Record Details

NHER Number:2660
Type of record:Find Spot
Name:Bronze Age palstave (poorly located)

Summary

It is recorded that at least one Bronze Age palstave has been recovered from the parish of Swaffham. The exact date and location of this discovery are unclear.

Images - none

Location

Parish:SWAFFHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

Bronze axes from 'Swaffham'. The two bronze palstaves formerly under this county number, as noted on card by R. R. Clarke, are both in fact from Swaffham Fen, Cambridgshire including CUMAE 83.129 which is provenanced as Swaffham Norfolk in the National Bronze Implement Index but which is in fact labelled 'Swaffham Cambs. 1951' (information from Dr C. Shell). Also, all the bronzes listed by M. Rowlands in BAR 31 as Swaffham Norfolk, are either Swaffham Cambs or other provenances such as Ireland!

This county number therefore refers now solely to the note by R. R. Clarke.
'Bronze palstave from near Swaffham in Bulwer Coll. Drawings Case Xp (Crown Point)' and 'Dawson Turner Add Mss' untill it can be checked whether these drawings are the same as the above, or from Norfolk.
E. Rose (NAU), 30 July 1982.

A. Lawson confirms that, the Bulwer Collection drawings by Sandys, now in NCM Art Department is of an unlooped palstave marked Swaffham, with no other information. So this number now refers to this.
E. Rose (NAU), 17 December 1982.

However a card found after A. Lawson had left refers to a Sandys watercolour in Bulwer Coll. 1223.B117.235.951 of a haft-flanged axe, marked 'Swaffham'flint axe' and therefore of dubious provenance. Is this the same as illustration referred to above? - all other Bulwer drawings quoted on other cards have their numbers given.
E. Rose (NAU), 3 June 1983.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Finds

  • FLANGED AXEHEAD (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • PALSTAVE (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Bronze Age. Swaffham.

Related records - none

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