NHER 59943 (Find Spot record) - Palaeolithic and undated animal bones and material from possible Mesolithic land surface, North Sea

This record details archaeologically significant material recovered during off-shore dredging within Aggregates Extraction Licence Areas 360 and 513/1. These discoveries were reported to English Heritage/Historic England through the Marine Aggregate Industry Protocol for Reporting Finds of Archaeological Interest. See (S1) and (S2) for further details.

February 2006. Off-shore Dredging.
Found at the Steenkorrel wharf in Amsterdam:
Collection of decaying waterlogged wood fragment, initially believed to be from the wreck of the Cornmead, which sank in 1941. Subsequent analysis of the wood suggested that this was unlikely, the fragments being mostly natural, unmodified material that was probably eroding from a peat layer. A number of other objects were identified in the collection, including peat, mineralised bone, antler and a single worked flint flake. Although all items are not necessarily contemporary the presence of peat deposits suggests that this material may have been eroded out of a peat layer. In this case a submerged terrestrial land surface, probably of Early Mesolithic date (c. 8500 BC) is the most likely origin of the material.
See Discovery Report (S3) and reporting protocol annual report (S4) for further details. These discoveries were also featured in the Spring 2007 issue of the Protocol's newsletter (S19) and the worked flint was one of several such finds featured in the Autumn 2017 issue (S20).
P. Watkins (HES), 30 March 2016. Amended 17 November 2025.

September 2009. Off-shore Dredging.
Found on board CEMEX's Sand Falcon:
1 Palaeolithic mammoth tooth fragment.
1 ?Palaeolithic antler fragment, possibly from Megaloceros, the giant deer.
See Reporting Protocol annual report (S6) for further details. Discovery Report awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 November 2025.

Pre 13 January 2010. Off-shore Dredging.
Found at the Angerstein Wharf:
1 Palaeolithic animal bone. Elephant atlas.
See Discovery Report (S5) and reporting protocol annual report (S6) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 30 March 2016.

October 2010. Off-shore Dredging.
Found on board CEMEX's Sand Falcon:
1 ?Palaeolithic fossilised animal bone. The metatarsal (foot bone) of a red deer. No signs of butchery on the bone. See photograph (S7).
See Discovery Report (S7) and reporting protocol annual report (S8) for further details.
J. Page (HES), 14th January 2014.

October 2011. Off-shore Dredging.
Found on board the Sand Heron:
1 fossil bone. Probably an Ichthyosaur vertebrae. This species went extinct c. 90 million years BP.
3 ?Palaeolithic animal bones and 1 antler fragment. These have been tentatively identified as a horses tooth or beaver's cheek tooth, an unidentified bone fragment, the tibia of a large mammal and a piece of deer antler. These remains most likely date form the Palaeolithic.
See Discovery Report (S10) and reporting protocol annual report (S11) for further information.
J. Page (HES), 9 January 2014.

April 2012. Off-shore Dredging.
Found on board the Sand Heron:
1 undated animal bone. Identified as a horse metapodial (probably a metacarpal) of unknown date. There are no identifiable butchery marks. See photograph (S12).
See Discovery Report (S13) and reporting protocol annual report (S11) for further information.
J. Page (HES), 9 January 2014.

Pre 4 October 2013. Off-shore Dredging.
Found at Northfleet Wharf:
1 prehistoric potentially fossilised animal bone. The bone has been identified as a vertebra or the proximal end of a femur from a large animal. See photograph (S14).
See Discovery Report (S15) and reporting protocol annual report (S16) for further information.
J. Page (HES), 14 January 2014.

Pre 1 August 2023. Off-shore Dredging.
Found at Dagenham wharf:
2 undated unidentified wooden objects. Initially thought to be part of a ships timber and a treenail both objects are now believed to be naturally occurring pieces of wood.
See Discovery Report (S17) and reporting protocol annual report (S18) for further information.
P. Watkins (HES), 14 November 2025.