DEIFT-STAGES OF THE DARENT VALLEY. 133 



Height above ^^^^^^^ ^^ 



^^^f'f Iinpleineuts. 

 m leet. ^ 



1. WrotharaHill 7(>0 6 



2. Fail-seat, near Wrothara 690 2 



3. Plot Farm (near Fairseat) 697 2 



4. Terry's Lodge Hill (above Yalclham) 770 6 



5. St. Olere's Hill (the fields by the side of 



Birches Wood) 760 12 



6. Drain Farm, above St. Clere 725 10 



7. Porter's Farm (near Romney Street) 698 3 



8. Cotman's Ash (above Kemsiug) 665 2 



In several cases it is noticeable that the implements occur on or 

 near small Tertiary outliers, as though they might have preceded 

 the "Red Clay-with-flints, and had been brought to the surface by- 

 subsequent denudation. At Ash Lower-Tertiary sands crop up on 

 the surface ; at West Yoke the same sands appear at a short dis- 

 tance ; near Terry's Lodge a Lower-Tertiary clay was formerly- 

 worked ; and at Bower Lane Mr. Crawshay found a bed of Mottled 

 Clay (Reading Beds) under a thin bed of the Red Clay-with-flints. 

 On the west plateau, sauds and pebbles of the Woolwich Beds con- 

 stantly appear in close connexion with, the Red Clay. I mention 

 this merely to draw attention to the fact and suggest further enquiry. 



The question as to the probability of these implements having been 

 dropped, like the jSTeolithic implements, at these places at a period 

 subsequent to the plateau-drift *, has been before disposed of, for 

 whereas the Neolithic implements have always remained on the sur- 

 face and have undergone no alteration except a slight weathering and 

 bleaching of their surfaces, these others are stained, spotted, and 

 altered in a manner to show that they have been long embedded in 

 a distinct matrix f, and have all the characters of the flints forming 

 part of the drift with which they are associated. Still we want 

 the confirmation to be aiforded by finding them in situ in an un- 

 disturbed bed :^. 



As before mentioned, the shape of the plateau-implements is also 

 of a peculiar character. They are mostly very rudely-trimmed flint- 

 fragments taken from an old gravel, though there are exceptions 

 to this rule, for, with the many rude specimens, a few of more 

 perfect forms are occasionally met with. Thus a large ovoid im- 

 plement, as well finished as those of Abbeville, was found at Bower 



* One specimen recently found between Bower Farm and E-omney Street by 

 Mr. Bullen seems the result of such an accident. It is distinctly Palseolithio, 

 and of the flat spear-head type so common in the post-G-lacial beds of the 

 valleys of the Thames and Somme, yet in general external appearance it resembles 

 the Neolithic specimens found on the same ground, being of a uniformly dull 

 white colour, slightly patinated and iron-stained at the edges by plough or 

 spade, and showing none of the ferruginous incrustations or discoloration so 

 general on specimens of the older or Ash type. The point is broken off by an 

 old fracture. When perfect, it must have been 7 inches long by 4 inches wide 

 at the haft. 



t See Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xlv. (1889) p. 288 and pi. xi. 



I Since writing the above Mr. Harrison has obtained a well-finished and well- 

 preserved flat ovoid specimen, found at a depth of 2 feet in planting a tree 

 at South Ash. 



