Record Details
| NHER Number: | 9580 |
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| Type of record: | Find Spot |
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| Name: | Mesolithic flint microlith |
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Summary
A Mesolithic flint microlith was recovered from a gravel pit here in 1909. This pit is also the probable location of a minor excavation undertaken by J. E. Sainty in 1928 (previously recorded under NHER 9775).
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 2330 0539 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG20NW |
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| Parish: | CAISTOR ST EDMUND, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Site of former gravel pit (incorrectly marked as the site of Markshall Church on early O.S maps). Probably close to where a potentially Palaeolithic flint 'ovate' was found by H. B. Howard during the late 19th century (NHER 9776).
1909. Stray Find.
Found by F. N. Haward in gravel pit adjacent to Bridewell Meadow (9-12" [23-30cm] from the surface):
1 Mesolithic flint microlithic. This find is noted in (S1) and described in (S2) as a "...grey patinated microlith of Tardeoisian facies of [Clarke's] type D.I.b. iv". Information from (S3). Findspot marked in (S2).
According to (S2) this find was donated to the Norwich Castle Museum by W. G. Clarke, although its present whereabouts are not entirely clear. The accession number listed in (S2) (NWHCM : 1924.86) relates to a number of predominatly Mesolithic (or potentially Mesolithic) worked flints that were found in various parishes, including Mattishall, Hellesdon and Hockham. Although listed as donated by a G. H. Gurney it appears that these were all objects found by W. G. Clarke. Although this find is noted in (S4) this is only a reference to (S1) - the object itself was not located. A description of this object does however appear in (S5), suggesting that it was located by R. Jacobi (presumably in the collection listed).
1928. Excavation.
This pit is the most likely location of a minor excavation undertaken by J. E. Sainty in 1928. This excavation was part of a wider programme of work to investigate the Norwich Crag deposits and the potentially implementiferous gravels at their base.
According to a short note in (S6) this work took place in "…an open pit in a small knoll, below the 50-foot [15m] contour, overlooking the flood plain of the Yare". Although this excavation was previously recorded under NHER 9775, there is no evidence that a quarry of any kind was open at that location.
A trial hole was excavated in the floor of the pit to a depth of approximately 6' [18m], at which point the water table was encountered, preventing further work. The deposits exposed were alternate layers of sand and gravel. No artefacts were recovered.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 31 March 2014.
Monument Types
- FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
Associated Finds
- MICROLITH (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 20 NW 156. |
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| <S1> | 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. |
| <S2> | Article in Serial: Clarke, R. R. 1935. Notes on the Archaeology of Markshall. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXV Pt III pp 354-367. p 355, map. |
| <S3> | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Mesolithic. |
| <S4> | Monograph: Wymer, J. J. and Bonsall, C. J. (eds). 1977. Gazetteer of Mesolithic Sites in England and Wales with a Gazetteer of Upper Palaeolithic Sites in England and Wales. Council for British Archaeology Research Report. No. 20. p 205. |
| <S5> | Archive: R. Jacobi. -. Jacobi Archive. 10294. |
| <S6> | Article in Serial: Sainty, J. E. 1929. The Problems of the Crag. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia. Vol VI Pt II (for 1929) pp 57-75. pp 58-59. |
Related records - none
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