Anglo-Saxon grubenhaus, Gun Hill, West Tilbury (EHER 1792)

An Anglo-Saxon grubenhaus, of the second half of the 5th to the 7th century. The grubenhaus was a large example measuring 4.5m by 3.75m and was 0.90m deep. The feature was excavated by a volunteer group in 1968.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Cropmark complex discovered in the late 1950's. Series of Aerial Photographs were taken 1959-1968. Many of the features were quarried away during this period. Excavation, 1968 In 1968 a pit-like cropmark was excavated in advance of quarrying, to the north east of the major series of features that were excavated in 1969-1970. Flint nodules were found, suggested to be a low wall or kerb. Three internal post holes were recorded, also silhouettes of timbers giving evidence for framed construction. There was a hearth on the floor of the pit. Occupation debris consisted of pottery, animal bone, charcoal, covering the whole of the bottom of the pit. An unfired clay loom weight was found at one end. All the layers in the hut produced grass-tempered pottery, and it also other loom weight fragments. A hone was found and iron instrument, possibly a bodkin with the `eye' broken off. A piece of slag was found also. Excavation, 1969-1970 The 1969-1970 excavations produced a sherd of Anglo-Saxon pottery from the main north-south ditch indicating that it was still visible in some form in this period. It is unlikely that the hut was an isolated one. Pit-like cropmarks in an adjacent field could have been sunken-featured dwellings (grubenhaus), they have been destroyed. Other marks may still survive to the north. A rash of such cropmarks have been recorded in the angle between Rectory Lane and Turnpike Lane, possibly a settlement nucleus (see 1794). If so, the excavated hut would be a south west outlier. <1>-<4> Aerial Photograph references: <5>-<9> Cropmark maps in record and on OS plan card. <10> <11> <12> Other references, <16> has a photo: <13> <14> in <13> <15> <16> Two sketch plans of the area and adjacent features in the record. <17> Site Assessment = Accession numbers for sunken featured building finds?