Journal of Proceedings.
xcv
Master Stephen M. Winter exhibited a very beautiful polished Neoli-
thic axe, found on June 2nd, 18S2, in the grounds of the Friends'
Meeting House, at Wanstead, at a depth of eleven feet from the
surface.
Dr. Joseph Stevens, of Reading, sent for exhibition a water-colour
drawing of the largest Paleolithic implement hitherto found in the Thames
Valley. It was from the north side of the valley, near Reading. The
implement was 91/4 inches in length, and weighed 2 lbs. 31/4 ozs. The
next largest implement known was the one which was found by Mr.
Worthington Smith, at Stoke Newington, which was 9 inches long, and
weighed 2 lbs. 133/4 ozs.
Mr. J. E. Greenhill then delivered (viva voce) a most interesting
address on " The Palaeolithic Gravels of the Hackney Brook." The
subject was illustrated by means of Mr. Greenhill's immense collection
of Palaeoliths, numerous Molluscan and Mammalian remains found in
these gravels and super-imposed brick-earths, and in those of the Lea
Valley generally, and also by diagrams and drawings on the black-
board.
[Mr. Greenhill's observations formed the subject of a paper com-
municated to the Geologists' Association, and published in Proc.
Geol. Assoc, vol. viii., pp. 386-334, under the title of ' The Implementifer-
ous Gravels of North-east London' (reprinted in Eighth Annual Report
of Hackney Microscopical Society (1885), pp. 14-29). Further informa-
tion will be found in Mr. Greenhill's two pamphlets on "Pre-historic
Hackney," 1881 and 1883, and in Prof. T. Rupert Jones' paper on " The
Implementiferous Gravels near London," in Proc. Geol. Assoc, vol. viii.,
pp. 344-353; and, of course, in Mr. Worthington Smith's papers in our own
publications.—Ed.]
Mr. Meldola asked whether Mr. Greenhill or Mr. Worthington Smith
had come to any conclusion as to the age of these implements—that was
to say, whether they were pre-glacial or not. Geologists, he believed, were
now generally agreed that the "warp" and "trail" were of Glacial
origin, and as the implements occurred at so great a depth below these
deposits, it seemed possible to draw a conclusion.
Mr. Greenhill thought, with those who had taken up the study, that
there was no longer any question as to the comparative age of these
implementiferous deposits compared with the Glacial period. During
the winter he had travelled down by road to Saffron Walden, to examine
all possible sections in the Lea and Stort Valleys with this object only
in view, and at Newport, in Essex, he had found an implement which
equalled in elegance of form anything that was upon the table that
evening. It was now in the possession of the Head Master of Newport
Grammar School. He (Mr. Greenhill) immediately went to the spot
where this implement was obtained*, and satisfied himself that it had
come from a position under what was there known as the Chalky
Boulder Drift. There was plenty of proof that the men who used these