﻿PALAEOLITHIC 
  FLINT 
  IMPLEMENTS 
  IN 
  KENT. 
  283 
  

  

  Harrison, 
  these 
  abnormal 
  cases 
  were 
  so 
  rare 
  that 
  the 
  few 
  specimens 
  

   found 
  were 
  hardly 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  discussion, 
  or 
  were 
  supposed 
  to 
  be, 
  

   like 
  the 
  Neolithic 
  flint 
  specimens, 
  dropped 
  or 
  lost 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  

   of 
  the 
  land, 
  where 
  they 
  had 
  since 
  remained 
  *. 
  It 
  is 
  clear 
  that 
  

   either 
  such 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  their 
  origin, 
  in 
  which 
  case 
  these 
  flint 
  

   implements 
  might 
  be 
  of 
  the 
  usual 
  so-called 
  Post-glacial 
  age, 
  or 
  else 
  

   that 
  they 
  are 
  in 
  some 
  way 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  drift-beds 
  on 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  found, 
  or 
  with 
  others 
  since 
  removed, 
  in 
  

   either 
  of 
  which 
  cases 
  they 
  must 
  be 
  of 
  greater 
  antiquity 
  than 
  the 
  river- 
  

   valley 
  gravel 
  specimens. 
  The 
  question, 
  therefore, 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  

   the 
  antiquity 
  of 
  man, 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  very 
  considerable 
  interest. 
  The 
  

   first 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  opinions 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  one 
  tacitly 
  held 
  ; 
  but 
  

   an 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  makes 
  me 
  doubt 
  

   whether 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  implements 
  can 
  be 
  accounted 
  for 
  in 
  this 
  

   way. 
  The 
  character 
  of 
  ordinary 
  Neolithic 
  surface-specimens 
  is 
  

   very 
  distinct 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  these 
  palaeolithic 
  forms. 
  

  

  The 
  unpolished 
  Neolithic 
  flint 
  implements 
  that 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  

   surface 
  are 
  at 
  once 
  recognized, 
  not 
  only 
  by 
  their 
  form, 
  but 
  also 
  by 
  

   their 
  condition. 
  The 
  flint 
  is 
  weathered, 
  and 
  the 
  black 
  surfaces 
  have 
  

   become 
  irregularly 
  whitened, 
  with 
  a 
  dull 
  lustre, 
  and 
  with 
  edges 
  often 
  

   slightly 
  blunted, 
  but 
  not 
  water-worn. 
  There 
  is 
  an 
  absence 
  also 
  of 
  

   that 
  uniform 
  but 
  varied 
  colouring 
  which 
  results 
  from 
  entombment 
  

   in 
  a 
  matrix 
  of 
  a 
  special 
  character. 
  The 
  specimens 
  are 
  free 
  from 
  

   incrustation, 
  except 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  cases, 
  where 
  they 
  have 
  lain 
  in 
  alluvial 
  

   beds 
  ; 
  while 
  from 
  exposure 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  they 
  have 
  commonly 
  come 
  

   in 
  contact 
  with 
  plough 
  or 
  spade, 
  and 
  the 
  iron 
  rubbed 
  off 
  by 
  the 
  

   sharp 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  stone 
  has 
  rusted 
  and 
  fringed 
  them 
  with 
  strong 
  

   ferruginous 
  stains, 
  in 
  contrast 
  with 
  the 
  general 
  colourless 
  surface. 
  

   The 
  surface 
  of 
  these 
  palaeolithic 
  flints, 
  on 
  the 
  contrary, 
  although 
  they 
  

   occasionally 
  show 
  contact 
  with 
  the 
  plough, 
  are 
  more 
  usually 
  free 
  

   from 
  these 
  iron-marks, 
  and 
  exhibit 
  generally 
  the 
  deep 
  uniform 
  

   staining 
  of 
  brown, 
  yellow, 
  or 
  white, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  bright 
  patina, 
  

   resulting 
  from 
  long 
  imbedment 
  in 
  drift-deposits 
  of 
  different 
  charac- 
  

   ters 
  ; 
  and 
  while 
  some 
  specimens 
  are 
  perfectly 
  sharp 
  and 
  uninjured, 
  

   others 
  are 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  rolled 
  and 
  worn 
  at 
  the 
  edges 
  by 
  drift-action, 
  

   — 
  some 
  very 
  much 
  so. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  Flint 
  Implements 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  Shade 
  river-drifts 
  t, 
  the 
  

   greater 
  number 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  brown, 
  yellow, 
  or 
  white 
  colour, 
  patinated, 
  

   sharp, 
  and 
  uninjured, 
  while 
  others 
  are 
  much 
  worn 
  and 
  rolled. 
  At 
  

   Bayshaw 
  well-finished 
  light-coloured 
  specimens 
  are 
  found 
  uninjured 
  

   in 
  a 
  gravelly 
  red 
  clay 
  4 
  feet 
  thick. 
  At 
  Fane 
  Hill 
  the 
  specimens 
  are 
  

   more 
  frequently 
  of 
  the 
  pointed 
  and 
  spear-head 
  type, 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  flakes 
  

   and 
  scrapers. 
  Some 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  white, 
  patinated, 
  and 
  sharp 
  ; 
  a 
  

   few 
  specimens 
  are 
  rudely 
  made, 
  of 
  a 
  deep 
  brown 
  colour, 
  and 
  very 
  

   much 
  rolled 
  and 
  worn. 
  These 
  latter 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  derived. 
  

  

  At 
  Highfield, 
  the 
  specimens, 
  which 
  have 
  no 
  doubt 
  been 
  exposed 
  by 
  

  

  * 
  Or, 
  as 
  suggested 
  by 
  Dr. 
  J. 
  Evans, 
  that 
  these 
  hill-drifts 
  are 
  connected 
  with 
  

   the 
  existing 
  drainage-system 
  ; 
  their 
  independence 
  will 
  be 
  shown 
  further 
  on. 
  

  

  t 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  considered 
  it 
  necessary 
  to 
  figure 
  any 
  of 
  these, 
  as 
  they 
  differ 
  in 
  

   no 
  respect 
  from 
  the 
  ordinary 
  River-drift 
  implements. 
  

  

  