Monument record MDO8640 - Powell Mesolithic Site, Warren Hill, Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth

A Mesolithic flint scatter found eroding out of Warren Hill, Hengistbury Head and excavated in 1980-84. A large quantity of flint was recovered with evidence for on-site knapping and tool production. The character of the site with a restricted range of tools suggests it is a specialised upland hunting site. It is dated to about 7800 BC.

Mesolithic finds, indicating no more than a background presence, have been recovered from Hengistbury Head and can be found within the collections of Nobili-Vitelleschi, R. Atkinson, Cotton and King. <1-2>

A site on Warren Hill (SZ 17219059) was discovered by Ronald Powell in 1977, when c.3000 artefacts were recovered eroding out from sand deposits. Excavations in 1980-84 located a dense scatter of flint artefacts, sub-circular or oval in plan and 12m in diameter. The excavations produced 35,444 flint artefacts, all of local origin, including 6312 flakes and 5699 blades or bladelets and 145 cores, other implements included 95 end scrapers, 65 microdenticulates and 390 microliths. The presence of the large numbers of proximal microburins indicate that this was a primary tool production site.

Five thermoluminescence determinations from burnt material within the main flint scatter gave an average age of 9750+/- 950 years BP (OXTL 707c) for the Mesolithic horizon, therefore the site was occupied during the Pre-Boreal or Boreal and is one of several Early Mesolithic sites within the Hampshire Basin. The flint assemblage exhibits a narrow range of tool characterised by microliths, end scrapers and small denticulates, similar to other upland sites within the region and is believed to reflect a highly specialised range of activities associated with game hunting.

A Mesolithic flint scatter on Warren Hill, Hengistbury Head was discovered by Ronald Powell in 1977, when about 3000 artefacts were recovered eroding out from sand deposits. This site was investigated by the Oxford University Hengistbury Head Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Project between 1980-84. The excavations located a dense scatter of flint artefacts, sub-circular or oval in plan about 12m in diameter. Within this was a denser concentration about 5m across. The excavations produced 35,444 flint artefacts, including 6312 flakes and 5699 blades or bladelets and 145 cores, other implements included 95 end scrapers, 65 microdenticulates and 390 microliths. The presence of the large numbers of proximal microburins and the results of refitting artefacts indicates that knapping and tool production was taking place on site. Some of the flint within the main scatter was burnt. In addition to the flint a large block of sarsen, two small sandstone ‘rubbers’ (of a rock type of Devon origin) and some flat pieces of ironstone. Five thermoluminescence determinations from burnt material within the main flint scatter gave an average age of 9750+/- 950 years BP (OXTL 707c) for the Mesolithic horizon, indicating the site was occupied during the Pre-Boreal or Boreal when Hengistbury was still an inland location. The flint toolkit recovered from the site displays a narrow range of tools characterised by microliths, end scrapers and small denticulates. This is similar to other upland sites within the region and is believed to reflect a highly specialised range of activities associated with game hunting. <5>

<1> Wymer, J J, and Bonsall, C, 1977, Gazetteer of Mesolithic sites in England and Wales, with a gazetteer of Upper Palaeolithic sites in England and Wales, 106-7 (Monograph). SWX2026.

<2> Palmer, S, 1978, Mesolithic cultures of Britain, 128-129 (Monograph). SWX1704.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1982, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1981, 13-20 (Serial). SDO81.

<4> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1983, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1982, 169 (Serial). SDO82.

<5> Barton, N, 1983, Hengistbury Head: Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Project. Interim report on rescue excavations and archaeological experiments, 137-139 (Article in serial). SWX9227.

<6> Barton, R N E, 1992, Hengistbury Head, Dorset. 2: The Late Palaeolithic and Early Mesolithic Sites (Monograph). SWX3704.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 884835 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 23 2024 3:58PM