viil PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [April 1914, 



450 to 765 feet above O.D. The implements of both classes are 

 in a precisely similar mineral condition, and the amount of abrasion 

 is likewise common to both. A typical Kentish Eolith is a deeply - 

 patinated nodule of flint with one or more of its edges chipped, 

 such chipped edges being in general of a lighter ochreous patina- 

 tion than the other parts of the nodule. It was noteworthy that 

 some of the deeply-patinated Palaeoliths had a subsequent or re- 

 chipped edge showing exactly similar characteristics in regard to 

 patina and angle of chipping as the Eoliths with which they were 

 associated. It had been said that Palaeoliths did not occur beneath 

 the humus, but the speaker had had excavations made at levels of 

 450 and 520 feet above O.D. At the lower level he had found 

 numerous Eoliths and a rolled Palaeolithic flake at a depth of 4 feet 

 6 inches ; and at a further depth of 2 feet he found unrolled 

 unochreous Eoliths. At the higher level he had detected a 

 much-rolled Palaeolithic implement, in conjunction with numerous 

 Eoliths. He considered, therefore, that the contemporaneity of 

 Eoliths and Palaeoliths was beyond doubt. 



Mere crudity of the fabrication of an implement could not be 

 regarded as an indication of pre-Palaeolithic antiquity : for, if that 

 were allowed, many rudely-fashioned implements, found associated 

 in the drifts of our river- valleys with the higher forms and on the 

 surface with polished tools, would have to be regarded as of greater 

 antiquity than the finished examples, whereas there was good evidence 

 to the contrary. This claim to a pre-Palaeolithic antiquity for 

 implements of crude workmanship could not be upheld, when with 

 them were found Palaeolithic implements of Chellean and Acheulian 

 types, in precisely the same mineral condition and showing a like 

 amount of abrasion. 



Mr. Reginald A. Smith referred to the type- series of flints from 

 the excavations carried out in 1912 on behalf of the Geological 

 Survey and the British Museum. The official account was about 

 to be published by the Society of Antiquaries (' Archaeologia,' 

 vol. lxiv), and dealt with the 100-foot terrace-gravels at Milton 

 Street, Swanscombe, long known as a most prolific site. The 

 35-foot section of Pleistocene deposits contained three bands of 

 gravel, separated by two bands of loam. The lowest gravel, resting 

 on Thanet Sand, contained a large number of struck flakes, unrolled 

 and without secondary chipping — but no implements in the ordinary 

 sense of the term, though some chipped cylindrical nodules might be 

 regarded as of Strepy type. The Chellean t} r pes occur abundantly 

 in the middle gravel, especially in its lower section, the industry 

 higher in the same bed showing an approach to Acheulian forms ; 

 but, though the latter had been found from time to time in the pit 

 and in the vicinity, no results were obtained during the excavations. 

 Subsequently Mr. Dewey had acquired a series of unrolled Acheulian 

 implements, mostly twisted ovates, from a bed corresponding to the 

 upper gravel, in an adjoining pit. Hence the whole series, gene- 

 rally known as the Drift, seemed to be represented in the 100-foot 



