Record Details
| NHER Number: | 6578 |
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| Type of record: | Find Spot |
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| Name: | Unprovenanced ?Mesolithic and Neolithic flint implements, near site of St Helen's Church (East Beckham, poorly located) |
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Summary
Between 1886 and 1934 three prehistoric flint implements were found in the vicinity of the ruins of St Helen's Church. These finds are now held by the Norwich Castle Museum and include a potentially Mesolithic axehead and two Neolithic axeheads.
Images - none
Location
Full description
Late 19th century/early 20th century. Stray Find.
The Norwich Castle Museum's Cox-Barclay Collection (NWHCM : 1935.57) includes several flint implements that were found in East Beckham "near old church ruins". These objects were probably found in the vicinity of the ruins of St Helen's Church (NHER 6631; TG 155 398) and are listed by (S1) as follows:
(i) Chipped axe. Dimensions 4 1/2 inches [11.5cm] by 1 1/2 inches [3.8cm]. Later identified as potentially Mesolithic by R. Jacobi.
(ii) Grey chipped flint axe. Dimensions 5 1/2 inches [14cm] by 1 1/2 inches [3.8cm]. Found 1 June 1886.
(iii) Thin chipped grey flint axe possibly reworked from polished one. Dimensions 4 3/4 inches [12cm] by 1 3/4 inches [4.5cm]. Found 17 April 1913.
It is noted by (S1) that these objects were held by F. H. Barclay in 1934 but had previously been in the possession of J. Cox (the headmaster of Gresham School).
These finds are probably the reason that East Beckham was listed in (S2) as one of the locations that had produced Neolithic implements of "Sandy Site type" prior to 1907 (J. Cox of Gresham being recorded as the finder). These may also be some of the objects that Cox had exhibited at meetings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia (S3) (S4).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 8 October 2014.
Monument Types
- FINDSPOT (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC to 2351 BC?)
- FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
Associated Finds
- FLAKED AXEHEAD (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC to 2351 BC?)
- FLAKED 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. |
| <S1> | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Neolithic. Beckham (East). |
| <S2> | Article in Serial: Clarke, W. G. 1907. The Distribution of Flint and Bronze Implements in Norfolk. Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society. Vol VIII Pt III (for 1906-1907) pp 393-409. p 400. |
| <S3> | Article in Serial: 1911. Summary of Proceedings. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia. Vol I Pt I (for 1909-1910) pp 109-121. p 118. |
| <S4> | Article in Serial: 1914. Summary of Proceedings. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia. Vol I Pt IV (for 1913-14) pp 485-491. p 490. |
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