IN THE THAMES BASIN. IO5 



In the North London district from west of Acton (see Alien 

 Brown, " Notes on the High-level Valley Drift between Hanwell 

 and Iver," Pvoc. Geologists' Assoc, xiv., 1895)® to Stoke Newington 

 and Ilford, a vast number of implements have been obtained. 



At Acton itself is the site of the first large discovery of 

 Polaeolithic implements in the Thames Basin. This was by 

 Pitt-Rivers, who described'' his investigations in 1872. They 

 chiefly came from the base of the gravel of the highest terrace. 

 His work has been carried on by Allen Brown, who has dis- 

 covered old surface planes in this terrace. On one of these, 

 exposed in two small pits in the Creffield Road, he found at 

 about six feet from the surface nearly 400 implements and 

 flakes. It was " evident that there had been a manufactory of 

 Palaeolithic implements on this floor, since they were often found 

 together in nests, and they are all as sharp and unabraded as on 

 the day they were made."^*' A complete summary of his dis- 

 coveries, with a list of other neighbouring localities is given in 

 his book, Palaeolithic Man in N.W. Middlesex (London, 1887). 

 From the middle terrace (the low-level valley drift is here split 

 up into two distinct terraces, making three in all) he obtained 

 the semi-circular axe-head already referred, to. This is one of the 

 several localities in the Lower Thames Valley which have 

 yielded remains of the reindeer. 



Even more interesting are the similar discoveries made at 

 Stoke Newington by Worthington Smith, whose researches date 

 back to 1879. Several fully illustrated papers written by Mr. 

 Smith for the Essex Field Club," and a resume of his labours is 

 igiven in his book entitled Man the Pvimceval Savage. These 

 memoirs are most important contributions to our knowledge, and 

 should be consulted by all interested in Palaeolithic man, not 

 only on account of the interesting facts and investigations 

 ■described in them, but also because of the numerous and very 

 neatly executed drawings of implements and sections scattered 

 tliroughout the papers and book. Many neighbouring localities 

 besides Stoke Newington are mentioned in them. 



8 P. Crooke and J. Allen Browne have also obtained a number of tongue-shaped and 

 other implements, together with the skeleton of an elephant at Southall. See Proc. 

 'Geologists' Assoc, x. 



9 " On Discovery of Palaeolithic Implements in Gravels of the Thames Valley at Acton." 

 Q.J.G.S., xxxiii. (1872) 



10 Quart Journ. Geological Soc, xlii , also Ptoc. Soc. Antiquaries 2nd Ser. xi. 1887. 



II Worthington Smith: " Primaeval Man in the Valley of the Lea," Trans. E.F.C. iii. 

 102, Essex Nat. i., 36, ib. i., 83, ib. i., 125 ; " Neolithic and Palzeolithic Scrapers, Replaced 

 .and Reworked," Essex Nat. ii., 67 ; " Palaeolithic Implements— Large and Heavy 

 Jixamples," E.N. ii., 97. 



