Find Spot record MDO5850 - Handaxe from Manswood, Moor Crichel

Lower Palaeolithic handaxe found on the surface by R Thorpe at Manswood in an area of Chalk geology. <1>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1991, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1990, 113-114 (Serial). SDO90.

'No. 1 (Figure 1) was found by Mr R. Thorpe whilst beating at Manswood, Moor Crichel SU976081. It is made from a nodule of chalk-flint, patinated off white and has a distinctly glossy appearance on some of the flake scars. There is slight iron-staining of the ridges and numerous frost cracks suggest long exposure on the surface. It is made entirely by 'hard hammer' flaking which is characteristic of early Acheulian industries, e.g., Kent's Cavern and Fordwich [Footnote 1: Roe, D. A., 1981, The Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Periods in Britain]. A handaxe of this type was recorded from Christchurch [Footnote 2: Roe, D. A., 1975, 'Some Hampshire and Dorset Handaxes and the Question of 'Early Acheulian' in Britain', PPS 41, 1-9], and others are recorded from the ballast hole at Corfe Mullen [Footnote 3: Calkin, J. B., and Green, J. F. N., 1949, 'Palaeoliths and Terraces near Bournemouth', PPS. 15, 21-37]. If this handaxe does belong to the Early Acheulian it would either place it within the Inter-Anglian or Pre-Anglian say 350,000-5000,000 years ago. It must be stressed however, that with not stratigraphic context the suggestion of date is based entirely on typological grounds.'

<2> Wymer, J, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project: the Upper Thames Valley, the Kennet Valley and the Solent drainage system, 119 (Monograph). SWX4473.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1091013 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 1 2023 4:55PM