A Discovery of Pleistocene Bones and Flint Implements in a Gravel Pit at Dovercourt, Essex

Abstract

The discovery with which this paper deals was made by me in August, 1908. In the early part of that month, while walking in Upper Dovercourt, I noticed a gravel pit being excavated in a field overlooking the Stour Valley, and thinking it was a likely spot to find river drift implements, I interviewed the workmen, and found that though they knew nothing of humanly-flaked flints, they had noticed and preserved a number of bones, which, however, had unfortunately been sold to a local rag and bone merchant. The occurrence of these bones made me feel confident that flint implements must be associated with them; so I took a representative series of Palæolithic implements for the men to see, and explained to them that it was such things I wanted them to look for. I also took the opportunity of examining the stone heaps in the pit, and was fortunate enough to discover two Moustier-like implements, which, though of no great importance, confirmed me in my opinion as to the implementiferous nature of the gravel bed.