part 4] ELEPHAS-AXTIQUUS BED OF CLACTON-OX-SEA. 613 



Clacton channel I once found a thin line (scarcely more than 

 a parting) of vegetable debris and shells in this hard clay, at a 

 level of about 17 feet O.D. Neither shells nor plants gave any 

 indication of estuarine influence, and the lists may be found in the 

 columns marked /, in the accompanying Appendices. Bones of 

 Elrphas, etc. have also been found in the cliffs above the beach. 



On one or two occasions I have seen temporary sections behind 

 the sea-wall, and these have shown horizontally stratified sandy 

 beds, with JJnio littoralis and other non-marine mollusca in great 

 abundance (these sites are marked n in fig. 1, p. G10). 



Unio J iit oral is occurs in great profusion in all the lower beds, 

 particularly y. After a heavy sea, I have frequently seen the 

 present beach strewn over with this shell. It is found, not only in 

 the position of life, but it frequently has the hinge-ligament well 

 preserved. 



Bedy seems to be generally the richest in remains of mammalia, 

 and also in worked flints ; but much of the collections has been 

 obtained from specimens washed out by the sea, and found upon the 

 shore. Many of the latter have peat-stained flints characteristic 

 of bed y cemented on to them, with hard calcareous incrustations. 

 These various remains are, however, by no means confined to bedy, 

 and I have found many specimens in place in the upper beds as 

 well, notably x and ic. 



The wooden spear 1 was dug out of bed r ; it lay almost horizon- 

 tally, but with the thicker and heavier end slightly depressed. 



As may be noted from the plan of the beach (fig. 2, p. 610), the 

 deeper part of the channel is filled by a thickening of bed y, while 

 bed x is practically horizontal, and lies at about half -tide level, 

 or slightly higher. 



The ' nut-bed ' looked very attractive, from the botanical point 

 of view. It was about an inch thick, intercalated in bed a\ and 

 consisted of rolled pebbles of wood, hazel-nuts, and other woodland 

 debris, mixed with a little white sand. 



The Flint Industry. 



The elephant-bed of Clacton yields abundant relics of the some- 

 what rare Mesvinian industry. It occurs equally in the foreshore 

 deposit of the salting area at Lion Point, in company with Unto 

 lil /oralis and the large mammalia. Apart from the simple flakes 

 with very strong conical bulbs of percussion, and the trimmed 

 [lakes, a rude side-chopper having a zigzag segmental edge and a 

 thick back is almost the only implement found. 



This industry is described elsewhere, 2 but one point should be 

 noted : namely, the frequency with which fresh Chalk flint and 

 green-coated Bullhead flint were employed. These materials are 

 not within reasonable access at the present day. 



1 0. G. S. Crawford, 'Man & His Past,' 1921; S. H. Warren, Q. J. G. S. 

 vol. lxvii (1911) p. xcix. 



'-' S. H. Warren, Proc. Prehist. E. Anglia, vol. iii (1922) p. 597. 



