Flintwork from Yorkshire

Stone scrapers, collected by Canon Greenwell and Pitt-Rivers, from various sites in Yorkshire illustrated in the PRM Accession Book VI and photographed as part of the project. (PRM 1884.133.169-77)

Prior to the Excavating Pitt-Rivers project little was known about Pitt-Rivers' time in Yorkshire. As detailed in an earlier blog post we now have a much better understanding of his activities in 1867 and 1879. The majority of objects collected during Pitt-Rivers' time in Yorkshire were flint arrow-heads and scrapers. Much of this flintwork has specific dates written on them, possibly in the General's own hand, giving us a very detailed account of where Pitt-Rivers was working day to day.

Flint flake (PRM 1884.127.47. 18) marked 'Ganton Wold APL-3-67. ALF [Augustus Lane Fox]'.

The Yorkshire founding collection includes excellent examples of leaf-shaped arrow-heads, barbed and tanged arrowheads, scrapers and hammer-stones.

A selection of 8 barbed and tanged arrow-heads collected in the Yorkshire Wolds by Pitt-Rivers and Greenwell.

A selection of 9 leaf-shaped arrow-heads collected from various locations in Yorkshire by Pitt-Rivers and Greenwell.

As our studies of the artefacts proceed, we shall continue to explore how Pitt-Rivers' archaeological fieldwork in Yorkshire, including that undertaken with Canon William Greenwell, influenced his later field methods.