Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

At least 5 Palaeolithic handaxes, and numerous pieces of debitage are linked with the general Dartford and Dartford Heath area, but not specifically located to any of the numerous pits open in the late 19th and early 20th Century.

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)

Associated Finds

• DEBITAGE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 125000 BC)
• HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 125000 BC)

Full description

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At least 5 Palaeolithic handaxes, and numerous pieces of debitage are linked with the general Dartford and Dartford Heath area, but not specifically located to any of the numerous pits open in the late 19th and early 20th Century. Roe (1) lists 5 handaxes and 1 unretouched flake as generally from 'Dartford Heath' without any specific pit name. Some material from 'Shepherd's Lane Pit' could have come from the pit at its western, Dartford Heath, end at NGR 552350 173390. Wymer (2) provides a general description of the Dartford Heath sites and material recovered from them. Of the numerous earlier references, Chandler and Leach (3) provide useful information on the deposits and locations of specific pits. A general location for Dartford Heath is given in the SRPP (4), and Bridgland (5) presents a more up-to-date review of possible interpretations and age of the gravel terrace deposits (5). Generally they are attributed as late Anglian or post-Anglian, but it is uncertain (a) whether the thick and extensive Dartford Heath deposits include more than one major distinct aggraditional episode, and (b) whether/how it/they relate/s to the Swanscombe 100-ft terrace deposits further east.

<1> Roe, D.A., 1968, Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Sites, p 148 (Monograph). SWX6570.

<2> Wymer, JJ, 1968, Lower Palaeolithic Archaeology in Britain as represented by the Thames Valley., p327-332 (Monograph). SKE29697.

<3> Chandler RH & Leach AL,, 1907, Excursion to Crayford and Dartford Heath (Article in serial). SKE32284.

<4> Wessex Archaeology, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project, Report No.2: The South West and South of the Thames [Vol. I - text], NWK 3.14 (Monograph). SWX6569.

<5> Bridgland DR, 1994, Quaternary of the Thames., p185-193 (Monograph). SKE32233.

Sources and further reading