Record Details

NHER Number:10510
Type of record:Monument
Name:Possible Roman and medieval settlement sites and multi-period finds

Summary

A Neolithic polished axehead was found here in 1950. Fieldwalking as part of the Hales Survey recovered undatable prehistoric, Mesolithic and Neolithic/Bronze Age worked flints; Roman, Middle Saxon, Late Saxon, medieval, medieval/post-medieval and post-medieval pottery sherds; a Roman tile and a lava quern fragment. The concentration of material here suggests this was an area of Roman and medieval settlement.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TM 381 981
Map Sheet:TM39NE
Parish:HECKINGHAM, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

1950. Stray Find.
Found by [1] at approximately [2] (Context 9, general area of Hales Survey Site 12, see below):
1 Neolithic polished axehead of grey Lincolnshire flint. Donated to Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1950.107). Information from (S1).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 February 2014.

1985. Systematic fieldwalking. Hales Survey.

Found at Heckingham Site 6 (Context 1 at [3]):
1 Neolithic/Bronze Age flint core, 2 scrapers and 5 flakes (some with slight retouch).
4 Late Saxon pottery sherds (Thetford-type).
20 medieval pottery sherds (unglazed, including some Thetford-type?).
14 post-medieval pottery sherds (including v. late stoneware).

Found at Heckingham Site 5 (Context 2 at [4]):
1 undatable prehistoric discoidal flint core.
6 Roman pottery sherds (including greyware and Samian).
1 Middle Saxon pottery sherd (pimply Ipswich Ware).
4 medieval pottery sherds (unglazed).
14 post-medieval pottery sherds.

Found at Heckingham Site 7 (Context 3 at [5]):
3 undatable prehistoric retouched flakes (1 on thermal flake), 2 small cores and 3 flakes.
11 Roman pottery sherds (including amphora and greyware).
17 medieval pottery sherds (unglazed and glazed).
2 medieval/post-medieval pottery sherds (LMT).
9 post-medieval pottery sherds.
1 ?post-medieval flint ?strike-a-light.

Found at Heckingham Site 8 (Context 4 at [6]):
1 undatable prehistoric retouched flint flake and 7 flakes.
1 Mesolithic flint notched microblade.
1 Neolithic/Bronze Age small, crude flint core and 5 flakes.
15 Roman pottery sherds (including Samian, oxidised and greyware).
1 Middle Saxon pottery sherd (pimply Ipswich Ware).
8 Late Saxon pottery sherds (Thetford-type ware).
52 medieval pottery sherds (including glazed and unglazed).
49 post-medieval pottery sherds.
1 undatable pottery sherd (possibly post-medieval?).

Found at Heckingham Site 9 (Context 5 at [7]):
3 ?Late Saxon pottery sherds (?Thetford-type).
8 medieval pottery sherd (unglazed).
1 medieval/post-medieval pottery sherd (LMT).
5 post-medieval pottery sherds (Glazed Red Earthenware).
1 undatable pottery sherd (oxidised).

Found Heckingham Site 10 (Context 6 at [8]):
4 Roman pottery sherds (greyware).
1 Roman to medieval lava quern fragment.
1 Middle Saxon pottery sherd (pimply Ipswich Ware).
51 medieval pottery sherds (including glazed and unglazed, some possibly Roman or Late Saxon).
6 medieval/post-medieval pottery sherds (LMT).
15 post-medieval pottery sherds.

Found at Heckingham Site 11 (Context 7 at [9]):
1 Neolithic/Bronze Age flint core, 1 natural flake retouched as scraper and 4 flakes.
1 Roman pottery sherd (greyware).
2 ?Roman pottery sherds (?greyware).
1 Late Saxon pottery sherd (Thetford-type).
84 medieval pottery sherds (unglazed).
18 medieval/post-medieval (including late medieval glazed and LMT).
26 post-medieval pottery sherds.

Found at Heckingham Site 11A (Context 8 at [10]):
1 undatable flint flake (possibly from recent roadmaking).
1 Roman pottery sherd (oxidised).
3 Late Saxon pottery sherds (Thetford-type).
15 medieval pottery sherds (including unglazed and stoneware).
1 medieval/post-medieval pottery sherd (LMT).
10 post-medieval pottery sherds.

Found at Heckingham Site 12A (Context 10):
6 Roman pottery sherds (greyware).
10 medieval pottery sherds (including glazed and unglazed).
7 post-medieval pottery sherds.

Found at Heckingham Site 12B (Context 11):
5 Late Saxon pottery sherds (Thetford-type).
16 medieval pottery sherds (including glazed and unglazed).
5 medieval/post-medieval pottery sherds (LMT).
9 post-medieval pottery sherds.

Found at Heckingham Site 12C (Context 12):
1 ?Late Prehistoric pottery sherd (gritty).
15 Roman pottery sherds (greyware).
54 medieval pottery sherds (including Dutch and unglazed).
11 medieval/post-medieval pottery sherds (including Late Medieval glazed and LMT).
11 post-medieval pottery sherds.

Found at Heckingham Site 12D (Context 13):
1 undatable prehistoric retouched flint flake and 1 crude core used as hammerstone.
1 ?Mesolithic micro-core.
1 Late Prehistoric pottery sherd (gritty scrap).
103 Roman pottery sherds (including oxidised, Samian and greyware) and 1 tegula.
15 medieval pottery sherds (unglazed).
10 medieval/post-medieval pottery sherds (LMT).
7 post-medieval pottery sherds.

Found at Heckingham Site 12E (Context 14):
1 Neolithic/Bronze Age retouched thermal flint flake and 1 flake.
1 undatable Late Prehistoric pottery sherd.
75 Roman pottery sherds (including mortarium, Samian, oxidised and greyware).
31 medieval pottery sherds (unglazed).
12 medieval/post-medieval pottery sherds (LMT).
12 post-medieval pottery sherds.
1 undatable pottery sherd (unglazed ?handle).

Found at Heckingham Site 12F (Context 15):
1 undatable prehistoric flint borer, 1 blade and 5 flakes.
113 Roman pottery sherds (including Samian, Spanish globular amphora, East Anglian mortarium, oxidised and greyware).
1 Late Saxon pottery sherd (Thetford-type).
24 medieval pottery sherds (unglazed).
5 medieval/post-medieval pottery sherds (LMT).
9 post-medieval pottery sherds.

See finders notes (S2) and lists in file.
A selection of the finds from this site were donated to the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1998.378.1).

The results of this work are discussed in (S3). The area of Sites 12C-12F is suggested as the probable site of a Roman settlement, with the pottery recovered consistent with a peak in activity during the 3rd century. The area of Sites 10, 11 and 12B-E is interpreted as a medieval settlement, now partly concealed by farm buildings and sown grass.
E. Rose (NLA), 14 February 1991 and M. Dennis (NLA), 1 February 2006. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 February 2014.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • FLAKE (Unknown date)
  • POT (Unknown date)
  • BLADE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • BORER (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • CORE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • HAMMERSTONE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • RETOUCHED FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • BLADE CORE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC? to 4001 BC?)
  • NOTCHED BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • CORE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
  • FLAKE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
  • POLISHED AXEHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • POT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
  • POT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC? to 42 AD?)
  • RETOUCHED FLAKE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
  • SCRAPER (TOOL) (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
  • QUERN (Roman to Medieval - 43 AD to 1539 AD)
  • TEGULA (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD? to 1065 AD?)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • STRIKE A LIGHT? (Post Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1900 AD?)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---*Fieldwork: Hales Survey. 10. Hales.
---*Fieldwork: Hales Survey. 11. Hales.
---*Fieldwork: Hales Survey. 12. Hales.
---*Fieldwork: Hales Survey. 5. Hales.
---*Fieldwork: Hales Survey. 6. Hales.
---*Fieldwork: Hales Survey. 7. Hales.
---*Fieldwork: Hales Survey. 8. Hales.
---*Fieldwork: Hales Survey. 9. Hales.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TM 39 NE 5.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Neolithic. Heckingham.
<S2>Monograph: Davison, A.. 1990. The Evolution of Settlement in Three Parishes in South-East Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. Vol 49.
<S3>Unpublished Document: Hales Survey. Hales Survey fieldwalking notes.

Related records - none

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