Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Levalloisian Palaeolithic flakes, cores and animal remains from pit rail cutting to Bevan's (Baker's Hole) Pit, collected by various workers in the late 19thC, particularly H Stopes and FCJ Spurrell.

Location accurate to 20m based on available information

Monument Types

• LITHIC WORKING SITE (FLINT WORKING SITE, Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)

Associated Finds

• DEBITAGE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• HAMMERSTONE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• LEVALLOIS CORE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• LEVALLOIS FLAKE (Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 10001 BC)
• MAMMAL REMAINS (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)

Full description

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Spurrell (1, 2) provides a detailed description of the site and his finds: "Half a mile south-west of this spot [1/4 mile west of Northfleet Church] is another cutting in the valley below, where, about 20 feet above O.D. or less, I found a kind of beach on which lay several haches, from 5 to 25 feet below the surface according to the slope. Mammoth remains of great size, also those of Rhinoceros, Bison, Horse, Deer, etc. are found on this spot. Perfect haches of five distinct kinds and make were obtained, and some unfinished and spoilt examples. I have examined many thousands of flakes and discovered numerous flint hammers and knapping tools, also some elegant scrapers of peculiar form, oval, flat on one side and rounded on the other".

The location of Spurrell's site was relocated in conjunction with examination of historic OS mapping and a drawing of the cutting section held in Dartford Library (3). It is clear from Spurrell's description and illustrations that much of the material he found was Levalloisian material similar to that later found by RA Smith at nearby Southfleet Pit (TQ 67 SW 48). Henry Stopes also collected from the cutting and some of his finds are preserved with the rest of his flint collection in the National Museum of Wales (4).

Location accurate to 20m based on available information

Wenban-Smith F. F., March 2004, The Stopes Palaeolithic Project: Final Report, #26C (Unpublished document). SWX12877.

<1> Spurrell FCJ,, 1883, Palaeolithic implements found in West Kent. (Article in serial). SKE32204.

<2> Spurrell FCJ,, 1884, On some Palaeolithic knapping tools and modes of using them. (Article in serial). SKE32210.

<3> Wenban-Smith F. F., 1995, The Ebbsfleet Valley, Northfleet (Baker's Hole) (Article in monograph). SKE17727.

Sources and further reading