MESOLITHIC PORTLAND
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Since the late 1950's Susann Palmer (see Contacts and Bibliography) has undertaken an extensive search of the whole Isle of Portland and recorded all known finds of archaeological interest. Although Mesolithic artefacts were found over most of Portland, at least thirty concentrations have been found, most of them in the southern part of the Island. Mesolithic people probably preferred to live and work near the southern cliffs as that is where the best exposures of chert is for making tools as well as fairly easy access to the sea-shore for the collecting of food. It is likely that many of these sites were merely so-called activity areas, i.e areas where mesolithic people carried out some or other activity, such as collecting food, making tools or merely camping for a night or two. On three of these sites, the presence of numerous shells and artefacts indicated habitation sites where people may have actually lived. These three sites includes the Culverwell site and the area next to the Old Lower Lighthouse, now the Bird Observatory, both of which have been excavated. For various reasons it has not yet been possible to excavate the third site.
The site by the Bird Observatory (known as Site 1) has yielded a very large quantity of artefacts, very similar to those found at Culverwell, except that most of the microliths from there were a simple type with retouch only down a part of one side, instead of the triangles which were numerous at Culverwell. At Site 1 areas were also found with flat limestone slabs laid down on the natural loamy clay and in some places shell midden material also covered the slabs. At one place very fragmented human bones were found within a semi-circular feature formed by stones, but it was not possible, at the time, to research this feature further as it was found within the last hour before the site had to be closed down in accordance with the wish of the owners.
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