Palaeolithic flint flakes and later features, Pound Farm, Dovercourt (EHER 80593)

Three Palaeolithic flint flakes were discovered during the geological evaluation, along with post-medieval finds and features. This area was investigated due to its proximity to the site where numerous Lower Palaeolithic handaxes were found (EHER 3394). The flakes from this site indicates human activity in the vicinity, but it was surprising to the excavators that there was no evidence of handaxes or of the soft-hammer debris associated with the production of these artefacts. The three flakes recovered were hard-hammer debris,

October 2013. Trial trenching and geological evaluation. Only four archaeological features were identified within the trial trenches. Most of these appear to be parts of relatively shallow and minor ditches which run ENE-WSW across the site. All of these ditches appear to be of later post medieval date and it is probable that at least some correlate to internal property divisions depicted on early Ordnance Survey mapping. Ditch segments could be identified to match a boundary that ran immediately behind the farm building complex, separating it from the paddock/field beyond. Being simple boundary features of post-medieval date, some or all as late as 19th to 20th century, these recorded remains are of low significance and it is judged that the wider site has little further ‘sub-surface archaeology’ potential. Consequently, no further work is likely to be required with regard to sub-surface remains. Although the farmhouse and adjacent structures are of interest, and therefore listed, these are understood to be outside the scope of this development. Three potential flint artefacts were recovered from the Pleistocene sediments. All three were large, apparently hard-hammer struck flint flakes. Each exhibited clear features of percussion on a well-defined ventral surface and one or more removals along the same direction of axis on the dorsal surface. Two pieces were in a fresh, unrolled and unpatinated condition. None of the pieces are formal tools or relate to any clear Lower Palaeolithic technology (Acheulean or Levallois). Nor do they exhibit evidence of softhammer percussion. At this stage it is appropriate to say they are strongly indicative of human activity within deposits which is known to extend into the adjacent Gant’s Pit site. This site is already demonstrated to be a regionally important Palaeolithic locality. <1>