XXI.—An Archæological Survey of Kent

Extract

I have the honour to lay before the Society an Archaeological Survey, in which will be found the principal and most of the minor archaeological discoveries which have been made in the county of Kent. A work of this kind must necessarily be incomplete, as many relics of the past are being continually brought to light, and pass away unrecorded into various public and private collections, or are destroyed by ignorant and thoughtless workmen. It is hoped, however, that no important discovery has been omitted, either from the map or text, and that the general arrangement will be found convenient for reference. In order to avoid repetition of the titles of the various publications, a Bibliographical List has been given, with a key to the abbreviations, which are framed upon a plan both simple and suggestive. The signs upon the map have been made as large as its size would allow, and are marked on or near the actual sites of discoveries; but in some instances the signs have had to be placed so as to avoid obliterating names of places. It may be well to mention that where spots of different colours, indicating interments, come together in one locality, it signifies (as a rule) that remains belonging to distinct periods occurred in the same burial-place. It was deemed unnecessary to mention every individual discovery of Palaeolithic implements, a line has therefore been drawn under the name of the town or village in whose district they abound in the river-drift gravels. Discoveries of Neolithic implements have not been noticed, as they occur upon the surface in vast numbers throughout the county. British coins being of rare occurrence, have been noted, likewise hoards or large quantities of Koman coins, but single or scattered specimens have, with few exceptions, been omitted.