'Site 1' was excavated by Burchell in 1938 and again by Sieveking in 1960. Early neolithic pottery was discovered.

The pottery was described as remarkably good and uniform, hard and well baked, with abundant flint grit and the surface smoothed, but lumpy and with marks of finger-moulding. Most of the sherds indicate large vessels with thin walls; a few only, belonging to a rounded base, are thick and heavy. No flat bases were found. Round bases of globular vessels were indicated, none showed tendency to conical form. The affinities of the pottery among our native wares lie clearly with the Neolithic B (Peterborough ware) group. (The pottery is in the British Museum). (1)

In May, and again in July and August 1960, excavations were carried out at Neolithic sites in the valley of the Ebbsfleet, north of Springhead Nursery Gardens. Two major sites were investigated. Both were originally discovered by Major J.P.T. Burchell. The sites have now been surveyed, and are as follows:- Site 1, at TQ 6174 7360. This is where the Ebbsfleet variety of Early Neolithic pottery was first recognised. The 1960 excavation was undertaken in waterlogged conditions for the purpose of continuing the identification of the site and establishing more closely its position in the post-glacial stratigraphy. A fine series of detrital muds were recorded immediately underlain by a fine grey silt and a heavy Pleistocene gravel. The archaeological horizon was identified within a few inches of the base of this section and may indeed have been connected with heavy horizontally placed timbers lying immediately upon the grey silt. Further excavations will be undertaken at this site when drainage problems have been overcome. (2)

<1> Burchell JPT, 1938, Two Mesolithic 'floors' in the Ebbsfleet Valley of the Lower Thames (Article in serial). SKE51529.

<2> G. de G. Sieveking, 1960, Ebbsfleet: Neolithic sites (Article in serial). SKE52110.

<3> F1 CFW 23-JUL-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42729.

<4> Oral: E.M. Moore, Esq., Borough Libn., Gravesend, (OS Card Reference). SKE48027.