Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Canterbury, Gasometer Pit - numerous Palaeolithic finds, including handaxes, Levallois flakes and general waste debitage

Monument Types

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

Associated Finds

• DEBITAGE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• LEVALLOIS FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• RETOUCHED FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)

Full description

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Canterbury, Gasometer Pit - numerous Palaeolithic finds, including handaxes, Levallois flakes and general waste debitage made from this area in late 19th and early 20th century. Evans reports two stained and very abraded handaxes from gravel pit near the new gasometer (1). Roe found numerous material in various museum collections from same location (2), later recorded in SRPP (3)

For an assessment of the information carried out during the Stour Basin Palaeolithic Project Francis Wenban-Smith took "Gasworks Pit" as corresponding with pit near Evans' "new gasometer" site, since there was no pit near the actual main gasworks

Wessex Archaeology, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project, Report No.2: The South West and South of the Thames [Vol. I - text], S4.14, p145 (Monograph). SWX6569.

<1> Evans, J., 1897, The Ancient Stone Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain, p620 (Monograph). SWX6573.

<2> Roe, D.A., 1968, Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Sites, p141 (Monograph). SWX6570.

Sources and further reading