Find Spot record 6997 - Palaeolithic Flake, National Telephone Company, St John Street

A Palaeolithic flint flake was found (as a residual find) during the excavation of the site of the National Telephone Company's new offices in St John's Street, Chester, in 1908. Mistakenly reported as an axe, the point was 4.4 inches long by 3.4 inches wide x c l inch thick and weighs 6.75 ounces(1).

One side had a smooth, though uneven and un-worked, appearance, while the other side is worked and has a 'worn' appearance and the edges are blunt and finely chopped, possibly from frequent and constant use (2).

<1> Shone W, 1911, Prehistoric Man in Cheshire, /23-5 (Book). SCH2710.

<2> Newstead, R (Prof.), 1909, On a Recently Discovered Section of the Roman Wall at Chester, Newstead R 1909 16/27-29 (Article in Journal). SCH6482.

<3> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 50/68 1934 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ46NW9/1971 (Index). SCH2487.

<5> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, /no.580 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.