Surrey Archaeological Collections
Surrey Archaeological Society, 2003. (updated 2023) https://doi.org/10.5284/1000221. How to cite using this DOI
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- ADS Collection: 379
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000221
- How to cite using this DOI
SURREY ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS
A microlithic industry from Woodbridge Road, Guildford
BARRY JOHN BISHOP
Archaeological excavations at Woodbridge Road in Guildford produced a substantial assemblage of Mesolithic flintwork associated with a number of pits or tree-throw hollows. The lithic assemblage was dominated by Later Mesolithic microlithic forms and a complementary date for the deposition of artefact-bearing sands was obtained by Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating. In addition to microliths, the lithic assemblage contained significant numbers of micro-burins, indicating the on-site manufacture of microliths, and substantial quantities of burnt flint were also recovered. The almost total dominance of microliths to the exclusion of other retouched types strongly suggests that the activities conducted here were remarkably specialised.
Also recovered were small assemblages of later prehistoric, Romano-British, medieval and post-medieval pottery, which attests to continued but low-level interest in this riverside location. This report describes the stratigraphic and artefactual evidence associated with the Mesolithic occupation at the site and discusses these within the broader framework of such activity in the region.
