Record Details

NHER Number:3018
Type of record:Find Spot
Name:Mesolithic lithic working site and later prehistoric worked flints

Summary

In 1915 a dense scatter of prehistoric worked and burnt flints was identified at this site by J. E. Sainty. Subsequently fieldwalking resulted in the recovery of at least 200 worked flints, including flakes, cores, scrapers and a number of other implements. It appears that this assemblage was most likely a mix of Mesolithic and Neolithic material. The flints of probable Mesolithic date included a microlith, at least two tranchet axes and a number of blades. The Neolithic material included a possible laurel leaf and two polished axehead fragments. A small selection of these finds were subsequently donated to the Norwich Castle Museum. It is possible that a number of Mesolithic flints from Sparham in other NCM collections were also found at this site (see NHER 3019 for further details).

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 0778 1819
Map Sheet:TG01NE
Parish:SPARHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

1915-1916. Fieldwalking.
In 1915 a significant number of prehistoric worked flints were recovered by J. E. Sainty from a site near the River Wensum at Sparham. A scatter of worked and burnt flints was first noted following ploughing, which prompted a more systematic search. A second visit was made to the site in April 1916. This work succeeded in identifying the extent of this scatter and the results were briefly published soon after (S1).

Although Sainty did not publish a plan, the location of his site can be established reasonably accurately from the information in his article. The site is described as lying on ploughed land bordering the alluvium of the River Wensum, east of, and adjacent to Sparham Heath (an area subsequently quarried and now known as Sparham Pools). It should be noted that the mapped extent of this record is however only an approximation of the likely extent of Sainty's site.

Sainty recovered approximately 200 worked flints and it appears that at least a proportion were what would now be identified as Mesolithic; a period that was not recognised when he first published his work. The site was first listed as Mesolithic in (S2), and later by Sainty himself, who made brief mention of the finds he recovered here in (S3) and (S4).

The original published article remains the best description of this assemblage, although much of the terminology employed is now somewhat archaic. A range of tools are mentioned, including three "well-worked" flaked axeheads, one of which is described as terminating in an oblique flake and is therefore probably a Mesolithic tranchet axe. The assemblage may also include at least one microlith, with one flint being described as a "..well-chipped pygmy of reverse type…". One flint is described as a borer. Twenty-six scrapers were also found, including fourteen end scrapers, two side scrapers and seven side-and-end scrapers. It is clear that a significant proportion of the flints were cores (described as 'cones'), of which the majority appear to have been single-platform blade cores. Over 100 flakes were also recovered, of which 60% were "distinctly long" and presumably what would now be classified as blades. Several are described as "plunging flakes". The article also describes several "square-ended" retouched flakes, although these may simply be flakes struck from cores with prepared platforms. It was noted that many of the flints recovered showed signs of having been burnt.

At least some of the flints recovered from the site were clearly of later prehistoric date, including a polished axehead fragment and a small bifacially-worked point described as a "willow leaf"; both are almost certainly Neolithic. It is possible that some of the cruder cores, flakes and scrapers were also associated with a post-Mesolithic industry. These potentially later finds are noted in (S8).

Sainty donated a small number of the finds from this site to the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1959.61). The museum records this collection as including one or more Mesolithic tranchet axeheads and a "hache-burin" and a Neolithic flint axehead. These finds were examined by R. Jacobi who identified 2 complete tranchet axe/adzes, 1 fragmentary tranchet axe/adze (reused as core and probably the "hache-burin" listed in the museum's records) and a polished axehead fragment (S5). These presumably include the 2 tranchet axes listed as being from this site in (S6). A number of other Mesolithic finds in the NCM are listed in (S6) as being from this site, including 6 cores, 7 flakes/blades and 1 scraper. It is however clear from Jacobi's records that these finds are amongst material collected by W. G. Clarke (NWHCM : 1926.32.64) and T.F. Newnam (NWHCM : 1950.114.5). These collections are listed on (S7) as being associated with Sainty's site and while these finds may have indeed been recovered here there is no direct evidence that this was the case. These finds are therefore now detailed with the other poorly provenanced finds from Sparham under NHER 3019.

The Norwich Castle Museum's H. Apling collection also includes a small number of worked flints that were recovered at this site by Sainty (NWHCM : 1977.124.62). These are recorded by the museum as comprising 1 Neolithic polished flint axehead fragment, 1 core, 1 scraper, 1 borer and 1 leaf-shaped point. These clearly include at least some of the pieces described in (S1). The leaf-shaped point (identified as an Early Neolithic laurel leaf) and the axehead fragment are noted in (S8).
The Apling finds were previously recorded under NHER 14885.

Pre 1947. Stray Find.
At some time between 1926 and 1947 Sainty recovered a "fine" Mesolithic adze during a visit to this area. This object was found "…a hundred yards from the main site". Information from (S4). It is not clear whether this adze is one of the three potentially Mesolithic core tools amongst the material that was subsequently donated to the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1959.61).

ADDENDUM

The discoveries made during a much more recent programme of archaeological work in this area are now recorded separately under NHER 58761. As noted above finds recovered in Sparham by W. G. Clarke and T. F. Newman are now recorded under NHER 3019.

This record previously also detailed a number of finds that Sainty had recovered from a sand pit near the RIver Wensum (S1). Although the pit was clearly located somewhere in this general area, it was almost certainly not on this site. These finds are now recorded separately under NHER 59627.

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 22 August 2013.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • LITHIC WORKING SITE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)

Associated Finds

  • BURNT FLINT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC? to 42 AD?)
  • BLADE (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC? to 2351 BC)
  • BLADE CORE (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC? to 2351 BC)
  • BORER (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC? to 2351 BC)
  • CORE (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC? to 2351 BC)
  • END SCRAPER (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC? to 2351 BC)
  • FLAKE (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC? to 2351 BC)
  • FLAKED AXEHEAD (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • MICROLITH? (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • RETOUCHED FLAKE? (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC? to 2351 BC)
  • SCRAPER (TOOL) (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC? to 2351 BC)
  • SCRAPER (TOOL) (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC? to 2351 BC)
  • SIDE AND END SCRAPER (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC? to 2351 BC)
  • SIDE SCRAPER (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC? to 2351 BC)
  • TRANCHET AXEHEAD (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • TRANCHET AXEHEAD? (Mesolithic - 10000 BC? to 4001 BC?)
  • LAUREL LEAF (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)
  • POLISHED AXEHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • POLISHED AXEHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Neolithic. Sparham.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Bronze Age. Sparham.
<S1>Article in Serial: Sainty, J. E. 1916. Cone Cultures in the Wensum Valley. B: Sparham and Lyng. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia. Vol II Pt II (for 1915-16) pp 203-209. pp 203-208; Fig 19B.
<S2>Publication: Clark, J. G. D. 1932. The Mesolithic Age in Britain. p 58.
<S3>Article in Monograph: Sainty, J. E. 1935. Norfolk Prehistory. British Association for the Advancement of Science. Report of the Annual Meeting, 1935. Norwich, September 4-11. British Association for the Advancement of Science. Appendix pp 60-71. p 65.
<S4>Article in Serial: Sainty, J. E. 1945. Mesolithic Sites in Norfolk. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXVIII Pt IV pp 234-237. p 235.
<S5>Archive: R. Jacobi. -. Jacobi Archive. 10358; 10361.
<S6>Monograph: Wymer, J. J. and Bonsall, C. J. (eds). 1977. Gazetteer of Mesolithic Sites in England and Wales with a Gazetteer of Upper Palaeolithic Sites in England and Wales. Council for British Archaeology Research Report. No. 20. p 213.
<S7>Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Mesolithic. Sparham.
<S8>Thesis: Healy, F. 1978. The Neolithic in Norfolk. pp 626-627, 636.

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