Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Findspot of 32-3 Lower Palaeolithic handaxes, five flakesand mammoth remains from Smith's Pit, Warren Road, found in 1934

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 125000 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)
• MAMMAL REMAINS (Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 10001 BC)

Full description

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At least 33 Palaeolithic handaxes and some flakes were found in Smith's Pit, Warren Road in 1934, and given to Dartford Museum by S. Priest, F.G.S. Locality of this "Warren Rd pit" established 1955 by correspondence with Henry Dewey F.G.S. formerly officer of Geol. Survey (1) and also described by Shephard-Thorn (3), who also provides detail on the site's stratigraphy and mentions recovery of mammoth remains. Coombe deposits - much derived material but some implements unrolled. (1, 3)

. Finds recorded by Roe as held in Dartford Museum in the mid 1960s (2). Site is listed in SRPP (4, 5) and was visited for the Kent/Essex Aggregates Levy Mineral Extraction Site survey (6). Original gravel sediments very likely present under track behind c. no.'s 6–16 Warren Road, and under Warren Road and houses along it, plus possible at N end of Mitchell Close, backing against S end of Brotherwood's Pit (6)

<1> Corr. 6" (P.J. TESTER Feb. 1957) (OS Card Reference). SKE39294.

<2> Roe, D.A., 1968, Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Sites, p158 (Monograph). SWX6570.

<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. (Unpublished document).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 4.3 (A) (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Project: maps for Report No. 2, Regions 4 & 1, The South West and South of the Thames [Vol II - maps], NWK 4.3 (A) (Unpublished document). SKE12023.

<6> Essex County Council & Kent County Council, 2003, Archaeological Survey of Mineral Extraction Sites around the Thames Estuary, #480 (Unpublished document). SKE12012.

Sources and further reading