Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

Various prehistoric objects found during the late 19th century and early 20th century in Salhouse parish, but with no additional information regarding provenance.

FINDS IN THE NORWICH CASTLE MUSEUM

The Norwich Castle Museum Fitch Collection includes two Bronze Age copper alloy objects from Salhouse: a flanged axehead (No. 754; NWHCM : 1894.76.754) and a chisel (No. 755; NWHCM : 1894.76.755). The axehead has very slight indications of a stop ridge. Both objects and are noted in (S1) and (S2) were found prior to 1853. Information from (S3).
Previously recorded as NHER 8469.

OTHER FINDS

Pre 1907. Stray Find.
It is noted in (S4) that Salhouse was one of the locations at which Neolithic worked flints of "Boulder Clay Type" had been found in W. G. Clarke prior to 1907. Information from (S5). A note added to this record card by E. Rose (NAU) suggests that these may be a number of flint from Salhouse that are in the British Museum Sturge Collection.
Previously recorded as NHER 8466.

1922. Stray Find.
Chipped and polished grey flint knife found in Salhouse. Dimensions 3" [7.6cm] x 3" [7.6cm] x 2.5" [6.4cm]. This discovery was reported in (S6). Information from (S5). This object may well be the "large triangular knife" that was exhibited at a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia in 1925 (see below).
Previously recorded as NHER 8465.

Around 1923-25. Stray Find.
Neolithic polished flint axehead found in Salhouse by [1]. Exhibited at a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia in January 1925 (S7). Information from (S5). A "large triangular knife with two edges ground" was also exhibited - possibly the same object as the "chipped and polished knife" that had been reported in 1923 (see above).

Pre 1935. Stray Find.
It is noted by (S8) that Mesolithic "microliths" had been found in Salhouse by H. H. Halls. This information was from (S9) and (S10), although it should be noted that neither source specifies the exact nature and quantity of the finds recovered. Halls' finds are listed simply as "...odd [Mesolithic] specimens…" in (S9) and as "…isolated specimens of typical Mesolithic technique..." in (S10). Further information is however provided by (S11), which reports that Halls exhibited "…a tranchet flake and blades of Kelling type from Salhouse…" at a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia in February 1932.

It has been suggested that these finds may have come from a Mesolithic site in Salhouse that was apparently described by Sainty as lying among "depressions on a slope", at approximately TG 319 154 (NHER 8426) - there is however no direct evidence that this was the case.
Previously recorded under NHER 8426.

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 12 May 2014.

Pre 17 August 1995. Stray Find.
Found on C[*** - illegible] Estate, Salhouse area:
1 Mesolithic/Neolithic flint axehead fragment. See drawing (S12).
Identified by P. Robins (NCM), see description in file.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 December 2015.

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC to 2351 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Finds

• FLAKED AXEHEAD (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC to 2351 BC)
• MICROLITH? (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• TRANCHET FLAKE? (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• KNIFE (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• POLISHED AXEHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• CHISEL (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• FLANGED AXEHEAD (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Salhouse (Parish Summary)