146 HAZZLEDINE WARREN : STUDY OF PRE-HISTORY IN ESSEX.
claim. There are whole tracts of science which have been
practically untouched by us. But the subject of pre-history is
one the progress of which depends essentially upon the record and
collation of local details; and, in this department, I think we may
be justly proud of what we have done. At least, that is the
conclusion at which I have arrived, from the amount of labour
that the preparation of this review of our work has entailed.
This does not mean that, if I were beginning again, I should
shrink from attempting it. On the contrary, the abstraction
of certain of the main items of information in the various papers,
and the classification of these under subject headings, has been,
to me, quite a liberal education in pre-history.
When I first thought of taking this subject for my Address,.
I intended to deal only with the more important papers in our
journal. But, on second thoughts, it appeared to me that
it would be more useful to disinter minor notices also; for many
of these contain important information and valuable suggestions.
In the classification, I found it impracticable to follow any
uniform system throughout. I adopted, therefore, whatever
method seemed best adapted to bring together the papers dealing
with closely-related subjects. The localities are grouped together
in districts, which are broadly based on the river systems, be-
ginning with the Thames and Lea, and then passing down the
other valleys (Crouch, Colne, etc.), from their sources towards
the sea. The papers under three of the headings (namely, Prob-
lems of Pre-Palaeolithic Man, Deneholes, and Red-Hills) are
arranged in order of date, as date is an important consideration
in these subjects.
Matters belonging to historic times are not excluded. These
are not dealt with according to their date, but solely in such
connection as may throw comparison upon more primitive con-
ditions.
I hope that this record may prove an incentive to further
investigation in the days which we have come to speak of as
"after the war"—days which will be, we hope, happier days,
but which yet seem so far from us.
The publications dealt with are four in number, as follows .—
[1] Transactions and Proceedings of the Essex Field Club,
vol. i. (1880-1881) to vol. iii. (1882-1883) (cited as
T. & P.).