86 



ON NEOLITHIC FLINTS LYING BELOW THE PEESENT 

 SUEFACE AT DINTON. 



By The Eet. G. H. Engleheabt, F.S.A. 



I have, on the north side of the Nadder Valley, at Dinton, an 

 eleven acre field, stretching from the foot of the abrupt greensand 

 ridge for something over two hundred yards downwards to the 

 south. About four-and-a-half acres of this is in spade cultivation 

 for bulbs and fruit trees. The remainder has been arable, under 

 corn and root crops, until last spring, when I sowed it down to 

 permanent grass. 



Of the four-and-a-half acres, one long strip was double dug when 

 I first came here, i.e., the second spit of soil was broken up as 

 well as the top, making a total depth dug of some 18 inches. 

 Finding less benefit than I had expected from this deep digging, 

 we now dig only one spit, i.e., an ordinary spade's depth, say 9 inches. 



I reckon that the six-and-a-half acres under farm cultivation 

 has not been disturbed deeper than about 4 inches by the plough. 



We have, therefore, portions dug to three several depths, i.e. : — I 

 A., by the plough, 4 inches. 

 B., „ „ spade 9 „ 

 O, „ „ „ 18 „ 



I find the number of worked flints found on my ground to vary 

 directly with the depth. On the strip dug to 18 inches (C) they 

 are very abundant, less so on the larger stretch of ground du 

 only to one spade's depth, or about 9 inches (B), and very few on 

 the acreage which has been cultivated by the plough only (A). 



In the adjacent fields on the same side and slope of the valle; 

 the flints are few, as in my own ground which has been only 

 ploughed. The fact of this difference is curiously established by 

 the following experience : — In searching a field separated from 

 mine only by a hedge, I found some half-a-dozen worked flakes 



