Findspot record TQ 75 NW 183 - Palaeolithic artefacts (mostly handaxes) from Ham Hill Pits, Birling

Summary

Palaeolithic artefacts (mostly handaxes) from Ham Hill Pits, Birling, mostly in British Museum but some also in Maidstone Museum, mostly coll in late 19th C and early 20th C

Location

Grid reference TQ 6990 6070 (point)
Map sheet TQ66SE
County KENT
District TONBRIDGE AND MALLING, KENT
Civil Parish EAST MALLING AND LARKFIELD, TONBRIDGE AND MALLING, KENT

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

Material from site first documented by Roe (1), and then included in Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project (2, 3), and then reviewed for Medway Valley Palaeolithic Project (4). Collections from the site are held by the British Museum, Maidstone Museum and Rochester Museum. Greatest part of material is in the Burchell coll at the British Museum. This includes 18 handaxes of various forms (pointed, sub-cordate, ovate and cleaver) including several very fine specimens, as well two Levallois flakes. Other holdings from these pits include material collected by WH Cook and B Harrison (held at Maidstone Museum and Rochester Museum), and parts of the Wellcome and Institute of Archaeology collections, held at the British Museum. Precise location of findspots is uncertain; there were two main areas of quarrying, one (TQ 69770 60700) c. 100m to west of the specified point-location for this HER, and the other (TQ 70115 60725) c. 100m to the east. The Medway Valley Palaeolithic Project review (4) identified this as a potentially key area for further investigation, with topography and borehole records suggesting up to four different terraces in close proximity up the valley side


<1> Roe, D.A., 1968, Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Sites, p139 (Monograph). SWX6570.

<2> Wessex Archaeology, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project, Report No.2: The South West and South of the Thames [Vol. I - text], M4.11 (Monograph). SWX6569.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project: maps for Report No. 2, Regions 4 & 1, The South West and South of the Thames [Vol II - maps], M4.11 (Unpublished document). SKE12023.

<4> Wenban-Smith F. F., Bates M.R and Marshall G., 2007, Medway Valley Palaeolithic Project Final Report: The Palaeolithic Resource in the Medway Gravels (Kent) (Unpublished document). SKE29351.

Sources/Archives (4)

  • <1> Monograph: Roe, D.A.. 1968. Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Sites. 1-355. p139.
  • <2> Monograph: Wessex Archaeology. 1993. The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project, Report No.2: The South West and South of the Thames [Vol. I - text]. M4.11.
  • <3> Unpublished document: Wessex Archaeology. 1993. The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project: maps for Report No. 2, Regions 4 & 1, The South West and South of the Thames [Vol II - maps]. M4.11.
  • <4> Unpublished document: Wenban-Smith F. F., Bates M.R and Marshall G.. 2007. Medway Valley Palaeolithic Project Final Report: The Palaeolithic Resource in the Medway Gravels (Kent).

Finds (29)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (8)

  • Non-Intrusive Event: Ham Hill Pits (labelled as HHA), Medway Valley Palaeolithic Project review of existing information (Ref: MVPP: HHP02) (EKE9526)
  • Non-Intrusive Event: Ham Hill Pits, Medway Valley Palaeolithic Project review of existing information (Ref: MVPP: HHP01) (EKE9525)
  • Non-Intrusive Event: Ham Hill Pits, Medway Valley Palaeolithic Project review of existing information (Ref: MVPP: HHP03) (EKE9527)
  • Non-Intrusive Event: Ham Hill Pits, Medway Valley Palaeolithic Project review of existing information (Ref: MVPP: HHP04) (EKE9528)
  • Non-Intrusive Event: Ham Hill Pits, Medway Valley Palaeolithic Project review of existing information (Ref: MVPP: HHP05) (EKE9529)
  • Non-Intrusive Event: Ham Hill Pits, Medway Valley Palaeolithic Project review of existing information (Ref: MVPP: HHP06) (EKE9530)
  • Non-Intrusive Event: Ham Hill Pits, Medway Valley Palaeolithic Project review of existing information (Ref: MVPP: HHP07) (EKE9531)
  • Non-Intrusive Event: The Southern rivers Palaeolithic Project (EKE20337)

Record last edited

Feb 3 2021 3:30PM