544 



F. C. J. SPTJREELL ON THE DISCOYERY OF 



39. On the Discoveey of the Place where PAiisoLiTHic Implements 

 were made at Ceatfoed. By F. C. J. Spueeell, P.G.S. (Eead 

 June 23, 1880.) 



[Plate XXIL] 



In the large chalk-pit at Crayford, Kent, and in the adjoining 

 hrick-pits I have noticed for some time flint flakes which I was 

 unable to convince myself belonged to the brick-earths in which 

 they were found, believing, from their shape, colour, and mineral 

 condition, that they had come from another stratum of the river- 



I, however, watched regularly, with great care, and during the 

 late winter found a few flakes which, from their appearance, I felt 

 belonged to the gently deposited brick- earths in which they lay ; but 

 they were solitary and rare, and it was not until the beginning of 

 March last that, on the removal of a part of the face of the cliff, I 

 came upon a dense layer of chips, specimens of which are exhibited. 



Fig. 1. — Section of Cliff at Crayford, 

 (Scale -jJg- inch to 1 foot,) 



.-^i««,v-2^...fih.^^^^^ 



a. Layer of chips. 

 d. Chalk. 



b. Vegetable soil. c. Chalk rubble, 



4- + Bones of Ehinoceros. 



The sands and clays constituting the brick-earths of Crayford, lie 

 under a low cliff of chalk and Thanet Sand, with a cap of gravel known 

 as Dartford-Heath gravel. This ancient cliff (fig. 1) has in parts 

 been worn lower than others; at one of these spots, where the wear- 

 ing has invaded the chalk itself, the brick-earths are exposed lying 

 against the chalk, which is much weathered and has the face covered 

 with chalk-rubble ; at the base of this section is a step in the chalk 

 cliff, and a sort of foreshore seems to have been formed, consisting 

 here of hard sand., and there of small heaps of flint stones brought 

 down from the cliff above by aerial action. It is on one of these 

 small slopes of sand that the layer of flakes was found. The upper- 

 most edge of the area covered by them is about thirty-six feet from 



