Discovery of a Skeleton of Elephas Antiquus at Upnor, Near Chatham

Abstract

THREE or four years ago a party of Royal Engineers was digging a trench on the banks of the Meqlway at Upnor, opposite Chatham Dockyard; In the course of their work they came across a number of large bones, some of which were, destroyed together with a tusk of great size; at this point they suspended operations. Some time later Mr. S. Turner, of Lutori, was collecting flint implements in the neighbourhood and picked up some pieces of bone, which he sent to the Natural History Museum for identification. Qne of these pieces was recognised as being a carpal bone of a large elephant, and in the autumn of 1913 it was decided to examine the spot in the hope that further remains would be found. From this examination it became clear that a considerable portion, at least, of the skeleton of a very large elephant still remained buried in the clay, and a few bones, including an enormous axis vertebra, were collected. The weather then becoming very wet, operations were discontinued and, for various reasons, not resumed till the past summer. Then, after arrangements had been made with the military authorities, the work of excavation was renewed, and was carried on until there was no hope of further discoveries.