The Waite Nuneaton Private Collection

The Waite Project constitutes a record of potentially-Palaeolithic lithic surface finds from the Nuneaon area retrieved in fieldwalking by Mr Ron Waite of Nuneaton over many decades, and kept in his own private collection between 2005 and 2008. These finds have been important in emphasising the surprising density of the Palaeolithic occupation of this region, and the extensive and continuing use of quartzite raw material to supplement the often limited and poor quality flint, first transported into the area by the Anglian ice in MIS 12. The Project material probably postdates this glaciation and may predate MIS 6, when Britain seems to have been unoccupied until MIS 3, when Neanderthal people returning to the region continued to use quartzite for their tools. Mr Waite's private collection comprised over 400 items, which he made available to Anne Graf, the creator of the dataset, for study and recording between 2005 and 2008. This dataset catalogues the collection as of that period, predominantly of quartzite raw material, with some flint and a few andesitic pieces.