Find Spot record MDO5453 - Paleolithic implements from the Railway Ballast Pit, Corfe Mullen

SY 993 984 Railway Ballast Pit. At least 180 implements, including 135 handaxes and 21 flakes. A record from J. B. Calkin on OS record card. {1}(Area SY 992983) Many finds in this pit, the "Railway Ballast Hole", including Palaeolithic.

Palaeolithic implements have been found over a number of years on the "Sleight platform" near Corfe Mullen. There are over 100 specimens from this source in the Marsden Collection at Dorset County Museum, most of which probably came from the "Ballast Hole" pit. <1>

Corfe Mullen Four gravel pits together produced at least 270 Palaeoliths. <2>

Description of the geology of the "Sleight platform" and analysis of the finds. The Ballast Hole is known to have produced at least 180 implements, and specimens are known from three other localities. It is suggested that an actual camping site was present at the Cogdean site. <2> <6>

Both Ballast Hole and Cogdean gravel pits are deserted and overgrown except for the remains of a wartime camp at Cogdean. No surface finds were made during investigation. <4>

Catalogue of sites and finds:
SY 975985. Corfe Mullen general. Over 100 artifacts including at least 75 handaxes.
SY 994982. Cogdean Pit. (Note: This grid reference does not agree with Calkin's siting (auth.1). Over 100 artifacts including 69 handaxes and 30 flakes.
SY 993980. Harvey's Road gravel pit. Three handaxes.
SY 993984. Railway Ballast Pit. At least 180 implements, including 135 handaxes and 21 flakes.
SY 987977. Sleight general. One handaxe.
SY 990830. Sleight - Kettle's Pit. (Note: The grid reference quoted falls in Corfe Castle parish and is obviously erroneous). Ten handaxes and two flakes.

The finds are now located in a number of museums including Aylesbury, Bedford & Poole Museums, the Natural Science Society Museum, Bournemouth, the British Museum, the Geological Museum, the Red House Museum, Christchurch, the Dorset County Museum, and the Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Cambridge, as well as private collections. <5>

<1> Bury, H, 1924, Some Aspects of the Hampshire Plateau Gravels. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia, 4 (1), 15-41 (Article in serial). SDO19060.

<2> Calkin, J B, and Green, J F N, 1949, Palaeoliths and Terraces near Bournemouth. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 15, 21-37 (Article in serial). SDO19058.

<3> Calkin, J B, Annotated Record Map Corr. 6, 1950, 1969 (Map). SWX8351.

<4> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 17-NOV-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<5> Roe, Derek A, 1968, A Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic sites, 48-9 (Monograph). SWX4454.

<6> Roe, D, 1968, British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Handaxe Groups. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 34, 1-82 (Article in serial). SDO19059.

<7> Wymer, J, 1993, The Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project: the Upper Thames Valley, the Kennet Valley and the Solent drainage system, 124, 125 (Monograph). SWX4473.

<7.1> 1947, Some Gravels and Gravel-pits in Hampshire and Dorset. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, Vol 58, Issue 2,, 137 (Article in serial). SDO19061.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457147 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 16 2022 10:28AM