Monument record IKL 039 - London Bottom, Icklingham, (Palaeolithic-Neolithic).

Circa 1906: `digging begun' of gravel for road making `strictly' along bottom of valley known as `London Bottom'. The gravel is noted as being `nowhere more than 30 or 40 feet wide' and averaging about 2 feet thick, underlaying 3-4 feet of sand and overlying shattered chalk. Notes `immense series of implements from this gravel' which divided into black unpatinated (Neolithic) and an older white patinated long blade (Later Upper Palaeolithic) industry, and clearly states both industries were intermixed within the gravel. He describes the white patinated industry as `including flakes about 6 inches by 1 inch' and `about a dozen'... "dos rabattu knives" (4-5 inch long backed blades). He states no `midgets' (microliths) were found (S1, S2). In Mesolithic gazetteer (S3) although Wymer later accepts the Neolithic & Late Upper Palaeolithic dating.

Wymer states `no signs of workings now visible' (S4), but note TL 767734 (former IKL 055) may be part of these gravel workings and may be alternative siting for Sturge's discoveries (see S9). However, letter from Wymer in February 1989 states "some years ago there were fairly deep irregular pits there with little but sand exposed in them" (S6).

October 1956: "An attempt was made ... (by J Wymer & his father)... to expose this gravel ... a small excavation (?at TL 774 739) revealed 1.27m of brown and yellow sand above a very chalky gravel, in which no artefacts were found" (S4). There are an unquantified number of blades/flakes, 4 scrapers, 4 gravers, 12 backed tools and 2 others in British Museum (S3). Grid reference of Wymer excavations after Wymer (S6).

Billington (S10) notes the presence of curved bakced blades, straight backed blades and two cheddar points, this suggests a mixed assemblage.

Formerly divided by period and at two possible locations, (IKL 039, IKL 054), see above for discussion.