Quaternary Deposits at Hoxne

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NOTES ON THE QUATERNARY DEPOSITS AT HOXNE, SUFFOLK THE deposits at Hoxne are of importance for two reasons, because of the association of a boulder clay with fossiliferous interglacial deposits and because of the association offlintimplements with the deposits.

John Frere found implements here as early as 1797, and he was the first man to recognise such implements as made by men who had not the use of metals. Thus the site is of great historic interest. Joseph Prestwich investigated the stratigraphy in 1859 ; he tried tofindthe stratigraphical position of the flint implements. Later in the Century Clement Reid found Arctic plants in certain of the layers, and in 1896 he investigated the stratigraphy more fully. Reid Moir investigated the deposits in 1924-26 and again in 1934. His interest was mainly archaeological.

The deposits lie on a ridge which divides the River Dove from the Goldbrook. The Dove enters the Waveney a mile or so to the north. To the south lies the boulder clay plateau. This boulder clay is the Lowestoft Boulder Clay of Baden-Powell.

Underneath the boulder clay in this region are sands and gravels which are believed to be glacial, and beneath these, in the neighbourhood of Hoxne, is the Chalk. Where the plateau reaches the Waveney Valley ridges of sand and gravel cover the boulder clay and extend into the valley. These ridges were noticed

by Prestwich and they apparently form the covering material of the interglacial deposit at Hoxne. Beneath the interglacial is the Lowestoft Boulder Clay.

The main work on the stratigraphy was done by Clement Reid.

From the top down he found the following strata : 1.—Palaeolithic Sands.

2.—Palaeolithic Loam.

3.—Gravel.

4.—Carbonaceous Loam with Arctic plants.

5.—Lignite with temperate plants.

6.—Lacustrine Clay with temperate plants.

7.—Boulder Clay.

8.—Glacial Sand.

The plant-bearing deposits were found to be lying in a basin in the boulder clay.

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QUATERNARY DEPOSITS AT HOXNE

Later Reid Moir found evidence of a warm climate in the top (Palaeolithic) Loam, and he considered the overlying sand and gravel to be a decalcified chalky boulder clay. He also found evidence of Palaeolithic man in the upper Loam and the gravel (3) of Clement Reid. The sequence described by Reid Moir IS as follows : 1.—Decalcified Chalky Boulder Clay.

2.—Brickearth with Early Mousterian Floor.

3.—Gravel with Late Acheulian implements.

4. Arctic Plant Bed. 5.—Temperate Lacustrine Bed and Lignite.

6.—Boulder Clay.

The only exposures to be seen at present are of the upper sand and gravel and Reid Moir's brickearth (2). These are well seen in a pit dug earlier this year for archaeological purposes.

In the north-west corner of the Oakley Park pit the Lowestoft Boulder Clay can be seen rising to near the surface.

The work in progress at Hoxne aims at verifying the stratigraphy, and defining more exactly the climatic and vegetational changes as shown by pollen analysis.

R.

G.

WEST.