Record Details

NHER Number:15197
Type of record:Find Spot
Name:Concentration of Mesolithic worked flints, Neolithic worked flints and Roman pottery

Summary

Various objects recovered during fieldwalking including a possible Palaeolithic tool and a number of Mesolithic and Neolithic worked flints. This site is one of several locations on the margins of what was formerly Hockham Mere to have produced Mesolithic material. These finds, coupled with charcoal evidence recovered from the former lake sediments, strongly suggest this was an area of significant Mesolithic occupation. A scatter of Roman pottery was also identified.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TL 929 929
Map Sheet:TL99SW
Parish:HOCKHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

Earthwork features indentified on this site are recovered as NHER 54990.

1979. Fieldwalking.
Found by [1] on ploughed field to north of Square Covert:
1 ?Palaeolithic flint tool; poorly produced but definitely artefactual - probably some form of core tool.
1 Mesolithic flint core, 1 core rejuvenation flake, 13 flakes, 1 retouched piece and 1 'chunk'.
3 Mesolithic/Early Neolithic single-platform flint blade cores.
Several Neolithic flint flakes.
A thin scatter of Roman pottery was identified, also concentrated in the south-east corner of the field. Chiefly very small and abraded coarseware fragments, including eight cooking pot rims and one bowl rim. Two Samian sherds too small for Drag. Identification also present; one plain rim and one sherd with leaf motif flange.
Identified and compiled by A. J. Lawson (NAU), 15 October 1979. Information from (S1).
Discoveries also reported in (S2).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 19 April 2013.

Pre May 1981. Fieldwalking.
Further finds brought in [1] (who retained):
1 flint core fragment.
F. Healy (NAU), 29 May 1981. Information from (S1).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 19 April 2013.

1983.
In January 1983 a map was supplied by [1] showing the distribution of the finds that that been found at in the vicinity of Cranberry Rough prior to this date (S3). An accompanying letter stated that many of the finds had been given to the British Museum.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 18 April 2013.

Pre December 1992. Fieldwalking.
Found by [1] at [2]:
1 prehistoric retouched flint flake.
Donated to Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1998.407.16). Information from museum records. Probably identified by P. Robins (NCM).
P. Watkins (HES), 26 September 2014.

This site is one of several concentrations of Mesolithic flint that have now been identified along the margins of Hockham Mere (which was drained in the late 18th century), suggesting this area saw significant occupation at this time. This assertion is supported by the analysis of microscopic charcoal fragments recovered from the former lake sediments. At Hockham charcoal has been found throughout a series of deposits radiocarbon dated to 7500-3000 BC (S4). Sediments in nearby Quidenham Mere were found to be lacking corresponding concentrations of charcoal (S5), suggesting the fragments at Hockham were from adjacent small fires rather than forest fires (the other potential source of such material and one which would be expected to spread particles over a much greater distance). See also NHERs 8992, 15359, 25972 and 50311.
P. Watkins (HES), 18 April 2013.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 1000000 BC? to 40001 BC?)
  • FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC? to 42 AD?)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 10000 BC to 3001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
  • RETOUCHED FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • SCRAPER (TOOL) (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC? to 42 AD?)
  • CORE (Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 10000 BC to 3001 BC)
  • CORE (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • CORE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • DEBITAGE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FLAKE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • RETOUCHED FLAKE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FLAKE (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

<S1>Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
<S2>Article in Serial: 1981. Archaeological Discoveries for 1979. CBA Group VI Bulletin. No 26 pp 19-30. p 23.
<S3>Map: Finder's Map..
<S4>Article in Serial: Wymer, J. J. 1991. Mesolithic Occupation around Hockham Mere. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLI Pt II pp 212-213.
<S5>Article in Serial: Bennett, K. D., Simonson, W. D. and Peglar, S. M. 1990. Fire and Man in Post-Glacial Woodlands of Eastern England. Journal of Archaeological Science. Vol 17 pp 635-642.

Related records - none

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