Record Details

NHER Number:2030
Type of record:Monument
Name:Walsingham Early Saxon cremation cemetery

Summary

Old records suggest an Early Saxon cremation cemetery was excavated here in 1658. Over 100 cremation urns and many Early Saxon objects were recovered. The location of the site is uncertain, however, and it may overlap with NHER 2024. Metal detecting has recovered Roman, Late Saxon and medieval finds from the area thought to be the location of the cemetery.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:Not displayed
Map Sheet:TF93NW
Parish:WALSINGHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

1658.
Anglian cremation cemetery in a field. Forty to fifty urns. Charcoal, small boxes (?thread boxes), combs, bronze long brooches, tweezers, long brooches; clasps, opal etc, crystal beads. Not a 90cm (a yard) deep in dry and sandy soil. Location of site not now known. See Notes
R. R. Clarke (NCM).

(S1) says 'in a field at Old Walsingham'. Great Walsingham parish not Little Walsingham.
E. Rose (NLA).

Pot once in 'Tradescants Ark'. Nucleus of Ashmolean Collections (now at Ashmolean Museum) is perhaps from Walsingham. Probably from Norfolk in any case. In British Museum Townley Collection are two urns possibly from this site.
R. R. Clarke (NCM).

(S2) says 100 urns of ashes within three roods of ground.
E. Rose (NLA).

1989. Metal detecting. Within area enclosed by ink as NHER 2030 on (S3).
One samian decorated.
One Roman colour coated.
Three Roman greyware.
Two Thetford type jar rims.
Four bases Thetford type.
Eight medieval unglazed including bowl with circular depressions below square sectioned rim (form common in southeast Norfolk to northeast Suffolk).
Three glazed Grimston.
Late 14th to 15th century dagger chape, with leaf-shaped border, silvered copper alloy, see similar example in (S4).
Medieval stirrup shaped hasp, copper alloy.
Medieval repousse 'M' mount with leaf border above 'M', copper alloy.
Crudely engraved discoidal harness pendant, probably medieval, copper alloy
Identified by S. Margeson (NCM).
A. Rogerson (NAU), August 1989.

Monument Types

  • CEMETERY (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • CREMATION (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • CREMATION CEMETERY (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)

Associated Finds

  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BEAD (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • BOX (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • COMB (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • POT (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • SLEEVE CLASP (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • TWEEZERS (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • DRESS COMPONENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HARNESS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • LOCKING MECHANISM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Monograph: 1901. The Victoria History of Norfolk. The Victoria History of the Counties of England. Vol 1. p 331 /4.
---Publication: 1932. A Handbook of the Prehistoric Archaeology of Britain. pp 62, 64.
---Article in Monograph: Sainty, J. E. 1935. Norfolk Prehistory. Report of the Annual Meeting, 1935. Norwich, September 4-11. British Association for the Advancement of Science. Appendix pp 60-71. pp 70-71.
---Article in Serial: Clarke, R. R. 1940. Norfolk in the Dark Ages, 400-800 A.D., Part II. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXVII Pt II pp 215-249. pp 231-232.
---Monograph: Brown, G. B. 1915. Saxon Art and Industry in the Pagan Period. The Arts in Early England. Vol IV. pp 793-794.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 93 NW 5 [2].
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Douglas, J.. 1793. Nomina Britanica.. pp 131-177.
---Monograph: Fausett, B.. 1856. Inventorium Sepulchrale: an account of some antiquities in the county of Kent from AD 1757 to AD 1773.. p 1iy 2 map /3.
---Publication: Leeds, E. T.. 1913. The Archaeology of the Anglo-Saxon Settlements. p 38.
---Monograph: Collingwood, W.G. & Myers, J.N.L.. 1937. Roman Britain and the English Settlements.. p 484.
---Article in Serial: Leeds, E. T. 1933. The Early Saxon Penetration of the Upper Thames Area. Antiquaries Journal. Vol XIII No 3 pp 229-251. p 235.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Early Saxon. Walsingham (North).
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Article in Monograph: Browne, T., Sir.. 1862. Hydriotaphia: Urn-Burial, or A Discourse of the Sepulchral Urn Lately Found Lately in Norfolk [1658]. The Writings of Sir Thomas Browne. Evans, J..
<S2>Publication: Blome. 1673. Britannia. p 12.
<S3>Map: NCM. NCM Record Map.
<S4>Monograph: Margeson, S.. 1993. Norwich Households: Medieval and post-medieval finds from Norwich Survey Excavations 1971-1978.. East Anglian Archaeology. No 58. No 1856.

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