518 MB. E. T. NEWTON ON FOSSIL HUMAN REMAINS [Aug. 1 895, 



IV. Remaeks on the Age op the Geavels in which the Human 

 Remains weee pound. 



It was in the year 1888, and soon after the remains were found, 

 that Mr. Elliott brought the skull for me to see ; but as it was his 

 intention to describe the remains himself, they were not left with 

 me, and it was not until last July (1894) that I again saw the 

 specimen. As it was evident that the interest of this discovery 

 would depend upon our knowing the exact circumstances in which 

 the remains were found, I requested Mr. Elliott to put in writing 

 all the facts, so far as he had noted them at the time or could 

 remember, as to the finding of the skeleton, also as to the condition 

 of the bones and of the gravel in which they were found, and the 

 following is his reply : — 



' According to my promise, I write to let you know the particulars of my find of 

 human remains in undisturbed gravel, capping the Chalk, at the top of Galley 

 Hill, in Kent, at the end of September, 1888. 



' It was my custom to visit the pits at Milton Street, Swanscombe, Galley Hill, 

 and neighbouring excavations every fortnight regularly (in search of flint-implements) 

 for more than two years before the discovery of the human remains — so that I was 

 well acquainted with the pit beforehand. 



' In 1888 the chalk-pit itself was considerably smaller than now, and was con- 

 stantly worked for chalk, used in the Cement Works, the gravels on the top being 

 removed and 'screened' on the spot. Thus the removal of the gravel had to keep 

 pace with the excavations of the chalk beneath, so that several tons were removed 

 daily and carted away. 



' It was on one of my fortnightly visits that I was informed by a man, named Jack 

 Allsop (who had for a long time looked out and saved for me any implements or 

 stones of similar shape, obtained while screening the ballast) that he had found a skull 

 under the gravel. This I could hardly credit at first ; but on my asking him to 

 show it to me, he produced it in several pieces from the base of a pillar of laminated 

 clay and sand, where he had hidden it. I asked where the rest of the bones were ; he 

 pointed to the section opposite this pillar, and a few feet from it, and told me 

 that he had left the other bones undisturbed, for me to see ; and there, sure enough, 

 about 2 feet from the top of the Chalk, and 8 feet from the top of the gravel, 

 portions of bone were projecting from a matrix of clayey loam and sand. He also 

 told me that several of the men employed at the works, the master of the neigh- 

 bouring school, and others, had seen the skull. 



' The section of gravel was 10 or 11 feet thick, and extended for a considerable 

 distance along the south and east end of the pit ; several pot-holes or pipes running 

 from it, deep into the Chalk. 



' I carefully examined the section on either side of the remains, for some distance, 

 drawing the attention of my son Richard, who was with me, and of Jack Allsop, to 

 it. It presented an unbroken face of gravel, stratified horizontally in bands of 

 sand, small shingle, gravel, and lower down beds of clay and clayey loam, with 

 occasional stones in it — and it was in and below this that the remains were found. 

 We carefully looked for any signs of the section being disturbed, but failed : the 

 stratification being unbroken, and much the same as the section in the angle of 

 the pit remaining to this day, but it was then clear and not covered by rubbish as it 

 now is in places, all the ' callow ' and loam at the top being at that time removed 

 to allow of the gravel being got at. 



' I went on my knees, and, witli the point of my geological hammer and a knife, 

 tried to work round each piece of bone, but soon gave up the attempt, as the bones 

 were so friable and fragile that many went to pieces as soon as touched — so that I 

 decided to work about a foot, each way, from the bones. 



' Jack Allsop and I went to work, and we were fortunate enough to obtain the 

 fragments which are now in your keeping. So friable were they that we had to 

 place them on soft, newly screened sand to harden in the atmosphere, where I 

 allowed them to remain between 4 and 5 hours, by which time they became a little 

 hardened, and I carefully wrapped them in soft paper and brought them home. 



' These bones had been left in situ by Jack Allsop, because of their being too soft 



