Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Scatter of Palaeolithic implements, including handaxes and flakes, found in a field South West of the chapel at Dunk's Green and to the west of Dunk's Green.

Monument Types

• LITHIC SCATTER (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)

Associated Finds

• FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)

Full description

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(TQ 60865293) Site of Palaeolithic finds. (1) In a field to the S.W. of the chapel at Dunk's Green Benj. Harrison found 'a vast spread of flint, Oldbury stone and chert. In other words he had discovered a bed of gravel transported by the stream from higher levels. Although not yet fifteen years old he became interested in the Dunk's Green drift, and endeavoured to trace its limits. In it he afterwards found many fine palaeolithic implements.' [Account gives a number of verbatim extracts from notes made by B. Harrison, 1881-1907, in which references are made to the Dunk's Green area and the finding of Pa. implements in gravel-working and on the surface.] (2) The Harrison collection of flints has been largely dispersed, only a few selected examples being held by the Maidstone Museum. A MS catalogue of the collection, in the museum, lists the finds by period and place name, with no indication of type of implement or exact provenance. The siting given by authority 1 should be considered as only approximate. (3) Additional bibliography (4-6)

Four handaxes and two flakes recorded by Roe in the 1960s (7), then listed in the Southern Rivers Project in the 1990s (6).

<1> Rec 6" (E Harrison Ightham 1928) (OS Card Reference). SKE49025.

<2> Harrison of Ightham 1928 35 90 135 158 163 182 277 (E Harrison) (OS Card Reference). SKE43719.

<3> Oral (LRA Grove Curator Maidstone Mus (OS Card Reference). SKE47899.

<4> F1 EG 16-DEC-58 (OS Card Reference). SKE42867.

<5> Field report for monument TQ 65 SW 2 - December, 1958 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3444.

<6> Wessex Archaeology, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project, Report No.2: The South West and South of the Thames [Vol. I - text], M2.1, NWK6.102 (Monograph). SWX6569.

<7> Roe, D.A., 1968, Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Sites, pp 150, 171 (Monograph). SWX6570.

Sources and further reading