During archaeological test-pitting associated with the Stour Basin Palaeolithic Project in 2013, a number of archaeological artefacts, palaeoenvironmental evidence, dating evidence and geological information was found.

From the fieldwork report:

"Stratigraphy and distribution of sediments
The test pits were distributed in two main transects. Transect 1 (which included test pits 1-8 and, within Wear Farm Pit, test pits 21 and 22) was shorter, and ran broadly east-west for approximately 0.5km from a patch of gravel mapped as Head Gravel (TP 8, ground surface level c. 15m OD) down across a spread of Head Brickearth to just above the edge of the alluvium filling the Wantsum Channel (TP 1, ground surface level c. 3m OD). This transect passed through the old Wear Farm Pit….

Transect 2 (which included test pits 9-20) was longer, and ran broadly east-west for c. 2km from a higher spread of gravel at Hoath (TP 20, ground surface level c. 32m OD) down through two other progressively lower spreads of gravel (TPs 15 and 11, where the ground surface was respectively c. 25m and 20m OD) to Chitty Farm (TP 9, ground surface level c. 9m OD). The areas between the gravel spreads were mapped as Head Brickearth, as was the eastern end of the transect between the 3rd gravel spread (TP 11) and TP 9...



On the basis of altitude, several discrete groups of test pits could be identified. Test pits 18-20 all contained gravels (probably fluvially-lain) at elevations in excess of 30m OD. By contrast, TPs 15-16 contained less-developed gravels with their base-level at c. 22m OD, below sandy silts/silty sands. Test pits 11, 13 and 14 had basal elevations of 17.5-18.5m OD, and were associated with thin gravels and sandy silts. A final group was represented in TPs 10 and 12 where the base of the gravels was around 11m OD. Test pit 9 was not bottomed, and consisted of sand and silt lying below 8m OD…

The sequences suggest a series of fluvial sequences exist in this profile, probably representing terraces of the Stour. Test pits 18-20 appear to be a discrete group and represent the highest terrace sampled in the survey. The interpretation of the sediments in TPs 11 and 13-16 is more problematic. These either represent a single fluvial complex or could be split into two groups. Test pits 10 and 12 appear to represent a lower aggradation at a similar level to the fluvial aggradation represented by sand and gravels in the lower parts of test pits 6, 21 and 22 ..

Geophysical survey: data and interpretation
Both transects were subject to geophysical survey by English Heritage. A boundary at the base of both profiles c. 15m below the ground surface would probably reflect an internal boundary within the Chalk. It is likely that the Thanet Sand once existed across the full width of the Chalk before incision took place in the Pleistocene...

Palaeo-environmental remains
A variety of palaeo-environmental remains were recovered from deposits at Chislet Court Farm..

Small vertebrate remains
Small vertebrate remains were recovered from presumed-fluvial sands/gravels at approximately the same altitude (between c. 8.5m and 9.5m OD in test pits 6 and 22, which were close beside each other at the south end of the old Wear Farm Pit. The remains from TP 6 (contexts 606 and 607) included fish, amphibians and diverse voles (including watervole), supporting the sedimentary interpretation of fluvial deposition. The remains from TP 22 (context 2204) were rich and diverse, with numerous fish (including tench), amphibians, diverse voles, lemming and pika. These likewise support the notion of a fluvially lain deposit, and the close proximity of these horizons provides an indication that they are broadly equivalent. They also provide a very specific environmental and palaeo-climatic signature of a warm interstadial within a cold stage.
The only other horizon from which identified small vertebrate remains were recovered was a soft gravelly sand (contexts 511 and 512) towards the bottom of test pit 5, between c. 5m and 6m OD. These remains (which have not yet undergone thorough picking and identification) included fish, watervole and field vole. They therefore support the sedimentary interpretation of fluvial deposition...

Mollusc remains
Mollusc remains were identified in several horizons... Many fragmentary remains were seen in ostracod samples, however these have not been examined by a specialist and many of them may be fragmentary derived remains of Tertiary origin. Mollusc shells thought confidently to be Pleistocene were however seen in several of the bulk sample residues....


Ostracod remains
An extensive assessment for ostracod and other micro-palaeontological remains was carried out, followed by further analysis and sampling of horizons where ostracods were found to be present..

Dating studies
Three approaches to dating were carried out: OSL dating, amino acid dating and biostratigraphy. The results from each of these are summarised in turn below, and then integrated with the sub-surface deposit model and stratigraphic framework...

OSL dating results
Twelve OSL dating results were obtained from the site, divided between six test pits. Dating was carried out in four of the test pits within Transect 1 - TPs 1, 2, 5 and 21 - and the results and dated horizons are shown on the sub-surface model for Transect 1. OSL dating in this transect was mostly focused upon the brickearth in the upper part of the sequence, from which the dating results were consistently between c. 18k and 21k BP, corresponding with the late Devensian Last Glacial Maximum. The similar dates of 26.74k BP for OSL-16 from the base of the brickearth in TP 21, and 20.58k BP for OSL-02 from the lower sandier part of the brickearth in TP 1, show that the full thickness of the brickearth was formed during this period. Two dates - OSL-06 in TP 5, and OSL-17 in TP 21 - were obtained from lower horizons sealed beneath the brickearth and thought likely to be buried terrace deposits. The results confirmed this, with a minimum date of 137.22k BP from the laminated sand/silt at the base of TP 21, and a date of c. 247k BP from bedded sands in TP5...

Dating was carried out in two of the test pits within Transect 2 - TPs 13 and 16 - and the results and dated horizons are shown on the sub-surface model for Transect 2. In TP 13, the upper OSL date (OSL-09) was carried out on the main brickearth spread in this area, and the lower date (OSL-10) was on a more sandy and gravelly deposit at the base of the brickearth. In TP 16, both dates were carried out on the main brickearth spread, with the upper of the two (OSL-11) near its top (40cm below the base of the ploughsoil) and the lower date (OSL-13) towards the base of the brickearth, 20cm above its sharp junction with the underlying clayey/gravelly sand of context 1607. The two dates from the main body of the brickearth (OSL-09, and OSL-13) with results of c. 19k and 23k BP, likewise corresponded with the late Devensian Last Glacial Maximum. The much younger date of 2.04k BP from the top of the brickearth in TP 16 is perhaps an indication of intrusive contamination or later Holocene slopewash, since this location is at the foot of a slope. The older (and minimum) date of c. 143k BP for OSL-10 from the sandy/gravelly deposit below the brickearth in TP 13 indicates that the brickearth does conceal older deposits in places further upslope along Transect 2. These older and more deeply buried deposits could be older phases of solifluction/slopewash, or they could be buried terrace deposits, and this is discussed below...

Amino acid dating results
Four amino acid racemisation (AAR) dating results were obtained. Amino acid dating results were obtained from four separate horizons, in test pits 5, 6, 21 and 22, all of them within the central part of Transect 1. The dated horizons at TPs 6 and 22 were closely adjacent and at roughly the same height, between 8m and 9m OD. The dated horizon at TP 21 was a little lower, at c. 7.5m OD. The dated horizon at TP 5 was a little lower still, at c. 5m OD. The AAR results were all broadly similar, indicating an age of MIS 9 (between c. 350,000 and 300,000 BP) for the all dated material...


Bio-stratigraphic indications
The ostracod fauna here is very similar to other Devensian ostracod faunas from southeast England, including one from nearby Swalecliffe, so it seems likely on purely biostratigraphic grounds that this context is of Devensian age, although an earlier cold stage cannot be entirely ruled out...


Site formation and palaeo-environments
The fluvial nature of the sediments associated with TPs 6 and 21-22 is confirmed in the associated fossil material. As well as fish bones, this includes some ostracods that suggest the presence of a tidal river, close to the brackish head of the system. Some derivation of sands through erosion and deposition is possible and the structures in the base of TP 21 are suggestive of this. Additionally the occurrence of low numbers of cool/cold climate indicators in the ostracod assemblage from 21 is support for this interpretation. Thus there is evidence for a period of fluvial incision into the Thanet Sands at this point with excavation by the river down to the Chalk at this time.
The subsequent events remain difficult to ascertain. The presence of sands and gravelly deposits in TPs 3-5 is suggestive of fluvial deposition at the base of these sequences and tidal river ostracods have been recovered from the fine-grained sediment at the very base of TP 3. However, in all cases these deposits lie below the elevation of similar sediments in TPs 6, 21 and 22, and in TP 3 the deposit with the ostracods is at 4m OD. These deposits must either represent reworked elements of the higher fluvial deposits seen in TPs 6, 21 and 22, and would thus be the first element of downslope colluviation better represented by the overlying sediments in test pits 3-5, or they may represent fluvial deposition at lower elevations associated with a younger and lower terrace…"




Evidence of Palaeolithic activity
Four lithic artefacts were recovered during the fieldwork at Chislet Court Farm. Two lithic artefacts were found in the on-site sieve-sampling: a flake from TP 6 sample and another from TP 10 sample. An abraded handaxe was recovered from the ploughsoil in TP 11, and a slightly-abraded flake from the bulk small vertebrate sample from TP 5, context 512, which was thought to be a Pleistocene fluvial terrace deposit…(1)

<1> University of Southampton, 2015, Stour Basin Palaeolithic Project: Final Fieldwork Report (Unpublished document). SKE31705.