Palaeolithic Clactonian flint industry site, Globe Pit, Little Thurrock (EHER 1704)

A Clactonian flint industry site was excavated at Globe Pit which is situated immediately east of Whitehall Lane, Little Thurrock. Material was found in situ within the body of the gravel. Many investigations have been made of this site. Finds were discovered by Worthington G Smith between 1881 and 1914, and by B.O. Wymer in 1910. Excavations were undertaken by JJ and B O Wymer in 1954, by Snelling in 1963 and by P Harding and D R Bridgland in 1983. The site was also investigated by B W Conway in 1964-65. At least 20 cores, 565 flakes, some of which retouched, 1 miscellaneous object and 3 hammerstones have been found at the site. The objects were found on the edge of Corbets Tey Gravel.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. A Palaeolithic Clactonian flint industry site was excavated at Globe Pit which is situated immediately east of Whitehall Lane. Found 1954, 1961. <1> <2> <3> Excavations at Globe Pit, flint implements. <3> In Thurrock Museum, on loan. <4> "It is difficult to see how the rich Clactonian industry from gravel at the Globe Pit, Little Thurrock, relates to the Lower Gravel at Swanscombe on the other side of the river, for it rests on a bench level 7m lower. It is, however, earlier than the famous Grays brickearth which abut against it". <5> Flints were found here in 1910. Excavation, 1954 Wymer excavated here in 1954 to clarify the geology and confirm the flint industry. No mammalian remains were found. Clactonian flints were found in gravel, a fragment of a terrace of the Thames-almost all of this had gone. This gravel clearly preceded the adjacent brickearth (itself almost quarried away). The flints varied from slightly rolled through fairly sharp to mint condition. They were not far from the original position of manufacture, nor were they derived from an earlier deposit. They seemed to be of one industry. The tools were produced by "alternate flaking". Two tools were possibly primitive gravers. Some tools had secondary working to blunt the edge for holding. The flints on the whole were difficult to classify into distinct types. Many had hollows produced by secondary working for scraping branches. Some of these tools had different secondary working along the edge for other uses. Quite often flakes had one or more worked points. Other trimmed flakes were plentiful but difficult to classify. The makers were more concerned with producing a steep, blunt, jagged edge rather than the shape or form of the tools. The gravel clearly preceded the brickearth and was a little more recent than the Swanscombe Lower Gravel "but contains a very similar Clactonian Flint Industry". <6> A scraper listed by Kennard probably came from the lower deposit (see also EHER 1705). Worthington Smith recorded a piece of hacked antler from a Little Thurrock floor but no bone is known from the Globe Pit gravels. Other references to finds here include <10> that refers to Clactonian finds from brickearth (not traced) and "a puzzling reference, probably to this site" as producing `pre- Chellean' flints. The 1954 excavation showed "that the gravel had apparently been disturbed by the cutting of the channel in which the brickearth was subsequently deposited". Flakes were numerous, averaging around 60 per cubic yard, just over half were slightly rolled, the rest were sharp and a few were in mint condition. Two hundred and eight-nine flakes were found 'in situ' and five cores were found. No specialised tools were found, many flakes had secondary working, and could have been used for cutting, scraping, boring. <7> - <11> Roe lists the finds as 6 cores, 103 retouched, 269 unretouched, 2 miscellaneous pieces. In London Institute of Archaeology and Wymer Collection. <12> <13> <14> Palaeolithic artefacts came from at least five different contexts. The first finds were made by Worthington Smith, 1881-1894, in Luton Museum. This seems to be the basis for the reference in <10> noted above. Finds were subsequently made in 1910, 1954 (see above) and further work was done in 1964-presumably finds made then are included in Roe's list. 1964-1965, temporary sections from constructional work were investigated. Clactonian finds were made in gravel beneath the brickearth, on buried land surface on top of the gravel, some came from the body of the brickearth, some on gravel of a channel cut into and through the brickearth (this appeared to be Kennard's gravel). <15> has a diagrammatic section incorporating 1964-1965 results. <15> Site located within the boundary of a former quarry. Quarry site (EX 476) assessed and visited by F. Wenban-Smith (Nov 2003) as part of ASLF project (Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund). Current status: Pleistocene sediments to North of east side of main quarry protected as Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Main quarry area built up, houses etc. Northwest extension waste ground with undergrowth and pallet yard at N end. Open space with children's play area between built-up area and waste ground. Condition: SSSI becoming overgrown with thorn trees and undergrowth. Well-maintained in built up residential area. Unkept/overgrown with scrub and thorn trees in undeveloped NW extension. Surviving Pleistocene sediments: Sediments preserved in SSSI to north of eastern side of main quarry, SE of Overcliff Rd., southern part, behind garages off (to N) Newburgh Road; old locations of Wymer's and Snelling's work just about visible, plus sections exposed in W-facing, S-facing and E-facing faces of SSSI. Thin (ca.1.5m) inaccessible layer of gravels at top of S-facing face of NW quarry extension. Imminent threats/actions/issues: None, but potential for works on adjoining properties/space to SSSI. Archaeological recording of cleaned sections recommended. Problem with access and damage from unkept scrub.<16> Additional references <17> - <21>