The Gravels at Reculver, Kent

Abstract

In January, 1912, Mr. Reginald Smith read a paper before the Society of Antiquaries entitled “Flint Implements of Special Interest,” in which figured an implement of the Thames pick type— the author relegating it to the palæolithic period. I will read an extract from this paper describing the “pick.”“The implement in question was found during the War by the late Captain Harvey Webb while searching the coastal gravel near Netley Hospital. It is a flint rod of roughly triangular section, with one face chipped flat; one end is nosed with bold fluting, the other is crusted and therefore, not functional. The whole is patinated an ochreus colour and the ridges are much battered by rolling.Length 6 inches—the flat face 2 inches across. It was submitted to the British Museum in November, 1916, with other (obviously palæolithic) specimens from the same deposits: a large pear-shaped hand-axe with brown patina; a white St. Acheul ovate much rolled; a cordate brown St. Acheul implement; unrolled; a pointed triangular hand-axe; and a brown chert ovate, this last being from the top of the loam beneath the gravel.”