Find Spot record MDO2369 - Palaeolithic flint implement, Lenthay Cemetery, Lenthay Road, Sherborne

A palaeolithic flint implement was found in 1928 during the digging of a grave imediately to the east of Digby Mausoleum at Lenthay Cemetery. Mr C E Bean acquired the palaeolith and presented it to Dorset County Museum in 1945. The geology in the area is clay, beneath 2 metres of gravel.

A palaeolithic flint implement was discovered during grave digging at Lenthay cemetery, Sherborne during 1928. Mr C E Bean aquired the palaeolith and presented it to Dorset County Museum in 1945. The object was discovered whilst backfilling a grave immediately to the east of the Digby mausoleum.

The implement was thin, subtriangular and skillfully shaped from a large flake through secondary flaking along all edges and on both faces. All edges were sharp and both faces displayed tertiary flaking or re-touch. One side was notched, probably through use and not design.

Professor H Breuil examined the artefact and pronounced it Levallois V or VI from the beginning of the last Wurm glaciation. He also stated that the patina suggested the implement had been recovered from clay as opposed to gravel. <1>

The same grid reference is given for the discovery of a Levallois handaxe, undated flint scrapers and pottery and alleged Medieval tokens. <2> It is not clear however, whether the Levallois handaxe is the same object as desribed above, nor whether the other objects were found at the same time. The various medieval jettons were thought to have derived from material excavated when the Church Avenue Corner buildings were erected and tipped on the cemetery site. <3>

The axe was found by Mr F Wiscombe, caretaker of Lenthay Cemetery, among loose material thrown out of a grave. The axe may possibly have been associated with a bed of water worn limestone gravel 1ft thick and below 5ft of soil. The gravel lay directly on top of undisturbed Fuller's Earth clay. It is not clear however, if the axe originally lay above, below or within the gravel layer. The gravel is thought to have been formed through the erosion of the Coombe dry valleys and is '...evidently part of the same river terrace…upon which most of the town of Sherborne is built'. <5>

Presented to the DORSET CO MUSEUM in JAN 1945 by C E BEAN who obtained it from the cemetery caretaker in 1928. It was found while refilling a grave immediately to the east of the DIGBY mausoleum. Pronounced by Prof H. BREVIL to be LEVALLOIS V or VI with a notch which had been produced by use. <1>

All sites are covered by a cemetery. There were no surface finds of archaeological interest and no trace of antiquity. <4>

A [ST63041609] The grave indicated was dug to a depth of 7ft in 1927. It was re-opened in 1928 and while refilling it the handaxe was found. I found and presented it to the TAUNTON museum from which it was removed to DORSET CO MUSEUM. From 'A" in a general line to the south east flint scrapers and waste flakes have been found.

In a band approx 10.0 m wide along the North East boundary of the cemetery I found some pottery about 50 years ago but it was never classified and I have forgotten the circumstances of finding. The only other finds in the cemetery have been a few Georgian coins. <4.1>

At SHERBORNE Cemetery, various jettons, probably from excavated material tipped here when CHURCH AVENUE corner buildings [probably on adjoining sheet DORSET 6SW] were erected. <2>

<1> Arkell, W J, 1946, A Palaeolith from Sherborne. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 68, 31-32 (Article in serial). SDO46.

<1.1> Bean, C E, Annotated record map Corr 6" (Map). SDO16337.

Mousterian hand-axe. Now in Dorchester Museum [sited at 31/6316/03 10.]

<2> Bean, C E, 1950, Archaeological discoveries in Sherborne and District. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 79 (Article in serial). SDO10284.

<3> Fowler, J, 1951, Mediaeval Sherborne, 14 (Monograph). SDO10392.

<4> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 05-JUL-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<4.1> Wiscombe, Mr F, 1955, Oral: Mr F Wiscombe, Caretaker, Sherborne Cemetery, 5.7.55 (Verbal communication). SDO17987.

<5> Roe, Derek A, 1968, A Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic sites, 53 (Monograph). SWX4454.

<6> Tyldesley, Joyce A, 1987, The bout coupé handaxe: a typlogical problem, 88 (Monograph). SDO17487.

<7> 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project: 1992-1993: the south west and south of the Thames (Monograph). SWX1173.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199407 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 1:09PM