Isle of Thanet Landscape Mapping Project: Aerial Investigation and Mapping
Author(s): Fiona Small, Katy Whitaker
The report summarises the results of Aerial Investigation and Mapping of archaeological features from historic and modern aerial photography and lidar in the Isle of Thanet, north-east Kent. The project was part of the wider Thanet Archaeological Landscapes Project led by Kent County Council. The research found that a range of factors contribute to the visibility, detection and interpretation from aerial sources of archaeological sites on the Isle of Thanet. The exceptional density of sites across the District spans the Neolithic to the Cold War. New findings include possible Neolithic mortuary monuments and pit alignments; many Bronze Age round barrows represented by cropmark ring ditches; complex networks of later prehistoric and Roman settlements, field systems and trackways and a defended area at North Foreland. Known early medieval inhumation cemeteries were mapped as well as numerous medieval settlements. Important local industries ranging from bulk mineral extraction to salt production were also reflected in the aerial sources. Finally, the aerial mapping has made clear Thanet’s extensive 20th-century military landscapes, revealing the potential for understanding relationships between First, Second and Cold War thinking on national defence. In consequence, recommendations and research questions in relation to this diverse archaeological record are outlined.
- Report Number:
- 11/2025
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 260
- Keywords:
- Bronze Age Iron Age Medieval Roman Industrial Heritage Aerial Investigation and Mapping
