Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Findspots of four Lower Palaeolithic handaxes in Head geology.

Monument Types

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

Associated Finds

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

Full description

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[Scatter] Palaeolithic implements.(1) No further information.(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.(2a)

2015 Volunteer Project suggested that TQ 55 SE 38 corresponds to NWK-6, No. 4,5 and 6 from the Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project. (5)

There were two gravel pits in Broadhoath Wood in the 1930s (see 1938 OS mapping) to east of Bitchet Green, at NGR 557220 154215 and 557300 154105. The four handaxes are held in British Museum and were recorded by Roe in the 1960s (6), then listed in the Southern Rivers Project in the 1990s (5).

<1> Rec. 6" (E. Harrison, 1928) (OS Card Reference). SKE49085.

<2> Oral, Mr. L.R.A. Grove, B.A. FSA Curator Maidstone Museum (OS Card Reference). SKE47995.

<3> F1 CFW 23.7.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42719.

<4> Field report for monument TQ 55 SE 38 - July, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2855.

<5> Wessex Archaeology, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project, Report No.2: The South West and South of the Thames [Vol. I - text], NWK6.4 (Monograph). SWX6569.

<6> Roe, D.A., 1968, Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Sites, p173 (Monograph). SWX6570.

Sources and further reading