Record Details
| NHER Number: | 19899 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Multi-period finds |
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Summary
Mesolithic flints and 'pot boilers' were recovered during the fieldwalking undertaken as part of the Fenland Project in 1984. In 1997 this site was subject to an archaeological evaluation in advance of the construction of an agricultural reservoir. The area examined also included the adjacent site (NHER 32779). A metal-detector and fieldwalking survey recovered a range of prehistoric worked flints including a small assemblage of Mesolithic blades. There was also some evidence for Early Bronze Age activity with two possible Food Vessel sherds and a copper alloy flat axehead recovered. A single sherd of medieval pottery was also found. No archaeological significant features were revealed by the single evaluation trench excavated in this field. An examination of aerial photographs of this site did however identify two possible cropmark ring-ditches at the eastern end of the field (an area that was undisturbed by the construction of the reservoir).
Images - none
Location
Full description
9 January 1984. Fenland Project fieldwalking.
Former field, south boundary removed but taken as approximate limit of spread. Northern slope of island.
Site HCW AM (Context 1)
General scatter of occasional worked flints. Not closely datable.
Site HCW 17 (TL 6496 8651; Context 2)
Scatter of 'pot boilers' plus occasional worked flints on north slope large island. Densest in lowest northern part of scatter. Island at this point mainly sand in contrast to remainder more clayey, whilst lower parts scatter rest on sand with greater quantity of peat intermixed. Max dimension 50m x 30m at 0.91 to 1.22m OD. The flints recovered (2 flakes and 1 small patinated blade) are possibly Mesolithic.
For further details see project archive (S1) and final publication (S2).
R. Silvester (NAU) 10 January 1984. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 November 2013.
6-16 May 1997. Archaeological Evaluation.
Fieldwalking and trial trenching undertaken prior to construction of agricultural reservoir. The area examined also included the adjacent site (NHER 32779).
Fieldwalking finds included:
47 ?prehistoric burnt flints.
6 ?Mesolithic flint blades. This small group included a crested blade of certain Mesolithic date. All show evidence for battered/abraded platforms that are characteristic of Mesolithic material. Several of the blades had been retouched, including one which was serrated along both edges.
1 ?Early Bronze Age flint thumbnail scraper.
81 later prehistoric worked flints including 47 flakes (27 burnt), 14 retouched flakes, 1 scraper, 1 borer, flake knife and 3 spalls.
1 Bronze Age copper alloy flat axehead with herringbone pattern decoration. See illustration in (S3).
2 Bronze Age pottery sherds. From large thick-walled, grog-tempered vessel with impressed herringbone motif - Food Vessel?
1 medieval pottery sherd.
1 modern coin.
No features or deposits of archaeological significance were exposed by the single short evaluation trench excavated in this field.
An examination of aerial photographs of this site identified two circular cropmarks in the north-east corner of the field that may represent ring-ditches (AP 76 127 538).
See report (S3) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S4).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 November 2013.
Monument Types
- BURNT MOUND (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
- FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
- RING DITCH? (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC? to 42 AD?)
- FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
- FINDSPOT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
- FINDSPOT (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
- FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Associated Finds
- BURNT FLINT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
- LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
- POT BOILER (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
- POT BOILER (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
- BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
- BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC? to 4001 BC?)
- CRESTED BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
- FLAKE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC? to 4001 BC?)
- RETOUCHED BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
- BORER (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
- DEBITAGE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
- FLAKE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
- KNIFE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
- RETOUCHED FLAKE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
- SCRAPER (TOOL) (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
- SIDE SCRAPER (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
- FLAT AXEHEAD (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
- POT (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC? to 1501 BC?)
- THUMB NAIL SCRAPER (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC? to 1501 BC?)
- POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| <S1> | Archive: Fenland Folders. |
| <S2> | Monograph: Silvester, R. J. 1991. The Fenland Project, Number 4: The Wissey Embayment and the Fen Causeway, Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 52. |
| <S3> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Percival, S. 1997. Report on a fieldwalking/metal detector survey at Decoy Farm, Hockwold cum Wilton. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 254. |
| <S4> | Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 1998. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1997. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIII Pt I pp 193-210. p 199. |
Related records
| 32779 | Related to: Multi-period finds from Plantation Farm Reservoir (Monument) |
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