Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During excavations in the burial chamber of the Chestnuts longbarrow in 1957 evidence of Mesolithic flintworking industry was found. The finds were recovered from beneath a peat layer. They include tranchet axes of various sizes, picks, a broken pebble macehead with hour glass perforation, cores, blades and flakes, scrapers, gravers, microliths, micro burins and other implements. These finds are now held in the British Museum

In 1959 stratified knapping debris was also found in the cricket field 400 yards south west of the chamber. Two cores, 53 blades and flakes and two micro burins, all Mesolithic, were also found in a sand pit about 250 yards north west of Chestnuts. These finds are now in Maidstone Museum.

Monument Types

• HEARTH (Hearth, Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• OPEN SITE (OPEN SITE, Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)

Associated Finds

• AXEHEAD (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• CORE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• FLAKE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• MACE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• MICROLITH (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• PICK (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• SCRAPER (TOOL) (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)

Full description

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[Area TQ 65495940] A Mesolithic habitation site has been known to exist near the Burial Chamber [TQ 65 NE 24] for some time, both from excavations and surface finds. Test pits for gravel 200 yards west of the chamber produced burins, flakes and cores two feet below the surface (2), and these were associated with a possible post-hole. In a further trial excavation about 100 feet west of the chamber, hearths were found and the material included axes, gravers and microliths. Excavations near Champions's Bridge [TQ 651590] by Major J.P.T. Burchell found more axes, gravers and microliths and part of a quartzite macehead. During the excavation of the chamber in 1957, 2314 flint fragments were found, of these six artefacts were Neolithic, the remainder coming from a homogeneous industry of mesolithic type. A small proportion, 252 pieces, were in situ on the old ground surface under the barrow while the remainder were from the barrow and had been in the topsoil of which the barrow was made. In the last three years Mr. R. Boyle has made a collection of flints from the fields around the tomb; he has been able to show that the mesolithic debris extends up the hill into Chestnuts Wood and for 200 yards beyond the chamber to the east, and in 1959 he discovered stratified knapping debris in the cricket field 400 yards south west of the chamber. A late date seems likely for the industry. (1-4) Mr R. Boyle, the landowner, who retains his large collection, indicated the limits of the area of the site (centred at TQ 65495940).(5) TQ 615593 (sic) (estimated reference) Two cores, 53 blades and flakes and two micro burins, all mesolithic, found in a sand pit about 250 yards north west of the Cheshunt (sic) megalith in Addington are now in Maidstone Museum. Information from D.B. Kelly. TQ 655588 (general reference) A number of mesolithic artefacts from beneath peat, but some in sand "near long barrow" at Addington are now in the British Museum, ex Burchell. The artifacts consist of: 4 large tranchet axes 2 medium tranchet axes 1 heavy pick 2 picks 1 broken pebble macehead with hour glas perforation 163 cores 335 blades or flakes 18 scrapers 7 gravers 47 microliths 3 micro burins 9 other implements Information from J J Wymer. (a) TQ 647590 (estimated reference) Mesolithic implements form the excavaton of the megalith tomb in 1957 at Cheshunt (sic) consist of: 8 tranchet axes 4 other axes 201 cores 2006 blades or flakes 54 scrapers 55 other implements 15 microliths 7 microburins Information from J J Wymer. (6) Mesolithic working area at Chestnuts. (7)

In 1989 a small trench south west of the barrow found a core and 19 flakes in the ploughsoil. (10)

<1> Rec 6" (R F Jessup and J H Evans) Sept 1947 (OS Card Reference). SKE49070.

<2> Arch Cant 50 1938 147 (OS Card Reference). SKE35252.

<3> Arch NL 3 1950-1 86 (Ashbee) (OS Card Reference). SKE36791.

<4> Arch Cant 76 1962 1-57 (J Alexander) (OS Card Reference). SKE35609.

<5> F1 FGA 19-APR-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42943.

<6> Grana Palynologica 4 1 1963 14--148 Pollen Analysis of a Mesolithic Site at Addington Kent (G W Dimb (OS Card Reference). SKE43629.

<7> CBA Res Rep 20 1977 Gaz of Me and Upper Pa Sites in England and Wales 143 (J J Wymer) (OS Card Reference). SKE38859.

<8> S E England 1970 55 (R F Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE49357.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 65 NE 15 - April, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3305.

<10> English Heritage, 2003, Letter re: English Heritage projects in Kent (Unpublished document). SKE17517.

Sources and further reading

Related records

Related thematic articles

• Mesolithic Kent (Thematic Essay)