Royal Holloway, University of London Department of Geography London before London: Reconstructing a Palaeolithic Landscape Caroline Juby Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2011 Declaration of Authorship This thesis presents the results of original research undertaken by the author. Where the work of others has been consulted it is clearly specified and acknowledged. Signed: Date: Picture, Front Page: Reconstruction by Norman Fahy. From Robinson and Litherland (1996) 2 Abstract: London before London: Reconstructing a Palaeolithic Landscape Central London and its suburbs have produced a spectacular diversity of Palaeolithic artefacts in association with some of the most important palaeoenvironmental information in western Europe for the Pleistocene period. During the 19th and 20th centuries, London’s rapid urban development coincided with the beginnings of Palaeolithic research and a new-found interest in the antiquity of humans and ancient landscapes. Contemporary antiquarians amassed extensive collections of artefacts and fossils as gravel extraction and construction occurred on an unprecedented scale. Nevertheless, in recent times, London has experienced a significant decline in research into its Palaeolithic heritage, at the expense of other parts of the Thames valley and southern England. However, thanks to the extraordinarily rich repository of antiquarian artefacts and faunal remains, new interpretations are now possible and these collections form the basis for the work presented here. Through the re-evaluation of over 16,400 artefacts and 4700 faunal remains from multiple localities (ranging from individual findspots to ‘super sites’), the thesis explores the timing and nature of Palaeolithic occupation of London and its suburbs from the very earliest evidence in the Middle Pleistocene to the end of the last glaciation through a series of discrete time slices. The work further investigates the spatial patterning of the lithic resources through the application of GIS and, for the first time, fully integrates the archaeology with the Pleistocene palaeogeographical, stratigraphical, faunal and floral records of London, thereby allowing a dynamic palaeoenvironmental picture to be created. Finally, the research draws upon the activities of the antiquarians and collectors themselves at the time of these discoveries through publications, letters and other archival sources and situates these within the contemporary scientific knowledge. 3 Contents List of Figures 11 List of Tables 14 Acknowledgements 17 Chapter 1: Introduction 19 1.1 Rationale: London as a Palaeolithic and Pleistocene research area 19 1.2 The diversity of evidence in London 21 1.3 The role of antiquarians in Palaeolithic and Pleistocene research in London 22 1.4 Aims and objectives of the project 23 Chapter 2: Methodology 26 2.1 Identification of relevant collections 26 2.2 Analysis of Palaeolithic artefacts 26 2.3 Analysis of Palaeontological collections 31 2.4 Archival Research 32 2.5 Palaeoenvironmental information 33 2.6 Geographical Information System (GIS) maps 33 Chapter 3: Geology of the London Region and the History of the Thames 35 3.1 Pre-Quaternary bedrock in the London region 35 3.2 The formation of the Thames Terraces 37 3.2.1 Terrace Formations and Members 40 3.3 The Quaternary Deposits 41 3.3.1 Pliocene/ Early Pleistocene Deposits and ancestral Thames deposits (pre-diversion) 41 3.3.2 Diversion of the Thames by Anglian Ice and Anglian age deposits 49 3.4 Post-Anglian River Thames deposits in the London Area 53 3.4.1 Middle Thames Terraces 54 3.4.2 The Langley Silt Complex 58 3.4.3 Lower Thames Terraces 59 3.5 Correlating the Middle Thames and Lower Thames terraces 62 Chapter 4: The role of antiquarians in establishing our understanding of the Palaeolithic in London 64 4.1 Introduction 64 4.2 Robert Garraway Rice 67 4.3 Frederick Sadler 68 4.4 John Gibson 69 4.5 Dr. Richard Payne Cotton 70 4.6 Sir Antonio Brady 70 4.7 Samuel Hazzledine Warren 71 4.8 Flaxman Charles John Spurrell 72 4.9 Worthington George Smith 73 4.10 John Allen Brown 76 4 Chapter 5: The Earliest Palaeolithic Sites in London (MIS 12-11-10) 78 5.1 Introduction 78 5.2 Pre-diversion Thames deposits 78 5.3 Anglian-age deposits 81 5.4 Boyn Hill/Orsett Heath Gravels 83 5.5 The significance of twisted ovate handaxes 87 5.6 Summary of Chapter 5 94 Chapter 6: Lynch Hill/Corbets Tey Terrace Sites (MIS 10-9-8) 95 6.1 The chronology and significance of Levallois material in the Thames Archaeological record 95 6.2 Stoke Newington, Abney Park Cemetery, Upper and Lower Clapton, Shacklewell and Hackney Downs 100 6.2.1 Introduction 100 6.2.2 Location of collections 101 6.2.3 History of research 102 6.2.4 Stratigraphy 106 6.2.5 Palaeontology and Palaeobotany 120 6.2.6 Archaeology 138 6.2.7 Age of deposits 145 6.3 Cauliflower Pit, Ilford 152 6.3.1 Introduction 152 6.3.2 Location of collections 152 6.3.3 History of research 152 6.3.4 Location of sites 153 6.3.5 Stratigraphy 156 6.3.6 Palaeontology and environmental reconstruction 161 6.3.7 Archaeology 168 6.3.8 Age of deposits 169 6.4 Creffield Road, Acton 172 6.4.1 Introduction 172 6.4.2 Location of collections 173 6.4.3 History of research 173 6.4.4 Location of sites 174 6.4.5 Stratigraphy 175 6.4.6 Archaeology 178 6.4.7 Age of deposits 186 6.5 Yiewsley (incorporating West Drayton and Dawley) 187 6.5.1 Introduction 187 6.5.2 Location of collections 187 6.5.3 History of research 188 6.5.4 Location of sites 190 6.5.5 Stratigraphy 197 6.5.6 Palaeoenvironmental evidence 201 6.5.7 Archaeology 201 6.5.8 Age of deposits 206 5 6.6 Hanwell, Southall, Norwood Green and Osterley 207 6.6.1 Introduction 207 6.6.2 Location of collections 207 6.6.3 History of research 207 6.6.4 Location of sites 208 6.6.5 Stratigraphy 212 6.6.6 Palaeontology 214 6.6.7 Archaeology 214 6.6.8 Age of deposits 215 6.7 Summary of Chapter 6 216 Chapter 7: Taplow/Mucking Terrace Sites 218 7.1 Uphall Pit, Ilford 218 7.1.1 Introduction 218 7.1.2 Location of collections 219 7.1.3 History of research 219 7.1.4 Location of sites 221 7.1.5 Stratigraphy 221 7.1.6 Palaeontology and environmental reconstruction 224 7.1.7 Archaeology 233 7.1.8 Age of deposits 234 7.2 Crayford, Erith and Slade Green 238 7.2.1 Introduction 238 7.2.2 Location of collections 239 7.2.3 History of research 241 7.2.4 Location of sites 243 7.2.5 Stratigraphy 245 7.2.6 Palaeontology 249 7.2.7 Palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironment interpretation 256 7.2.8 Palaeolithic artefacts 260 7.2.9 Age of deposits 268 7.3 Plumstead and Wickham 270 7.3.1 Introduction and location of sites 270 7.3.2 History of research 271 7.3.3 Stratigraphy 272 7.3.4 Palaeontology and environmental interpretation 272 7.3.5 Age of deposits 274 7.4 Summary of Chapter 7 274 Chapter 8: Last (Ipswichian, MIS 5e) Interglacial Sites 276 8.1. Trafalgar Square 276 8.1.1 Introduction 276 8.1.2 Location of collections 277 8.1.3 History of research 277 6 8.1.4 Location of sites 279 8.1.5 Stratigraphy 280 8.1.6 Palaeontology and palaeoecology 283 8.1.7 Archaeology 292 8.1.8 Age of deposits 293 8.2 Acton and Turnham Green 296 8.2.1 Introduction 296 8.2.2 History of research 296 8.2.3 Location of collections 296 8.2.4 Stratigraphy 297 8.2.5 Palaeontology and interpretation 297 8.2.6 Age of deposits 298 8.3 Brentford 300 8.3.1 Introduction 300 8.3.2 History of research 300 8.3.3 Location of collections 301 8.3.4 Stratigraphy 301 8.3.5 Palaeontology 302 8.2.6 Age of deposits 303 8.4 Peckham 304 8.4.1 Introduction 304 8.4.2 History of research 304 8.4.3 Location of collections 304 8.2.4 Palaeontology and age of deposits 305 8.5 Greenwich 306 8.5.1 Introduction 306 8.5.2 History of research 306 8.5.3 Location of collections 307 8.5.4 Palaeontology 307 8.5.5 Age of deposits 307 8.6 Cane Hill, Croydon 308 8.6.1 Introduction 308 8.6.2 History of research 308 8.6.3 Location of collections 309 8.6.4 Palaeontology 309 8.6.5 Age of deposits 310 8.7 Camden 310 8.7.1 Introduction 310 8.7.2 History of research 311 8.7.3 Location of collections 311 8.7.4 Palaeontology 311 8.7.5 Age of deposits 312 8.8 Wembley Park 312 7 8.8.1 Introduction 8.8.2 History of research 312 8.8.3 Location of collections 312 8.8.4 Palaeontology 312 8.8.5 Age of deposits 312 8.9 Leadenhall Street 313 8.9.1 Introduction 313 8.9.2 History of research 313 8.9.3 Location of collections 313 8.9.4 Palaeontology 313 8.9.5 Age of deposits 314 8.10 Summary of Chapter 8 315 Chapter 9: Last Cold Stage Sites (excluding Upper Palaeolithic) 317 9.1 Isleworth 318 9.1.1 Site location and history of research 318 9.1.2 Location of collections 319 9.1.3 Stratigraphy 319 9.1.4 Palaeontology and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction 320 9.1.5 Age of deposits 328 9.1.6 Archaeology 331 9.2 Kew Bridge 333 9.2.1 Site location and history of research 333 9.2.2 Location of collections 334 9.2.3 Stratigraphy 334 9.2.4 Palaeontology and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction 335 9.2.5 Age of deposits 337 9.2.6 Archaeology 338 9.3 Twickenham 339 9.3.1 Site location and history of research 339 9.3.2 Location of collections 339 9.3.3 Stratigraphy 340 9.3.4 Palaeontology and palaeobotany 341 9.3.5 Age of deposits 344 9.3.6 Archaeology 347 9.4 Feltham 347 9.4.1 Site location and history of research 347 9.4.2 Location of collections 347 9.4.3 Stratigraphy 347 9.4.4 Palaeontology and palaeobotany 348 9.4.5 Age of deposits 350 9.4.6 Archaeology 354 9.5 Kempton Park 354 9.5.1 Stratigraphy 354 8 9.5.2 Palaeontology and palaeoecology 354 9.5.3 Age of deposits 355 9.6 Battersea 355 9.6.1 Location of site and history