Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Large collection of Palaeolithic flakes and cores (some of them Levalloisian) from Coombe deposits under brickearth, pit west of Haywood, Bapchild

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)
• LEVALLOIS CORE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 125000 BC)
• LEVALLOIS FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)

Full description

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Old Notes: [Area TQ 9314 6265] During the Autumn of 1927, Mr S. Williams of Murston, observed Palaeolithic implements in a gravelly deposit, the top of the Coombe Deposits underlying the brickearth, on the western side of the clay workings which lie west of Haywood Farm, Bapchild, on the west side of a dry valley, and about half way between that farm and Bapchild church. Subsequent excavations made in the sub brickearth deposits near to the wash mill have produced more than 400 artifacts of Le Moustier type. The abundance of tools suggest they have not travelled far and the state and variety suggest remains of a settlement rather than a working floor. Both struck and unstruck cores are present as well as anvil blocks. The source of a number of pots - Le Moustier flakes found in the accumulation of stones which are periodically removed from the wash mill, was traced to another brickearth pit on the east side of the valley, about 0.25 miles from Haywood Farm, and towards the west margin of the brickearth spread. [Area TQ 9375 6240 sited from map.] Long narrow blades, end- and round-scrapers, a graver and cores were found, all confined to an area of 25 or 30 yards square, a little to the north of where the light railway enters the pit. (1) Similar implements [to those found, Aurignacian - Upper Monsterian facies at Greenhithe, Kent] associated with the remains of Capra hircus, Sus scrafa and bervus elaphus, occupying a like stratigraphical position, have been published from Bapchild, Kent. (2) The Bapchild find carried us to the final development of the Levalloisflake industry in Kent, but it is not easy to compare the several sites [described at Frindsbury and Northfleet] for they lie at variouslevels and different conditions obtain in each. Bapchild: Mid Large collection of Palaeolithic flakes and cores (some of them Levalloisian) recovered in late 1920s from Coombe deposits under brickearth, pit west of Haywood, Bapchild (1-9)

<1> Dines, HG, 1928, The Palaeolithic site at Bapchild, near Sittingbourne (Article in serial). SKE29691.

<2> Dines, HG, 1929, The flint industries of Bapchild (Article in serial). SKE29692.

<3> Roe, D.A., 1981, The Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Periods in Britain., p226 (Monograph). SKE29687.

<4> Wessex Archaeology, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project, Report No.2: The South West and South of the Thames [Vol. I - text], S-1.2 (p142) (Monograph). SWX6569.

<5> Rochester Naturalist 6 No 130 1928 104 (N C Cook) (OS Card Reference). SKE49310.

<6> Rochester Naturalist 6 No 132 1932 146 (N C Cook) (OS Card Reference). SKE49312.

<7> Maidstone Museum Arch Gazetteer MS in progress (OS Card Reference). SKE46425.

<8> F1 ASP 24-JUL-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42261.

Sources and further reading

Related thematic articles

• Palaeolithic Kent (Thematic Essay)