Coldrum Stones
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The Coldrum Stones are the remains of a Neolithic chambered long barrow near Trotiscliffe in the English county of Kent.
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The monument has been greatly affected by 19th century treasure hunters and chalk extraction but the kerb of 31 peristaliths largely survives, meaning that it is often mistaken for a stone circle. It measures 27m in length and 16.5 in width and is orientated east-west.
When the barrow itself was excavated in 1910, the remains of twenty two people were found in the central chamber, including the skull of one which had been placed on a raised shelf. Many of the long bones appeared deliberately broken and some have been diagnosed with rheumatism. Further investigations took place in 1922, 1923 and 1926 which found a flint 'saw' and several pieces of pottery including a Saxon sherd.
Despite the depredations of time and more recent vandalism, the site is the best preserved of Kent's Medway megaliths. Unlike the other nearby tombs it shares some characteristics of Danish dysser.
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