Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Numerous Palaeolithic handaxes (and other flint artefacts) from general Swanscombe area, collected in late 19th C. Though the precise location and circumstances of these discoveries is not certain it is notes that "Swanscombe and vicinity" "Acres between Northfleet Station and Swanscombe" and "Bevan's field and hop garden" all contained finds which included 1400 handaxes, 61 cores, 1 Levallois flake, more than 220 flake-tools, and more than 670 pieces of debitage. (location accurate to the nearest 1km based on available information)

Monument Types

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

Associated Finds

• CORE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• 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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Numerous Pal handaxes (and other flint artefacts) from general Swanscombe area, collected in late 19th C, and held in Stopes' flint collection at NMW Cardiff, combined material from three sites in his catalogue: "Swanscombe and vicinity" (site no. 4), "Acres between Northfleet Station and Swanscombe" (site no. 30), and "Bevan's field and hop garden" (site no. 487). (1) The combined collection from these three sites contains nearly 1400 handaxes, 61 cores, 1 Levallois flake, more than 220 flake-tools, and more than 670 pieces of debitage (1).

Wenban-Smith F. F., March 2004, The Stopes Palaeolithic Project: Final Report, #4, #30 and #487 (Unpublished document). SWX12877.

Sources and further reading