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A Late Mesolithic Settlement Site at Selmeston, Sussex

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 January 2012

J. G. D. Clark
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Extract

Flint implements were first discovered in the working of the sand-pit immediately to the east of Selmeston church almost mid-way between Lewes and Polegate, Sussex, by Mr. W. J. Parsons, who at that time was resident in the neighbouring village of Alciston. The news soon reached the ears of Dr. E. Curwen, F.S.A., who arranged to secure the flints as they were recovered. Towards this he enlisted the aid of Mr. H. A. Davies of Selmeston, who has not only maintained a vigilant watch over the pit, but has also been of great assistance in various ways during further investigations on the site. The present author noticed the few specimens then in Dr. Curwen's collection in his Mesolithic Age in Britain, pp. 83 and 84. When on first visiting the site with Dr. Curwen the section of what appeared to be a pit-dwelling was discovered, it became clear that excavation would greatly enhance our knowledge of the site. Accordingly, with the generous permission of Dr. Curwen and the kind assistance of Mr. Parsons, the pit (pit 1) of which we had seen the first indications, and the remains of another (pit 2), were excavated early in the month of June 1933. Subsequently, another pit-dwelling (pit 3) becoming apparent during the normal course of working back the section of the sand-pit, the author undertook further excavations in the autumn, when he was assisted by Mr. Davies. We should like to acknowledge the kindness of Messrs. Osborn & Bennet of Eastbourne for allowing us to excavate in the sand-pit. Finally the report is made more valuable by identifications by Messrs. Christopher Hawkes, F.S.A., and J. C. Maby, B.Sc.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , April 1934 , pp. 134 - 158
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1934

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References

page 134 note 1 See The Mesolithic Age in Britain, map II.

page 136 note 2 This has been done accurately enough by using squared paper.

page 138 note 1 The hearth, occurring as it did in the base of spit VI and in the top of spit VII, was situated below the rim of the pit-dwelling, as shown by the section, although in the excavation it was only possible to establish in plan the outline of the pit with certainty at the base of spit VI. The oblique hachuring in fig. 2 B should in fact probably be extended down into spit VI. Moreover it is exceedingly unlikely that a pit-dwelling, even in Lower Greensand would silt up to a horizontal level at once. It is indeed more likely that a shallow concavity would for some time remain in the middle of the pit. We incline to the view that the hearth was set in such a concavity after the pit-dwelling had silted up to this extent. In regard to the silting it should be recalled that the undisturbed Lower Greensand is quite firm, as indeed the steep sides of pit 1 seen in fig. 2 B suggest, and must not be confused with wind-blown dune sand. Had the pit been sunk into chalk the interpretation would have been simplified by the presence of silting lines. In this case, however, we must rely on the probabilities of the case, recalling the important fact that the basal levels of pit 1 and the infillings of pits 2 and 3 were entirely free from later admixture.

page 141 note 1 Messrs. Parsons and Davies agree that flints were to be found commonly only in very limited areas, being concentrated locally. This supports the view that many pit-dwellings have perished.

page 141 note 2 Clark, , Man, 1930, no. 2.Google Scholar

page 152 note 1 Classified in Arch. Journ., xc, as class ‘B’ of the ‘micro-burin’ form.

page 154 note 1 Toms, H. S., Brighton and Hove N.H. and Phil. Soc., 1907Google Scholar, and The Antiquary, July 1915Google Scholar; also Clark, , The Mesolithic Age in Britain, p. 77Google Scholar.

page 155 note 1 Calkin, J. B., S.A.S.C., lxv, 224Google Scholar; Clark, J. G. D., The Mesolithic Age in Britain, p. 82Google Scholar.

page 155 note 2 Clark, J. G. D., S.A.S.C., lxxxiii, 145Google Scholar, and The Mesolithic Age in Britain, p. 75.

page 155 note 3 See Clark, , Arch. Journ., xc.Google Scholar