Brisley Farm, Ashford

Project type: Excavation

Between 1998 and 2004, Archaeology South-East completed the excavation of 9 large areas totalling 7.5ha in Ashford, Kent. This work took place in advance of the development of the land for housing by Ward Homes and Jarvis Homes. Not only has this, ongoing project, (the post excavation process is now nearing completion) been one of the largest of its kind undertaken in Kent , but has revealed a hitherto unknown prehistoric and historic landscape, elements of which are of national, if not international importance.

These excavations revealed a Late Bronze Age field system overlain by Iron Age remains which become increasingly intensive towards the time of the Roman Conquest. The extensive and intensive Iron Age settlement includes enclosed and unenclosed elements with a possible cremation cemetery and other evidence of ‘religious' or ‘sacred' activity. Of most significance was the discovery of two adjacent burials with weapons; swords, spears and shields, (colloquially known as warrior burials) within square ditched enclosures which were probably originally covered by a barrow mound. Such finds are very rare, especially in southern Britain ; only nine have been found south of the Humber , but have continental parallels. Likely to have been buried at about the time of the conquest, these individuals were undoubtedly of elite status. The significance of these burials is demonstrated in the early Roman period when the barrow monuments became the focus for successive votive deposits, possibly suggesting cult or heroic veneration of these leaders or captains. By the later Roman period, activity at Brisley Farm diminishes, only to re-emerge in the medieval and post-medieval periods with a series of farmsteads.

This work has afforded the opportunity to examine landscape development at a wide scale and over a long time period and, uniquely, to place the rare warrior burials within an extensive land use context.

Project Officer: Jim Stevenson
Clients: Ward Homes and Jarvis Homes
Project type: Excavation