Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Numerous Palaeolithic finds (mostly handaxes) and Pleistocene mammal bones from Aylesford Sand Quarry (formerly Silas Wagon's Pit), found from Terrace 2 sand/gravel deposits exposed by quarrying from the late 19th century through to the second half of the 20th century.

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (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)
• HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• MAMMAL REMAINS (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 125000 BC)

Full description

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At Hall's Aggregates' Aylesford Sand Quarry (otherwise known as Silas Wagon's Pit, Wagon's Pit, Welton Bros), various Lower/Middle Palaeolithic flint artefacts have been found over the period of its working since the late 19th century (1, 2, 3, 4), as well as abundant Pleist mammal bones. Report in 1905 (4) that some material from other sites (Eg. "new Hythe pits") was brought to this well-known prolific site for sale to collectors, so some "Wagon's Pit" material may be mis-provenanced. No well-provenanced records of any finds, but deposits at the site were mostly relatable to the 2nd (50ft) terrace of the Medway (5). Roe identified collections in several museums, mostly Dartford and Maidstone (6). Handaxes are mostly pointed or sub-cordate (10). Mammalian remains include mammoth, elephant, woolly rhinoceros, lion and red deer (7). Some artefacts may be reworked from older periods, and the wide range of mammal species also suggests a range of climatic/geographic conditions, and thus a range of different contexts. As noted during fieldwork for the Medway Valley project in 2005, higher/older terrace deposits may still be present at the north side of the2005 extraction area at c. 17-18m OD (TQ 598 730), whereas lower/younger terrace deposits outcrop in the southern side of the current quarry (10 - p29). The area of the old Silas Wagon's Pit was reported in 1964 as largely reverted to agricultural land (11). Additional references (8-9, 12).

<1> Huddleston W.H, 1876, Excursion to the gorge of the Medway. (Article in serial). SKE51478.

<2> Evans, J., 1897, The Ancient Stone Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain, p610 (Monograph). SWX6573.

<3> James, F., 1899, Some remains of the Bronze Age found at Aylesford, Kent. (Article in serial). SKE51479.

<04> Hinton, M.A.C. & Kennard, A.S., 1905, The relative ages of the stone implements of the Lower Thames Valley., pp86-87, p94 (Bibliographic reference). SKE13247.

<05> Worssam BC, 1963, Geology of the Country around Maidstone: Memoir for 1:50,000 Geological Sheet 288 (England and Wales). HMSO, London., p120 (Monograph). SKE29902.

<06> Roe, D.A., 1968, Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Sites, p138 (Monograph). SWX6570.

<07> Skempton, A.W. & Weeks, A.G., 1976, The Quaternary history of the Lower Greensand escarpment and Weald Clay vale near Sevenoaks. (Article in serial). SKE51480.

<08> Wessex Archaeology, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project, Report No.2: The South West and South of the Thames [Vol. I - text], M4.5 (Monograph). SWX6569.

<09> Wessex Archaeology, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project: maps for Report No. 2, Regions 4 & 1, The South West and South of the Thames [Vol II - maps], M4.5 (Unpublished document). SKE12023.

<10> Wenban-Smith F. F., Bates M.R and Marshall G., 2007, Medway Valley Palaeolithic Project Final Report: The Palaeolithic Resource in the Medway Gravels (Kent) (Unpublished document). SKE29351.

<11> Field report for monument TQ 75 NW 22 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3875.

<12> Cook W.H, 1923, Excursions [III - Geological Excursion to Lower Greensand Beds and Pleistocene Drifts at Aylesford]. (Article in serial). SKE51481.

Sources and further reading