An excavation by Wessex Archaeology on the Isle of Thanet in Kent between 2004 and 2005 revealed what the authors describe as “extraordinary and—more importantly—unexpected archaeological findings” (p. 6). This is no over-statement, and the resulting publication does these findings justice through a combination of clear, detailed and precise text, excellent colour illustrations and photographs, and the skill of the specialist authors in their identification and interpretation of the finds and contexts. The report also exemplifies the invaluable partnership between commercial contractors and Historic England (formerly English Heritage), who facilitated the comprehensive programme of scientific analyses that enabled Wessex Archaeology to date the phases of activity accurately, and to explore the finds and human remains more fully.

The Isle of Thanet is a former island now attached to the north-east coast of Kent. Although the area as a whole is rich in archaeology, one of the thrills of this report is the unexpected nature of the discoveries; prior to evaluation and excavation, Cliffs End Farm, overlooking a bay on the southern edge of the island, had revealed no previous evidence for archaeology. The ensuing project traced the changing environment and human activity in the area from the Early Bronze Age to the Anglo-Saxon period, all of which are covered in the report. Its focus, however, is the extraordinary Bronze Age discoveries—and deservedly so, for this site is without parallel in Britain. The excavations revealed evidence for six barrows, two enclosures and a mortuary complex. The barrows are part of a wider ritual landscape, unusual for Kent, centred on a feature with evidence for timber structures and, in the central pit of barrow 1, some 118 flint tools and flakes deposited in two bags. Such a quantity and quality of flint is remarkable not only in Kent but also in Britain, as the authors demonstrate by comparing this discovery to another of their excavations: the well-known ‘Amesbury Archer’ burial in Wiltshire.

The site appears to have gone out of use during the Middle Bronze Age before coming to the fore in the Late Bronze Age, at the end of the eleventh century BC, when it appears to have played a crucial ceremonial role in the lives of the island's communities, as indicated, for example, by the building of an enclosure used for feasting. Also at this time, a large and complex mortuary feature was created, and the reader greatly benefits from the inclusion of detailed information about the excavation methodology—central to the interpretation of this feature and often omitted from many commercially produced site reports—as well as a wealth of scientific analyses. This multidisciplinary effort has been able to establish three distinct phases of use: Late Bronze Age, Early Iron Age and Middle Iron Age. In the earliest phase, an older adult female who appears to have been killed was buried in a unique position: her left index finger held a small piece of chalk up to her nose, and her right index finger was pointing in a south-westerly direction. Also in this period, the remains of seven individuals, identified by isotope analysis as migrants from areas south of Britain in mainland Europe, were buried at the site. During the Early and Middle Iron Ages, additional individuals from locales south of Britain, and from Scandinavia, as well as a variety of animals, were also deposited. Importantly, this is the first time that long-distance migrants in Iron Age Britain have been confirmed. McKinley's excellent taphonomic analysis of the remains provides evidence for the exposure of bodies and body parts to avian and canid scavengers, burning, manipulation and curation.

The finds further emphasise the atypical nature of the site during the Bronze Age. These include a significant number of flax capsule fragments, suggesting that seeds and oil were produced on the site; the worked bone and stone evidence indicates other on-site production: wood-working, dressing skins, and pottery and textile manufacture. A variety of finds emphasise exchange and other connections with the Continent including copper ingots, a lead alloy weight and a bone balance-beam—only the second to be found in Britain. Needham's chapter, a useful and detailed overview of the excavation and finds, highlights that although many of the individuals deposited at the site during the Bronze and Iron Ages were migrants, the material culture is primarily indigenous. Building on the observations of the excavators, he develops their hypothesis that the site had a specialised role, acting as a ‘neutral zone’ to facilitate trade between indigenous and Continental communities, with the unique mortuary feature contributing to this function.

The report then moves on to the sixth–eleventh-centuries AD Anglo-Saxon cemetery with its 21 graves oriented around the prehistoric barrows. A pleasing feature of the report is the use of colour for the illustration of the grave-goods in the catalogue, exemplified in the richly furnished burial of a female with a colourful glass-bead necklace, brooches, a purse, a wooden bowl/cup, belt-buckle, knife and toilet-set. The overview and interpretation section by Stoodley suggests that this particular burial became a focal point, and, in his discussion of the burial rite, he highlights the presence of barley as a lining material in the grave, indicating that some individuals received complex rites. He proposes that this cemetery contributes to the growing evidence for the importance of elite females in east Kent during the sixth century AD.

This volume is indeed ‘extraordinary’ in terms both of content and production quality, and the exciting nature of the site shines through every section of the report. Cliffs End Farm represents a sea change in our knowledge of prehistoric Britain, and this volume provides the detail, insight and specialist knowledge necessary for the site to be appreciated as such.