50 Henry Deivey — Palceolithic Flake-implements 



various sites in North Kent and near Bickm an s worth. The results 

 are published in Archcbologia, x but a brief account of these results 

 is necessary for the discussion of the present paper. All the flake- 

 implements illustrated 2 in Plate II, and described on pp. 53-5, were 

 collected by the author, or in his presence, at these sites during 

 visits made to the pits after the publication of the official work. 



The chief interest attaching to these flake-implements is the light 

 they throw upon the ancestry of the types that became dominant in 

 the cave periods and in the Neolithic age. During the early 

 palaeolithic periods core-implements were characteristic and pre- 

 dominant; in the early cave period (Le Moustier) flake-implements 

 suddenly, and almost completely, replaced them ; but that the 

 pattern was not unfamiliar to the earlier peoples is proved by the 

 occurrence of similar types, and it may therefore be concluded, 

 either that the earlier men were not in such urgent need of these 

 forms, or that they preferred the use of others. 



The age of these flake-implements is indicated by the position in 

 which they were found. 



Deposits of the 100 ft. Terrace of the Thames. 



The first site selected for investigation was the large gravel-pit, at 

 Milton Street, near Swanscombe, known to the owners (The 

 Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers) as the Barnfield Pit. 

 The Company, through one of their Managers, Mr. George Butchard, 

 courteously invited the British Museum and the Geological Survey 

 to undertake an examination of the sand and gravel for flint 

 implements before this overburden was removed, preparatory to the 

 quarrying of the underlying chalk for making cement. 



A preliminary visit snowed that over the whole area around the 

 pit there was a persistent series of Pleistocene deposits composing 

 a 35 ft. section. As the deposits had already been removed to 

 various depths at different parts of the pit it was possible to examine 

 nearly every bed without shifting those above, and the danger of 

 mixing the beds was thereby avoided. 



The following sequence was found to occur: — 



Soil. Feet. 

 Gravel, irregular pockets and pipes in stiff clay (the Upper Gravel)) . x 

 Loam (the Upper Loam) / a 



Gravel and current-bedded sand (the Middle Gravel) . . . 8-18 



Loam and Marl (the Lower Loam) . . . . . . 2-4 



Gravel (the Lower Gravel) . . . . . ... 5-6 



On the northern side of the pit the gravel overlaps the Thanet 

 Sand and lies directly on the Chalk. The overlap is due to the 

 general southerly dip. 



About two weeks' digging resulted in the collection, and accurate 

 location, of many palaeolithic implements and rough flakes, and 



1 Vol. Ixiv, pp. 177-204, 1913; vol. Ixv, pp. 187-212, 1914; vol. Ixvi, 

 pp. 195-224, 1915. 



2 For these drawings and descriptions I am indebted to my friend 

 Mr. Reginald A. Smith, of the British Museum. 



