Record Details
| NHER Number: | 4596 |
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| Type of record: | Find Spot |
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| Name: | At least one prehistoric pebble mace, Cotes Common |
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Summary
At some time prior to 1851 a prehistoric quartzite pebble mace was found on 'Cotes Common', in what was then the parish of Sporle. The date of this object is uncertain as maces of this type have been found in both Mesolithic and later prehistoric contexts. Around the same time an unfinished pebble mace with an incomplete perforation was also found in Sporle, possibly in roughly the same area.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 860 081 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF80NE |
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| Parish: | SPORLE WITH PALGRAVE, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Pre 1851. Stray Find.
According to (S1) in the mid 19th century the Norwich Castle Museum held an object described as a 'maul head' that had been found on 'Cotes Common', in what was then the the parish of Sporle. A note on (S2) suggests this may have been recovered from a barrow, although it is unclear where this information was from. Although the exact location of this find is unknown the position of Cotes Common is clearly marked on (S3). This find is also also noted in (S4) and (S5) and is presumed to be the object described by Evans in 1897 (S6) as a 3.18in (7.9cm) long perforated quartz pebble hammer from Sporle. According to (S2) this object was also illustrated by Strickland Neville-Rolfe (illustration No. 1059), most likely to accompany his extra-illustrated and expanded version of Blomefield's 'Essay towards a topographical history of the county of Norfolk' (not confirmed).
It is clear from (S6) that this object is what would now be described as a pebble mace with an hour glass perforation. This simple form of mace - unmodified apart from the central perforation - is not closely datable, having been found in both Mesolithic and later prehistoric contexts (see (S7)). In October 2014 this object was identified in the NCM's collections (unregistered).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 22 July 2013 and 28 October 2014.
Pre 1897. Stray Find.
According to Evans (S8) the NCM also held a second quartzite pebble object from Sporle, this described as a hammer head with a conical depression on each face. This object is listed on (S2) as being 9.5cm (3.75in) x 6.9cm (2.75in) x 4.4cm (1.75in). This was most likely an unfinished pebble mace. It is noted on (S2) that this object was also donated by G. Johnson and that it was possibly also from Cotes Common.
In October 2014 this object was identified in the NCM's collections (unregistered).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 22 July 2013 and 28 October 2014.
Monument Types
- FINDSPOT (Early Mesolithic to Early Bronze Age - 10000 BC to 1501 BC)
Associated Finds
- PEBBLE MACE (Early Mesolithic to Early Bronze Age - 10000 BC to 1501 BC)
- PEBBLE MACE (Early Mesolithic to Early Bronze Age - 10000 BC to 1501 BC)
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 80 NE 24. |
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| --- | Publication: Rolfe. Norfolk Illustrations. no.1054. |
| --- | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Neolithic. Sporle (Gotos Common) [2]. |
| <S1> | Article in Monograph: 1851. Catalogue of Antiquities. Exhibited in the Museum formed during the Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute, held at Norwich, in 1847. Memoirs Illustrative of the History and Antiquities of Norfolk and the City. Archaeological Institute. pp xxiii-lvi. p xxv. |
| <S2> | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Neolithic. |
| <S3> | Publication: Faden, W. and Barringer, J. C. 1989. Faden's Map of Norfolk in 1797. |
| <S4> | Monograph: 1901. The Victoria History of Norfolk. The Victoria History of the Counties of England. Vol 1. p 277. |
| <S5> | Publication: Rye, W. 1909. Catalogue of Antiquities Found Principally in East Anglia. p 19. |
| <S6> | Publication: Evans, J. 1897. The Ancient Stone Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain. 2nd Edition. p 229. |
| <S7> | Article in Serial: Rankine, W. F. 1951. Quartzite pebble maceheads with hour-glass perforation, their distribution in England. Archaeological Newsletter. Vol 4 No 4 pp 53-55. p 187. |
| <S8> | Publication: Evans, J. 1897. The Ancient Stone Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain. 2nd Edition. p 240. |
Related records - none
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