46
NOTES ON THE PALAEOLITHIC AND
NEOLITHIC IMPLEMENTS OF EAST ESSEX.
By S. HAZZLEDINE WARREN, F.G.S.
WITH PLATES II— VII.
[Read November 30th, 1907.]
DURING the past few years I have been investigating the
superficial geology of the East Essex coast, and the
Stratigraphical horizons in which the prehistoric implements are
found. In this short note I do not intend to enter into any
discussion upon the literature of the subject, but only to give a
brief account of my own observations. Neither do I intend to
enter here into minute local details, which would take me over
a considerable area, but only to give a broad and general survey
of the facts, and of the conclusions to which they have led me.
At some future date I hope to deal with the matter more fully.
Capping the cliffs in the neighbourhood of Frinton-on-Sea
are numerous irregular patches and pockets of sand, gravel, and
brickearth. These yield Palaeolithic implements, some of which
are apparently as late as the Mousterien stage of De Mortillet's
classification. A very characteristic feature of these gravels is
the remarkably contorted state of their stratification. These
disturbances not infrequently extend downwards to the under-
lying London Clay, portions of which are kneaded up with the
gravels. Sometimes at the boundary of such a pocket of gravel
the London Clay has been pushed up into a sharp anticlinal
fold, evidently in front of the advancing mass of gravel (which
was probably frozen, and had some considerable force behind it),
just as one may push up a table-cloth with one's hand. I do not
think these deposits can be considered as true river gravels, but
rather as a strong local development of the "Trail," or, if
originally river gravels, they have certainly been greatly
modified. Patches of similarly contorted gravel are found
almost down to the level of the marsh towards Hamford
Water.
The extensive deposit of gravel seen to the east of Clacton is
of a totally different character, and I believe belongs to a later
stage. It is a typical river-gravel, and shows current-bedding
on a fairly large scale, but no contortions. There are, however,
in places, some rather remarkable pipes, in which the gravel beds