G. 8later-T-Hu)nan Skeleton in Glacial Deposits. 166 



At a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia, held at 

 Ipswich, February 21, 1912, Mr. J. Reid Moir read a paper ou "The 

 occurrence of a Human Skeleton in a Glacial Deposit at Ipswich ". 

 The sand-pit from which the bones were obtained is worked by 

 Messrs. Bolton & Laughlin, brickmakers, and is situated about 

 a mile north of Ipswich, and west of the Henley Road near the 

 Prospect Cottages. The bones were discovered on Friday, October 6, 

 1911, whilst workmen were engaged in removing some surface clay 

 near the top of the eastern side of the pit in order to get at the under- 

 lying sand and gravel. The general section on this side of the pit is 

 extremely unsatisfactory. Capping a considerable thickness of sand 

 and gravel (the latter in places containing derived Jurassic material 

 ill the upper parts) is a bed of extremely weathered clay not more 

 than 4 feet in maximum thickness including the top soil and turf, but 

 only 2 feet thick in the sides of the trench where the bones were 

 discovered, and of this 1 foot can only be described as soil. It is 

 important to remember that the Boulder-clay thins ofi entirely near 

 this point to the south-east, this fact being well shown on a geological 

 map of the district recently made by Mr. P. G. H. Boswell, B.Sc, 

 F.G.S., and Mr. I. Double, of Ipswich, the 6 inch ordnance maps of 

 the district being used for the purpose. 



The weathering of the clay has gone on to such an extent that only 

 small scattered patches of unweathered chalky Boulder-clay occur. 

 The decalcified clay is of a deep-brown colour, and is crowded with 

 roots which often pass quite through the clay into the sands below. 

 The result of this is that the free passage of water through the clay 

 is easy and consequently infiltration has been excessive. Below the 

 clay the underlying sands are deeply stained with iron oxide in places 

 to over 1 foot, and beneath the stained portion is a fairly constant 

 calcareous band. 



It was only after the bones had been entirelj^ removed to London 

 that Mr. W. Whitaker, F.R.S., -Dr. Marr, F.Il.S., and myself were 

 asked to report on the beds in the section and in the sides of the 

 empty trench. 



Mr. Whitaker, in the course of his report, said : " The pit_ 

 is worked for sand and gravel, belonging to the glacial drift, and 

 is just where Boulder-clay is marked on the geological survey map as 

 coming above the sand. There is no doubt in my mind that the 

 pit gives a junction-section of the Boulder-clay with the underlying 

 sand and gravel. The skeleton was found at the eastern side of the 

 pit at this junction. The top earth ivas only some 3 feet thick, and 

 the process of weathering has gone to svieh an extent that perhaps 

 no one seeing merely that one particular spot would say that Boulder- 

 clay occurred, but there is unweathered Boulder-clay close by in the 

 same sandy or loamy earth, and I can see no reason to differentiate 

 one particular yard or so from its surroundings. I could see no signs 

 of artificial disturbance of the soil, and was told that none had been 

 seen during the excavation. Slipping seems out of the question." 

 Referring to the fact that the bony cavity of the skull is filled with 

 earth of the same kind as that in which the skeleton tvas foimd, he said : 

 "I fail to understand how man could have lived at the time of the 



