Record Details

NHER Number:6358
Type of record:Find Spot
Name:Unprovenanced Palaeolithic handaxes and other worked flints, foreshore, West Runton (Runton, poorly located)

Summary

Poorly provenanced Palaeolithic worked flints known to have been recovered in the West Runton area during the late 19th century and early 20th century. The majority were probably recovered on the foreshore or close to the cliffs. The most convincing objects include at least three handaxes, a scraper and a flake. See NHER 6355 for information on the more dubious flints recovered on the West Runton foreshore.

Images - none

Location

Parish:RUNTON, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Various Palaeolithic objects known to have been recovered in the West Runton area during the late 19th century and early 20th century, but with limited additional information regarding provenance. It appears that the majority of these objects were probably recovered from either the beach or the foreshore. This record details the most convincing specimens, see NHER 6355 for information on the more dubious flints recovered on the West Runton foreshore.

REPORTED DISCOVERIES

1878. Stray Find.
Found by A. C. Savin in glacial gravel above freshwater bed:
1 Palaeolithic Late Acheulian flint handaxe. Information from (S1).
This handaxe was first reported in (S2), in which it is described as "fine well-wrought ovate implement". It was apparently found in situ, 12 feet [3.65m] from the surface, above a black freshwater bed, within the gravel deposits that filled what "...appears to be the channel of an old river". This object was later noted in (S3), (S4), (S5) and was subsequently illustrated in (S6), (S7) and (S15). It is recorded in (S6) that Savin made his discovery "a few hundred yards south-eastward of West Runton Gap". West Runton Gap is at TG 185 432. The object itself is described in (S6) as "…almost unabraded…[and]…brownish-coffee colour…fashioned by blows removing somewhat large and broad flakes. It is also figured in (S7). J. E. Sainty, writing in 1946, suggested this was the first recognised Palaeolithic handaxe to be found in Norfolk (S8), although this would appear to be one found in South Wootton (NHER 14416). There has been disagreement regarding the probable age of the gravel-filled channel, although Wymer (S9) has argued that its proximity to the surface "…suggests it post-dates the Anglian glacial deposits in the vicinity". It should be noted that in (S9) Wymer appears to have confused West Runton Gap and East Runton Gap.
This handaxe is also noted on (S16) and in (S10) and (S11), although no additional information is given.

This handaxe is noted in Savin's catalogue, which is held by the Gentlemen's Society of Spalding Museum, along with a significant part of his collection. The handaxe itself has however now been identified in the collections of the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1962.581). It was formerly held by the Ipswich Museum. The museum's records list this object as having been found at the "Roman Camp pit", which would appear to be an error. Although the exact location of this pit is unknown it was almost certainly some distance inland (see NHER 6356) and therefore inconsistent with the documented provenance of this object.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 July 2014.

1880-1897. Stray Find.
Found by J. Evans:
1 Palaeolithic flint flake. In (S2) Evan's described having found a "…a large ochreous flake, apparently Palaeolithic" on the sea-shore below where A. C. Savin's handaxe had been recovered...". Evans recorded that he gave this flake to Savin. It was subsequently seen by J. Reid Moir and described in (S15) as "…of the same kind, both in technique and colour, as those found at the foreshore workshop site at Cromer". This find is also noted on (S16) and in (S9).
P. Watkins (HES), 16 July 2014.

1922. Stray Find.
In (S12) J. Reid Moir reported that G. Maynard (curator of Ipswich Museum) had found a Palaeolithic implement in the deposit in which Savin's handaxe had been found (see above). This was described as "…an ovate specimen referable to the end of Acheulean time…". This possible handaxe is noted in (S9).
P. Watkins (HES), 16 July 2014.

Pre 1929. Stray Find.
In (S13) J. Reid Moir reported a "steep-faced" Palaeolithic scraper that had been found by J. E. Sainty within glacial gravel "on the surface of the Contorted Drift" at West Runton. Wymer (S9) regarded this as much more convincing than many of the objects published by Moir around this time, "…being slightly rolled and stained". According to Wymer this object is a scraper now held by the Norwich Castle Museum (most likely NWHCM : 1959.49 which is recorded as having been found by Sainty). This object is probably the retouched flake/flake implement from West Runton listed in (S14). This scraper is also noted on (S16), which has a small sketch of the object (presumably copied from Moir's article).
Previously recorded under NHER 6355.

OTHER FINDS

The Norwich Castle Museum holds an unprovenanced small Palaeolithic ovate flint handaxe from West Runton (NWHCM : 1963.261.3). This object is on long loan from the Gunnersbury Park Museum. No details are recorded regarding when or where it was found, although it is clearly marked as being from West Runton.

P. Watkins (HES), 16 July 2014.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 1000000 BC to 40001 BC)

Associated Finds

  • FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
  • HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
  • HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
  • HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
  • SCRAPER (TOOL) (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
<S1>Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Palaeolithic.
<S2>Publication: Evans, J. 1897. The Ancient Stone Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain. 2nd Edition. p 572.
<S3>Publication: Miller, S. H. and Skertchley, S. B. J. 1878. The Fenland Past and Present. p 536.
<S4>Monograph: Reid, C. 1882. The Geology of the Country around Cromer. Memoirs of the British Geological Survey of England and Wales. Explanation of Sheet 68 E.
<S5>Article in Serial: Moir, J. Reid. 1920. A Series of Humanly-Fashioned Flints found in the Cliffs and on the Shore at Mundesley, Norfolk. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia. Vol III Pt II (for 1919-20) pp 219-243.
<S6>Article in Serial: Moir, J. Reid. 1922. An Early Palaeolithic Flint Implement from West Runton, Norfolk. MAN. Vol XXII March pp 34-36.
<S7>Publication: Wright, W. B. 1939. Tools and the Man.
<S8>Article in Serial: Sainty, J. E. and Clarke, R. R. 1946. A Century of Norfolk Prehistory. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXIX pp 8-40.
<S9>Publication: Wymer, J. J. 1985. Palaeolithic Sites of East Anglia. pp 23-25.
<S10>Unpublished Contractor Report: 1997. The English Rivers Palaeolithic Project. Regions 8 (East Anglian Rivers) and 11 (Trent Drainage). Wessex Archaeology. CR-2, No.12c.
<S11>Website: TERPS online database. Site 22500.
<S12>Publication: Moir, J. Reid. 1927. The Antiquity of Man in East Anglia. pp 64-65.
<S13>Article in Serial: Moir, J. Reid. 1929. Some hitherto unpublished Implements. Antiquaries Journal. Vol IX pp 8-12. p 8; Fig 2.
<S14>Monograph: Roe, D. A. 1968. A Gazetteer of British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Sites. CBA Research Report. No 8. p 242.
<S15>Publication: Moir, J. Reid. 1927. The Antiquity of Man in East Anglia. p 65; Fig 29.
<S16>Record Card: Wymer, J. J. Wymer Index Card - Palaeolithic. Runton (West Runton).

Related records - none

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