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History's Hinge - 'Ain Jalut

[Vince Burrows]

Dear Doc,
              I have been extremely busy with developments at the site. I will post the very latest on Mound II which is believed to date around 1800-1500 BC. We are investigating whether this is a funerary monument or Henge (possible the first land type in Kent)?

Waiting on specialist observations and comments.

Regards

Vince

[Diving Doc]

Vince,

That is excellent!
This must be very exciting indeed. I remember all the strange details we observed from the satellite view.
So much seems to fit now. Anxiously awaiting the new developments.

WTG and Cheers,
Doc

[Vince Burrows]

Dear Readers,
                    Since my last comments on this site, our team has been extremely busy clearing the main areas of this particular barrow-ring. We are shortly to finish our research, I will be posting the latest pictures to this site by 23rd October. After carefull examination of all the section excavated, the feature first thought to represent a flint and chalk packed wall around the monuments ditch, was in fact, deposited during the early phase of natural washed in ditch filling.

[Vince Burrows]

The attached picture is of a sketched drawing of a broad Bronze Age barrow cemetery. At our site in Alkham, the cemetery was layed out in a row originating in Oakwood at the top of the hill and extending down the ridge for at least 400 metres or 1,200 feet.

[Vince Burrows]

This picture is a long shot taken at the base of the ridge. In the top righthand corner the orange fencing protecting Monument II can just be observed. Note the lumps and bumps on the central part of the ridge. These may represent later 6th -7th century Anglo-Saxon burials lower down the hill.

[Vince Burrows]

A picture of Jim Mc Manus undertaking a geophysical survey using the US Magnum system.





The above images are just two examples of the data collected. The green to blue areas denote the fill of eastern and western ring-ditch which, can not be seen above ground.

[Vince Burrows]

Top two pictures are of our second and more extensive geophysical survey over the mostpart of the ridge. Here Justin Yardley, John Bartram and myself are using a British earth-resistance (TR/CIA) system. The results are produced in the black and white image. Although image interpretation training takes around three years to master, if you look at the centre of the picture, a system of interlocking rings (in black) can be seen.

This dark subsurface disturbance represents the barrow ring-ditches which, are not visable above ground. Monument II did not show-up on this image very well although, to the trained eye, we can just makeout this barrow positioned just above the first clear ring-ditch in the upper section of the picture. The reason this feature can not be seen easily is because the chalk cut ring has filled back with the chalk first extracted from it. Our geophysical instruments are therefore, unable to see any back ground variation.

We now suspect one or two further barrows may exist above mound II to the west.

[Vince Burrows]

My Daughter Elissia and her friend Jasmine, opened the first trench section across the southwestern side of Mound II ring-ditch. In this picture, note the change of soil type and colouration between the natural surrounding chalk and the ditch fill in the centre of this image. This Monument was found to measure 11 metres (33 feet) internally with varying ditch width up to 1 metre (3 feet). Although this particular mound is quite small (the average being around 20 metres - 60 feet - across), they where dug without the aid of metal tools we would use today. In fact, what ever the variation of these mounds, the principles remained the same: a magic circle that is given concrete expression by a ditch, a bank and surrounding stones or wooden stakes must surround burials. Certainly, these burial mounds and ditches would have taken thousands of blows with antler picks, thousands of shovelfuls of earth, using a cows shoulder blade, and thousands of linen bags or wicker baskets to be filled and transported to make these imposing mounds.

[Vince Burrows]

Trench 127. A long shot view of the northern badly damaged ring-ditch. Note how shallow the topsoil is after many centuries of plough erosion. The inner ditch cut of 5cm was once over a metre deep. The outer cut has gone completely however, for our plans sections either side where used to conjecture its width at this point.



A configuration of the partially uncovered stake-holes across the mound surface. The flags are positioned within the stake-holes. These holes were left behind in the natural chalk after some kind of fencing or animal pens was erected probably post-mound in date. It would be quite likely for these pens or fences to have been placed across a now almost flattened mound around 2,500 years later in the Anglo-Saxon period.

[Vince Burrows]

My wife Rebecca (centre) and Veronica Reilly excavating a section of the central mound surface.



The real Simpson family (Bart nowhere to be seen) working together on more stake-holes.



Bill Laing excavating the southeastern side of the monument.

[Vince Burrows]

Andrew Bates (one of the mature students from the University of Kent & Canterbury) excavating a deep ring-ditch section on the western side of barrow II.

VOLUNTEERS


If you live in Kent or a University student, we train members of the public that have a keen interest in learning to excavate, plan or both. There are also many other site opportunities here in eastern Kent with other groups during the course of any given year. We are none profit making and do not charge any fees whatso ever. Contact us at:

Please login regularly to see how history is rolled back in time. New pictures and details will be posted over the coming days and weeks as we delve deep into Alkhams ancient past.