Find Spot record MDO6798 - Palaeolith from Merley House, Poole

(SZ 010984) "A small flint implement, found in the garden of Merley House, by Mrs James Chapman, of Buckholdt, Frampton-on-Severn, Glos., has been examined by Dr K P Oakley It is sub-triangular in form 2 3/4" long and 2 1/2" broad at the widest part. ... The flatter plane of one side suggests that it was made from a flake, but the tool is bifacially worked. The lack of association prevents positive identification but Dr Oakley says it compares with handaxes of Acheulean and Mouserian form .... The palaeolith is at present in the possession of Mrs Chapman". <1>

(SZ 00979837) Mrs Chapman marked the find-spot on a tracing at 6" scale, which was supplied to her. The reference above is taken from her siting. The site was not visited during field work, since it was assumed that Mrs. Chapman possessed the implement and knew of its provenance. <2>

The area is now a garden mainly under soft fruits. There were no surface finds of archaeological interest. <3>

The axe is now in Dorset County Museum, Dorchester. <4>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1953, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1952, 109 (Serial). SDO52.

A small palaeolith from Merley House near Wimborne; SZ(40)/010985. A small flint implement, found in the garden of Merley House by Mrs. James Chapman, of Buckholdt, Frampton-on-Severn, Glos., has been examinde for me by Dr. K. P. Oakley. It is sub-triangular in form, 2 3/4 ins. long and 2 1/2 ins. borad at the wides part; the point is broken off, and the implement was probably abo9ut 3 ins. long. The flatter plane of one side suggest that it was made from a flake, but the tool is bifacially worked. The lack of association prevents positive identification, but Dr. Oakley says that it compres with hand-axes of late Acheulean and Mousterian form. The patina is a slightly mottled cream, which does not help identification of the sourse deposit. Merley House, about 150 feet above sea level, is in the Stour vallesy, on the plateau gravel, and only three miles N.W. of the implement-yielding gravel pot near Bear Wood noted on p. 106. The palaeolith is at present in the possessionof Mrs. Chapman.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 28-DEC-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2.1> Chapman, Mrs, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments: Mrs Chapman, Buckholdt, Frampton-on-Severn, 13 December 1955 (Verbal communication). SDO17752.

<3> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F2 JR 02-FEB-56 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<4> Roe, Derek A, 1968, A Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic sites, 55 (Monograph). SWX4454.

<5> Wymer, J, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project: the Upper Thames Valley, the Kennet Valley and the Solent drainage system, 124 (Monograph). SWX4473.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457940 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 3 2022 3:08PM