Another Mesolithic gravel bed deposit uncovered at Stainton

 1 - The red outline shows the newly excavated gravel bed at stainton , again the bed is about 300mm deep very compact and very level .

 

 

 2 - The red outline I hope shows how compact and flat the stainton gravel beds are .

 3 -  Again I hope the red outline in this image shows uniformity of these ancient gravel beds .

 4 - As shown in many previous posts the widespread Stainton gravel beds are far from erratic deposits , and cover every area of south west Cleveland I have excavated .

 5 - The yellow outlines show the ever present grey - blue organic deposit that sits above the gravel beds at all locations .

 6 - A close up of the blue - grey deposit .

 

HISTORY OF A BECK: The Stainton gravel beds

Lateral Science: Stainton Beck - Magnetic Basaltic Andesite & Fossil ...

Locations of excavations of the stainton gravel beds - Google Maps

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excavated Prehistoric flint from ancient lake deposit Stainsby beck Cleveland.

 1  I could be wrong but I believe this flint that was excavated from the same grey deposit as the bones and leather reported in earlier posts , was very likely used as a fire starting implement .

 

 

 2

 

 

3 This image shows a similar piece note the angles and percussion marks .

Human and animal fossil bones found so far at ... - history of a beck 

Fossil bone and artifact excavated to date from - history of a beck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prehistoric Dog and Wolf ? ulna's and possibl flint core excavated Stainsby beck

  1 -  The grey deposit can be seen behind the ruler.

  2 - This image shows a proximal tibia shaft before excavation.

  3 - The Canis ulna on the left was excavated deep into the deposit, the larger Canis ulna was found at another location.

  4 - The larger ulna looks large enough to possibly be wolf .

  5 

 6 - I also excavated this piece of black flint from deep into the deposit, i don't know a lot about worked flint but this piece could have been.

 

 

 7  -  I am sure Tees archaeology will know one way or the other and will post there opinion .

 

 

 8

 

 

 

 

The Stainsby collection to date .

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                 



The image above shows the fossil bone and artefacts excavated to date from the prehistoric grey deposits at stainsby beck, in the south west of Cleveland North East England .  The Human tibia shaft is not shown as its not in my possession any more ,  as it was handed over to the Anthropologist, as were the other Human bone finds from this area .

Human and animal fossil bones found so far at ... - history of a beck

 

 

 

The bone and artefacts excavated to date include bones from at least one Human , and seven different animals including , Capra , Equus , Bovine , Canis , Cervid ,  Pottery  ime told that looks to be iron age ,  Preserved leather shoe sole , with intricate stich holes and possible bone decoration , and possibly worked black flint .   All can be viewed in earlier posts .

 

Fossil bone and artefact excavated to date from - history of a beck

 

    I must stress that the mineralised bones found and excavated in this and other areas , including several Human pieces are ancient ! and have been deemed so by a forensic anthropologist from Teesside university .  

 

 

Prehistoric horse radius excavated Stainsby beck.

  1 - This piece was excavated from the top left of this deposit .

  2 - It appears to have several different mineralised layers including what looks to be preserved organic material maybe wood ?

  3 - The outer concretion appears to contain a lot of quartz grains .

  4

  5 The preserved organic material can clearly be see in this image, at first i thought it to be preserved wood , ime now not so sure and believe it could be preserved none mineralised bone .

 6

 

The red outline shows the once spongy bone totally mineralised .

 

  7 -  The white mineral i am still unsure of but it is not calcareous .

Human and animal fossil bones found so far at ... - history of a beck

Fossil bone and artifact excavated to date from - history of a beck

 

 

 

 

Possibly britains oldes preserved shoe sole

  1 - The leather shoe sole shown in earlier posts found close to deposits ive worked near Stainsby beck Thornaby on Tees Cleveland .

  2 I have now cleared most of the holes that look to have been created by a bone tool .

  3

 4 - Note the leather has been doubled up .

  4 The leather was found close to the same Prehistoric deposit as the pottery below .

  5 These pottery pieces excavated very close to the preserved shoe sole, Peter Row of Tees archaeology informed me he believes to be iron age.

Human and animal fossil bones found so far at ... - history of a beck 

Fossil bone and artefact excavated to date from - history of a beck

 

 

Ancient bones and preserved shoe sole excavated from lake bed deposits

  1 This image shows the entire collection of excavated fossil bone including at least seven different animals including horse, ovis -capra, bos, cervidae, and Human tibia, and a leather artefact i believe to be the sole of a shoe, that looks like it  has been decorated with worked fossil bone.   ( See update )

  2 This leather artefact was excavated about 300 mm into the previously undisturbed grey clay deposit.

  3 I hope this image shows what i see ime sure worked bone has been inserted either for decoration or as some kind of fastening. 

  4 The same work marks can be clearly seen on either side of the bone ? inserts.

  5

  6 The underside showing the bone with same worked surface, as the previously shown inner surface.


Today I reported the Human tibia I excavated along with the other fossil mammal bone, it was viewed by the Anthropologist and deemed as ancient, no surprise there considering the Prehistoric deposit it was excavated from, I believe the grey deposit of clay is either the remnants of a large lake or swamp like water body

Human and animal fossil bones found so far at ... - history of a beck 

Stainsby ancient lake bed excavated bone and ... - history of a beck   

Fossil bone and artefact excavated to date from - history of a beck

Just a reminder to the old viewers and news to the new, I use this blog primarily as a record of my work, so make no apologies for its often rough appearance, but if there is a specific part that anyone  needs explaining please just make comment.

Prehistoric Human tibia shaft excavated from grey deposit at Stainsby beck Thornaby on Tees Cleveland.

 1 - This image shows a a Prehistoric  Human tibia shaft outlined in yellow , before being fully excavated  from the grey lake bed at Stainsby beck. To the right outlined in red some of the other none human bones are visible but most are still buried. I believe the two different Human femurs found at an earlier date just down stream, and the preserved leather moccasin type sole excavated and shown in an earlier post could all be related.

 2 - This image shows the excavated Human tibia shaft washed and dried .

      

 3 - This image shows an artiodactyle Mandible, and maxilla piece, the teeth tell me this animal was a juvenile .

    

 4 - This horn core was also excavated very close to the Human tibia shaft and artiodactyle pieces shown in image 3 .

Please view more recent posts for updates .

Fossil bone and artefact excavated to date from - history of a beck

Human and animal fossil bones found so far at ... - history of a beck

       

Bone found in latest excavation into ancient lake deposit at Thornaby on Tees Cleveland.

  1 As yet unknown Artiodactyle lower jaw and right Maxilla .

  2 I have only seen teeth like this once before , maybe just a juvenile thing ?

  3 The morphology looks bos to me .

  4 Although the teeth in the Maxilla look strange .

  5

  6 - 9  Unknown horn core .

  7

  8

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  10 - 12  Human tibia shaft .
 

  11 Its heavy and at least partially mineralised .

  12 Note the concretion attached to the left , ive found a lot of mineralised animal bones with a similar concretion . 

 

  13 - The mandible , maxilla , horn core , and Human tibia shaft were excavated from the same square foot of grey clay .

  14 - Ugly but it fits !

Fossil bone and artifact excavated to date from - history of a beck

HISTORY OF A BECK: The Stainton gravel beds