Collectors, class and conflict at the lower palaeolithic discovery at Stoke Newington, 1878-1884

ABSTRACT

This paper uses events following the 1878 discovery of a rich Lower Palaeolithic ‘living floor’ at Stoke Newington, London, to explore the social and economic relationships and imbalances that existed within Palaeolithic archaeology in the mid to late nineteenth century. It explores in particular the role of the British working classes in amassing the extant record, the biases they might have introduced and the value of this archaeology to their own lives and livelihoods.

KEYWORDS:

• Lower palaeolithic
• stone tools
• social class
• workmen

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Rebecca Odell, Hackney Museum Services and Amir Dotan (stokenewingtonhistory.com) for discussions and assistance in the writing of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mark J. White

Mark White is Professor of Palaeolithic Archaeology at Durham University.