Record Details

NHER Number:8085
Type of record:Find Spot
Name:Unprovenanced ?Mesolithic, Neolithic and Middle Saxon finds, Hellesdon (Hellesdon, poorly located; Norwich, poorly located)

Summary

Various objects known to have been found during the late 19th century and early 20th century in what was then the area covered by Hellesdon parish, but with no additional information regarding provenance. These finds Mesolithic worked flints of unknown type; a range of Neolithic worked flints and a Middle Saxon silver coin.

Images - none

Location

Parish:HELLESDON, BROADLAND, NORFOLK
NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

Full description

Various objects known to have been found during the late 19th century and early 20th century in what was then the area covered by Hellesdon parish (a portion of which is now part of Norwich), but with no additional information regarding provenance.

FINDS IN THE NORWICH CASTLE MUSEUM

The Norwich Castle Museum holds two collections of worked flints that were found by W. G. Clarke during the early 20th century in what was then Hellesdon parish. This material is from locations that he had designated Site 24 and Site 29 (NWHCM : 1926.32.24; NWHCM : 1926.32.29). One of these sites is believed to be a location near that river where many worked flints were recovered by both Clarke and H. H. Halls (NHER 9527, now part of Norwich), although which is somewhat unclear. Although it is noted on (S1) that this was probably Site 29, the nature of the material held by the NCM suggests that this was probably Clarke's Site 24.

The location of Clarke's Site 29 is unknown, although it is recorded by the NCM as "lowest field barn". The flints themselves are listed simply as "Mesolithic flint implements". It should however be noted that almost all of the flints in the NCM's Mesolithic collections are from Clarke's Site 24.
Clarke's Site 24 was previously recorded under NHER 8099.

According to (S1) 1 large Neolithic scraper and 1 petit tranchet derivate arrowhead found by W. G. Clarke at his Site 29 were subsequently donated to the NCM by his son (R. R. Clarke), although these do not appear to be been accessioned. They are not amongst the various Neolithic implements from Hellesdon listed in (S9).
These two objects were previously recorded as NHER 8089.


FINDS IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM

According to (S1) the British Museum Sturge Collection includes a number of Neolithic worked flints from Hellesdon, including at least one scraper. It is possibly that these are also finds recovered by W. G. Clarke.
These finds were previously recorded as NHER 8086.

The British Museum also hold a silver Middle Saxon coin from Hellesdon that had been found in around 1846. This is a coin of Eadbert 'Praen' about 800 (796 to 798), moneyer Babba and is listed in (S2) and (S3). Information from (S4).
This find was previously recorded as NHER 8104.

OTHER FINDS

Before 1907. Stray Find.
According to (S5) Neolithic worked flints of "Boulder Clay Type" had been found in Hellesdon by W. G. Clarke at some time prior to 1907. This may be a reference to one (or both) of the two sites at which Clarke is known to have recovered prehistoric worked flints in Hellesdon - Site 24 (NHER 9527; NWHCM : 1926.32.24) and Site 29 (NWHCM : 1926.32.29; see above).

Hellesdon is also listed in (S5) as a location that had produced Neolithic worked flints of "Sandy Site Type". A reference to (S6) is given, suggesting that this entry relates to a Neolithic object (originally thought to be Palaeolithic) that was recovered at the Middleton Lane brickyard (NHER 8100).

Before 1907. Stray Find.
According to a note in W. G. Clarke's records (S7) Hellesdon is also a location in which "polished and igneous rock implements had been recovered during the early 20th century. Information from (S1). It is also listed as such in (S8), which records that these finds (or find) had been recovered by Clarke himself. The provenance of this material is not known, although, again, it is likely to have been one of Clarke's two principle sites in the parish.
Previously recorded as NHER 8087.

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 13 May 2013.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)

Associated Finds

  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • POLISHED AXEHEAD? (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • SCRAPER (TOOL) (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • SCRAPER (TOOL) (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • TRANSVERSE ARROWHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • COIN (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. NHERs 8085, 8089 and 8104.
<S1>Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Neolithic. Hellesdon.
<S2>Publication: British Museum Anglo-Saxon Catalogue. p.67 no.2.
<S3>Serial: 1956. British Numismatic Journal. Vol XXVIII. pp 244, 39,.
<S4>Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Late Saxon.
<S5>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. pp 398, 401.
<S6>Article in Serial: Harmer, F. W. 1894. On the Age of a Flint Implement Recently found at Hellesdon. Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists Society. Vol V Pt 5 (for 1893-94) pp 569-573.
<S7>Publication: Clarke, W.G.. 1922. Ms note.
<S8>Article in Serial: Clarke, W. G. 1919. The Distribution of Flint and Bronze Implements in Norfolk. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia. Vol III Pt I (for 1918-19) pp 147-149. p 149.
<S9>Thesis: Healy, F. 1978. The Neolithic in Norfolk.

Related records - none

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