Flint Implements of Addington. 259 
A systematic study of the remains of the Stone age can be 
carried out under very favourable conditions in the district around 
Addington. Within a radius of about two miles from that 
village the several geological formations from the chalk to the 
London clay come to the surface, including a large breadth of 
the Oldhaven and Blackheath beds. This causes considerable 
diversity of soil, and the elevation above sea-level varies from 
about 100 to 600 feet and upwards. By this combination of 
causes the implements have been exposed to different climatic 
and other influences, which have not only acted upon their sur- 
faces, but have likewise affected their distribution by transporting 
many to lower levels. 
The age of the implements found on the surface ranges from 
the earliest eolithic to the latest neolithic periods, but there are 
no signs of the district ever having been visited by the race who 
fabricated the finely chipped flints of the north of England. 
The sites of several factories at which implements were made 
: in large quantities are also comprised within the area, and afford 
interesting evidence of the occupation of these stations for 
lengthened periods ; even in one instance down to Roman times 
as evidenced by remains of pottery tiles and other objects. 
I first became aware of the existence of implements at Adding- 
ton about twenty years ago, through one of my daughters finding 
a couple of rude arrow-heads in a field. She had recognized 
these as such from their likeness to some that I had received a 
short time before from Dorsetshire. Stimulated by this find, I 
made search on my own account, and soon met with numerous 
examples of what were apparently worked flints, although of a 
bewildering variety of form and condition of surface. 
Having accumulated some thousands of these, my next task 
was to endeavour to bring order out of chaos, by arranging the 
heaps in groups showing a general similarity. This was followed 
by separating from each group all duplicate implements, and 
these were laid aside, until meeting with a third of like form I 
considered that the type in each case was established, Con- 
tinuing to work on this plan, many types were by degrees 
evolved, and after trying several systems of arrangement which 
I need not now weary you by relating, I had finally the pleasure 
of seeing a representative series, containing many forms not to 
| be found in the public collections to which I have had access, 
and atthe same time so classified, that, although I have since col- 
_ lected flints from more than a hundred other localities far distant 
from each other, there is no difficulty in assigning each example 
to its proper division. 
Our Addington implements are the tools and weapons of the 
; everyday life of the inhabitants of this district long before history 
ae began, when a man carried his life in his hand as he ron in 
=? c 
