Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

1977-1980. Fieldwalking.
Site first examined in 1977 when a dense scatter of Mesolithic worked flint was identified. These flints included several dozen small fine blades, at least one micro-burin, and a crude Mesolithic axe.
Information from (S1) (apparently taken from NCM record card, although this could not be located). These discoveries were reported in (S2).

The site was subsequently subject to fieldwalking on 10 occassions between 1977-1980 (c. 60 hours of fieldwalking). This work recovered a very large number of worked flints and 1 medieval pottery sherd (unglazed). A significant proportion of the flints were donated to the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1983.325), although one of the finders retained "about 5% of the flints", including "the smallest and best pieces". The flints donated to the museum were initially identified as predominantly crude Neolithic/Bronze Age surface material by E. Rose (NLA) in January 1982. They were subsequently examined by F. Healy (NLA) and listed as comprising 1 hammerstone, 19 blade cores, 10 flake cores, 2 blade and flake cores, 413 flakes, 82 blades, 38 retouched/edge-damaged pieces, 22 scrapers, 6 'notches', 4 borers and 37 miscellaneous retouched pieces. The small size of the blade cores and blades suggests they may be Mesolithic, while the bulk of the collection is probably Late Neolithic or Bronze Age. That this is not a single-period assemblage is indicated by the fact that some of the pieces are made on patinated, already worked artefacts. See list and short report in file.

It appears that the most of the Mesolithic pieces originally seen by the NCM were retained by the finder, although Healy apparently felt that the 'microburin' and the 'axe' may actually be a fortuitously broken blade and a large miscellaneous piece in the museum's collection.
Compiled by E. Rose (NAU), 22 January 1982. Information from (S1).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 9 May 2014.

Pre June 1986. Fieldwalking.
Additional material collected during fieldwalking:
1 core, 21 blades or microblades, 42 flakes, 1 'microlith' backed on distal end of microblade, 1 microburin, 2 flaked axeheads, 1 rough waisted 'axe' and 3 scrapers. These are all Mesolithic with the exception of the waisted piece, which is in a slightly different condition to the rest.
These finds were also noted to the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1983.325).
Identified and compiled by J. J. Wymer (NAU), June 1986. Information from (S1). These discoveries were reported in (S3).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 9 May 2014.

Cropmarks previously recorded under this number now recorded under NHER 50599.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 25 October 2007.

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• LITHIC WORKING SITE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• LITHIC WORKING SITE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

• BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• BLADE CORE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• BLADE CORE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• FLAKE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• FLAKED AXEHEAD (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• FLAKED AXEHEAD? (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• MICROBURIN (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• MICROBURIN? (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• MICROLITH (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• SCRAPER (TOOL) (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• BORER (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 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)
• HAMMERSTONE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• NOTCHED FLAKE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
• 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 (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Rackheath (Parish Summary)