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The Museum Gazette 



IGHTHAM. 



Abqut one mile north of a line drawn between the towns of 

 Sevenoaks and Maidstone, and about four miles from the 

 former town as the crow flies, and twelve from the latter, lies 

 the little village of Ightham. It is well known by name, if 

 not by visitation, to most British archaeologists as the home 

 of Mr. Benjamin Harrison, who will always be remembered 

 in connection with his discovery in the neighbourhood of 

 Ightham of those rude human implements of flint to which 

 the name " eoliths " has been applied, and concerning which 

 there has been much controversy of late years. 



The history of this village has been recently written by Mr. 

 F. J. Bennett, F.G.S., in collaboration with several special- 

 ists. 1 



From the introduction we gather that Mr. Harrison, though 

 repeatedly asked to do so, has always shrunk from publishing 

 the history of what he has happily termed " his world," and 

 "it is only because it seemed imperative, that the present 

 writers have ventured to do what might apparently have been 

 more appropriately done by Mr. Harrison himself." 



It was Sir Joseph Prestwich's paper read before the Royal 

 Society in 1859, that first put Mr. Harrison searching, not 

 only for palaeolithic implements in the valley gravel deposits 

 of his district, but also, by inductive reasoning, for still older 

 traces of man on the highest ground near him, the plateau of 

 the South Downs. Here he found rudely chipped flints, 

 quite distinct from the " palaeoliths " of the valleys, which he 

 classified, arranged, and kept until 1888, when he exhibited 



1 Ightham : the Story of a Kentish Village and its Surroundings. By F. J. 

 Bennett, F.G.S. (late of H.M. Geological Survey). With contributions by 

 W. J. Lewis Abbott, F.G.S., E. W. Filkins, Benjamin Harrison, J. Russell 

 Larkby, J. Scott Temple, and H. J. Osborne White, F.G.S. W 7 ith 40 illus- 

 trations, plans and maps. 7s. 6d. net. The Homeland Association, Limited, 

 22, Bride Lane, Fleet Street, E.C. 



