Find Spot record 2077/0/1 - Pleistocene & Palaeolithic Remains, Great Billing pit

Finds made during quarrying included Palaeolithic flints and Pleistocene remains of a woolly rhinoceros, horse and fragment of mammoth tusk. C14 dating of the organic silts in the the remains were found yielded a date of 28,225 +/- 330 BP.

{1} Finds made during quarrying. Palaeolithic flints including a Levallois flake and pleistocene remains of a woolly rhinoceros, horse and fragment of mammoth tusk.

{2} C14 date 28225+-330 BP for silts in which the remains were found.

{3} Palaeoliths including a Levallois flake and Pleistocene faunal remains of a woolly rhinoceros, together with a mammoth tusk fragment have been found, in a gravel pit owned by amey's Aggregates Ltd at SP 822614.

{4} Pleistocene Remains, Palaeolithic Artefacts (c. SP 822614), S. of Ecton Sewage Works (partly in Ecton parish). Pleistocene faunal remains, of woolly rhinoceros, horse and mammoth, and palaeolithic artefacts, including a small Levallois flake, were recovered during gravel extraction. A date during an interstadial of the Wurm glaciation (c. 40,000-35,000 BC) was suggested for the remains but in current terminology the relevant period would probably be within the Upton Warren interstadial of the mid-late Devensian glaciation. Subsequent analysis of the organic silts in which the remains were found yielded a C14 date of 28,225+330 BP . A mammoth tusk was discovered at Ecton Sewage Farm in 1950 and red deer antler from about 5 m. below modern level at Billing gravel pit were given to NM in 1965.

{5} Levallois flake (unknown) found from gravel pit, now flooded. Other arefacts also found.

{7} The skull and bones of a woolly rhinoceros found 16ft below ground level.

{10} Discussion of animal bones etc with radiocarbon dates.

{11} R Hollowell says all finds are held by Mr Brown at Leicester University, (Extra Mural Dept) who is preparing a paper for local publication. Amey's office and site foreman have no knowledge of any more recent finds from their diggings; they state that Hollowell is always in touch.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP86SW19 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1969, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1967/68 (Prehistoric), p.5 (unchecked) (Article). SNN75790.

<3> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1967, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1966/67 (Prehistoric), p.5-6 (unchecked) (Article). SNN20962.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.214/Site 1 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77383.

<5> Wymer J., 1996, The English Rivers Palaeolithic Project, The Great Ouse Drainage and The Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Wolds, p.65 (part checked) (Report). SNN76389.

<6> Wymer J., 1996, The English Rivers Palaeolithic Project, The Great Ouse Drainage and The Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Wolds, Mapping, Map Nen-1 No.12 (part checked) (Report). SNN106691.

<7> 1967, The Chronicle and Echo, (unchecked) (Journal). SNN23629.

<8> 1969, The Chronicle and Echo, (unchecked) (Journal). SNN23630.

<9> 1969, The Chronicle and Echo, (unchecked) (Journal). SNN23631.

<10> Brown D.E., 1983, Pleistocene Animal Bones and Palaeoliths From The Nene Valley Gravels at Billing and Ecton, p.163 (unchecked) (Article). SNN104559.

<11> Baird, J., 1970, Field investigators comments, F1 JB 08-SEP-70 (Notes). SNN110341.

Record last edited

Mar 27 2024 1:05PM