Over 150000 pottery shards. Imagine that. That’s just one small part of the incredible story of Springhead. Right here in this seemingly quiet spot. Springhead. A place of pilgrimage for centuries. A site brimming with history. Springhead’s significance goes far beyond its tranquil appearance. For over two and a half years archaeologists painstakingly unearthed secrets buried deep within the earth.
The Springhead site boasts a rich history. From the earliest human activity to the Roman era and beyond. The Celts held Springhead sacred. They called it Vagniacis. The place of marshes. They were drawn to the eight natural springs. An unusually large number. The springs fueled the site’s religious importance.
The Romans arrived. They too recognized the religious significance of Springhead. They built a supply base. But the base was short-lived. No fort. Kent’s resistance was weak. It wasn’t military might that made Springhead important. It was religion and trade. Watling Street a Roman road ran right through Springhead. It brought travellers and pilgrims alike. They came to rest. They came to worship at the springs.
Archaeologists uncovered a stunning complex. Perhaps a dozen temples. At Springhead’s heart was a pool. A walled sanctuary. A large tree stood near the pool. There was also a tank or bath. A bakery supplied bread for the visitors. Sacrificial pits held animal remains. Pottery was also found here.
Overlooking the pool were platforms. Visitors could watch the sacred ceremonies. Nearby was a structure. A guest house perhaps for the pilgrims. The floors of the temples held votive offerings. Religious paraphernalia too. A ceramic figurine of a goddess. A stone altar. In one temple four children were buried. Two were headless. A gruesome ritual perhaps. Fourteen more child burials were found near a bakery. Were these sacrifices or natural deaths? We don’t know. A deep shaft held ritual deposits. Human and animal skulls.
Springhead was a complex place. Religious and commercial. A place of worship. A place of trade. It faded in the 4th century. Christianity rose. Pagan sites were suppressed. But Springhead’s story continued. A Saxon cemetery nearby held richly furnished graves. Skeletons lay alongside jewelry. Coins. Weapons. A later era is marked by medieval pottery. Silver pennies. A pilgrim’s lead container for holy water. This unassuming spot. A place of reverence. A place of passage. A place of worship. Springhead. A place that continues to intrigue and inspire. A unique window to the past. A testament to the enduring power of faith. Of trade. Of human devotion.