Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Numerous Palaeolithic handaxes from Pearson's Pit, Dartford; handaxes of varied shapes and from different horizons within the deposits.

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Lower Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 150001 BC)

Associated Finds

• DEBITAGE (Lower Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 150001 BC)
• HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 150001 BC)

Full description

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Numerous handaxes from Pearson's Pit, Dartford; handaxes of varied shapes and from different horizons within the deposits. Roe (1) saw material from the site in several museums, most material is now held at Dartford Museum and the British Museum. Wymer (2) provides a typological breakdown of the collection which includes pointed, cordate, sub-cordate and cleaver forms. However Shephard-Thorn (3) reports several ovates from the site and highlights "the east side of the western pit, near the bridge carrying the footpath across the property" as the most prolific pit. Site included in the SRPP (4,5) and also visited/ assessed for the ME Survey. (6)

Brief record noting 65+ handaxes and one flake-tool found. Surviving Pleistocene sediments should be present around the preimeter of quarried area; uncertain how accurate mapping of the perimeter is, whether face was a clean vertical cut, or whether deposits survive within perimeter. Bank at north end up to high fence (on line of remnants of older metal/wire-mesh fence) and level open space beyond it, to S of main road - Shepherds Lane, are probably natural in situ deposits. Also probably to E and N of open space extension, W of Roseberry Gardens. Possibly also surviving as strip 5-10m wide along SW side of site, to NE of backs of houses along NE side of Princes Road. See KT725 (6)

<1> Roe, D.A., 1968, Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Sites, p 149 (Monograph). SWX6570.

<2> Wymer, JJ, 1968, Lower Palaeolithic Archaeology in Britain as represented by the Thames Valley., p328, 330 (Monograph). SKE29697.

<3> Shephard-Thorn, E.R., Edited text of Henry Stopes Memorial Lecture 1959, by Henry Dewey on: Palaeolithic Deposits of the Thames at Dartford Heath and Swanscombe., p14-20 (Unpublished document). SKE32257.

<4> Wessex Archaeology, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project, Report No.2: The South West and South of the Thames [Vol. I - text], NWK 3.13 (Monograph). SWX6569.

<5> 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], NWK 3.13 (Unpublished document). SKE12023.

<6> Essex County Council & Kent County Council, 2003, Archaeological Survey of Mineral Extraction Sites around the Thames Estuary, #725 (Unpublished document). SKE12012.

Sources and further reading