the ash filled pit with Beaker sherds (F1) was dug. In phase 3 the outer ditch began to infill, and the site use changed to that of burial: the primary inhumation G5 containing the remains of an adult male c35 and of a female c16 was set in grave oriented NS in the centre of the enclosure, and a roughly circular barrow (inner) ditch dug round it. The flints, bone debris and sherds on the old ground surface were scraped up into the covering mound. The male was crouched, on its right side as was the female. From dental evidence they might have been related. The bodies appear to have been arranged in an embrace, and to have been buried at the same time. There were no accompanying grave goods. In the primary silt of the ditch a small carved chalk cup was found. Flint evidence suggests an Early Bronze Age date for phase 3.

In phase 4 the inner ditch appears to have filled in quickly to about half its depth and the middle ditch was dug, the upcast completing the inner ditch filling. This ditch had an entrance causeway to the south east. The new enclosure contained 6 secondary burials, one cremation and 5 crouched inhumations in shallow graves. Burial G1 was of a female c30-35, crouched on its right side, apparently lightly bound, set in the inner ditch fill. Burial G2 was of a male c45 or more in a grave oriented NE/SW, crouched, supine, face and knees inclined to the right, the legs probably tightly bound. Burial 3 was of a child c3-4, presumed crouched. Burial G4 was of a male c45 or more in a grave oriented NW/SE crouched on its right side, flexed. Burial G6 was a cremation of a child of a few months old, in a small corded food vessel accompanied by a barbed and tanged flint arrow head. Burial G7 was of a female c23-24 in a grave oriented NS, crouched, on its right side.

Human bone was found in the layers of all three ditches. The fragments were from all ages and sexes, and from different parts of the body. None were derived from any of the inhumations described above. They represented at least one male child c8, a female c23 and a child c4.
Remains/Period Y4
County Kent
Region SE
National grid square TR
X coordinate 354
Y coordinate 654
Bibliographic source MacPherson-Grant and Perkins 1977


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Last updated: Tues Aug 10 2004