Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T19:53:31.781Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Stone Age Industries of the Isle of Portland, Dorset, and the Utilization of Portland Chert as Artifact Material in Southern England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2016

Susann Palmer
Susann Palmer
Affiliation:
56 Brookville Road, London S.W.6
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

It is now nearly 20 years since the late W. F. Rankine first drew attention to the use of Portland Chert as prehistoric material (Rankine, 1951). He mapped the distribution of such artifacts in southern England, as known to him. No attempt was made to differentiate between artifacts of different cultural affinities or periods. Also, when he wrote, hardly anything was known of the prehistory of the Isle of Portland, Dorset, and of the immediate neighbourhood where the chert occurs in natural form.

During the past few years rich stone age habitation sites and workfloors have been found on the Island and along the landward shore of the Fleet nearby (Palmer, 1963–1968). Research is continuing in the area. This lends far greater importance to the question of the distribution of Portland Chert artifacts.

The present paper will assess the significance and scope of the distribution of Portland Chert artifacts in relationship to the industries in the Portland area. Investigations in the field and in numerous museums and private collections have greatly lengthened Rankine's original list of Portland Chert artifacts. It is likely that even now numerous specimens in other collections have not been traced, and that the distribution of these artifacts is even wider than suggested by the present list (Appendix A).

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 36 , December 1970 , pp. 82 - 115
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 1970

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Arkell, W. J., 1933. The Jurassic System in Great Britain. Oxford.Google Scholar
Arkell, W. J., 1947. Geology of the Country around Weymouth, Swanage, Corfe and Lulworth, London.Google Scholar
Becker, C. J., 1951. ‘Maglemose Kultur paa Bornholm’, Aarbøger, 96–177.Google Scholar
Bennett, F. J., 1966. Note in Hants. Fd. Club Newsletter, 44–5.Google Scholar
Calkin, J. B., 1924. ‘Pygmy and other Flint Implements found at Peacehaven’, Sussex Arch. Coll., 225–41.Google Scholar
Calkin, J. B., 1952. ‘A Mesolithic Site at Ulwell’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. Arch. Soc., 74, 48–54.Google Scholar
Chatwin, C. P., 1936. The Hampshire Basin and Adjoining Areas, British Regional Geology, (Third Edition 1960), London.Google Scholar
Clark, J. G. D., 1932. The Mesolithic Age in Britain, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Clark, J. G. D., 1938. ‘Microlithic Industries from Tufa Deposits’, PPS, 4, 000.Google Scholar
Clark, J. G. D., 1960. ‘Excavations at the Neolithic site at Hurst Fen, Mildenhall, Suffolk’, PPS, 26, 202–62.Google Scholar
Damon, R., 1884. Geology of Weymouth and the Coast of Dorset, (2nd Edition), London.Google Scholar
Draper, J. C., 1968. ‘Mesolithic Distribution in South-East Hampshire’, Proc. Hamps. Fid. Club & Arch. Soc., XXIII (3) 110–19.Google Scholar
Evans, J. G., and Smith, I. F., 1967. Note in Arch. Review 2, 8.Google Scholar
Godwin, H., 1940. ‘A Boreal Transgression of the Sea in Swansea Bay’, New Phyt., 39, 308–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greig, O. and Rankine, W. F., 1958. ‘A Stone Age Settlement near East Week’, Proc. Devon Arch. Expl. Soc., (5) (1), 8–26.Google Scholar
Higgs, E., 1959. ‘Excavations at a Mesolithic Site at Downton, near Salisbury, Wiltshire’, PPS, 25, 209–32.Google Scholar
Keiller, A., 1965. Windmill Hill and Avebury, 100 and illustr. S.I., London. (Edited by Smith, I. F.).Google Scholar
Liddell, D. M., 1933. ‘Report on the Excavations at Hembury Fort’, Proc. Devon Arch. Expl. Soc., 2, 159–69.Google Scholar
Mace, Angela, 1959. ‘An Upper Palaeolithic Open-site at Hengistbury Head, Christchurch, Hants’., PPS, 25, 233–59.Google Scholar
Mathiassen, T., 1937. ‘Gudenaa-Kulturen’, Aarbøger, 1–186.Google Scholar
Mathiassen, T., 1943. ‘Stenaldbopladser i Aamosen’, Nordiske Fortidsminder, 3 (3).Google Scholar
Mathiassen, T., 1946. ‘En Senglacial Boplads Ved Bromme’, Aarbøger, 121–97.Google Scholar
McAlpine Woods, G., 1932. ‘A Stone-Age Site in South-East Devon’, Proc Devon Arch. Expl, Soc., 1, 10–14.Google Scholar
Megaw, J. V. S., 1957–1958. ‘The Neolithic Period in Cornwall’, Proc. West Cornwall Fid. Club, 2 (2). Ch. 2.Google Scholar
Palmer, S., 1963. ‘Prehistoric Stone Industries of the Fleet-Area, Weymouth’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc., 85, 107–15.Google Scholar
Palmer, S., 1965. ‘Stone Age Industries on the Isle of Portland’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc., 87, 93–95.Google Scholar
Palmer, S., 1966. ‘Interim Report on the Excavation of a Mesolithic Workfloor at Portland Bill’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc., 88, 102.Google Scholar
Palmer, S.. 1966. ‘Trial Excavations in the Fleet Area, Weymouth’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc., 152–7.Google Scholar
Palmer, S., 1967. ‘Upper Palaeolithic Artifacts from Portland’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc., 89, 117–9.Google Scholar
Palmer, S., 1967. ‘Second Interim Report on the Excavation of a Mesolithic Site at Portland Bill’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc., 119.Google Scholar
Palmer, S., 1967. ‘A Mesolithic “Mace-head” from Portland’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc., 119–20.Google Scholar
Palmer, S., 1968. ‘A Mesolithic Site at Portland Bill. Excavations 1966’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc., 90, 183–206.Google Scholar
Palmer, S., 1968. ‘Third Interim Report on the Excavation of Mesolithic Sites at Portland Bill’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc., 163.Google Scholar
Palmer, S., 1969. Notes Section, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc. Google Scholar
Palmer, S., 1970/1971. ‘Excavation of a Mesolithic Site at Mother Siller's Channel, Christchurch, and the Mesolithic of the Christchurch and Bournemouth Areas’, Proc. Hamps. Fid. Club & Arch. Soc. Google Scholar
Parry, R. F., 1930. ‘Excavations at Cheddar’, Som. Arch. & Nat. Hist. Soc. Proc., 16, 46–62.Google Scholar
Pollard, S. H. M., 1966. ‘Neolithic and Dark Age Settlements on High Peak, Sidmouth’, Proc. Devon Arch. Expl. Soc., 23, 35–59. (Comments on artifacts by I. F. Smith).Google Scholar
Poole, H. F., 1936. ‘An Outline of the Mesolithic Flint Cultures of the Isle of Wight’, Proc. I. of W. Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc. 2 (7) 551–93.Google Scholar
Prestwich, J., 1875. ‘Notes on the Phenomena of the Quaternary Period in the Isle of Portland and around Weymouth’, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc., 31, 29–54.Google Scholar
Rankine, W. F., 1949. ‘A Mesolithic Survey of the West Surrey Greensand’. Surrey Arch. Soc. Paper, No. 2. Google Scholar
Rankine, W. F., 1951. ‘Artifacts of Portland Chert in Southern England’, PPS, 17, 93–4.Google Scholar
Rankine, W. F., 1954. ‘Mesolithic Research in Southern England, Arch. Newsletter, 5 (3).Google Scholar
Rankine, W. F., 1956. The Mesolithic of Southern England, Surrey Arch. Soc. Paper.Google Scholar
Rankine, W. F., 1961. Epitomised Supp. to PPS, 26, 1960, A Mesolithic Flaking Floor at Oakhanger, Selborne, Hants. Privately circulated.Google Scholar
Rankine, W. F., 1961. ‘The Mesolithic Age in Dorset’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc., 83, 91–9.Google Scholar
Reid, C., 1896. ‘An Early Neolithic Kitchen Midden and Tufaceous Deposit at Blashenwell’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. Ant. Fld. Club, 7, 67–75.Google Scholar
Rust, A., 1958. Die Funde vom Pinnberg, Neumünster.Google Scholar
Smith, E., 1956. ‘Flints from Woodbury Common, Devon’, Proc. Devon Arch. Expl. Soc., 5 (4).Google Scholar
Steers, J. A., 1946 (2nd ed. 1964). The Coastline of England and Wales, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Steers, J. A., 1953. (3rd ed.). The Sea Coast, London.Google Scholar
Stone, J. F. S., 1958. Wessex before the Celts, London.Google Scholar
Summers, P. G., 1941. ‘A Mesolithic Site near Iweme Minster, Dorset’, PPS, 7, 145–6.Google Scholar
Sykes, C. M. and Whittle, S. L., 1965. ‘A Flint Chipping site on Tog Hill’, Trans. Bristol & Glouc. Arch. Soc. Google Scholar
Thomas, A. C., 1957–1958. ‘The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Periods in Cornwall’, Proc. West Cornwall Fid. Club, 2 (2), Ch. 1.Google Scholar
Toms, G. S. G., 1967. ‘Interim Report of Excavations at Newfoundland Wood, Church Knowle’, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc., 89, 141–3.Google Scholar
Wainwright, G. J., 1960. ‘Three Microlithic Industries from South-West England and their Affinities’, PPS, 26, 193–201.Google Scholar
Willock, E. H., 1936. ‘A Neolithic Site on Haldon’, Proc. Devon Arch. Expl. Soc., 2, 244–63.Google Scholar