Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

6 December 1984. Fenland Project fieldwalking.
Field in northeast quadrant of Catsholme island. Several discrete concentrations of material identified:

Site MTW AQ (c. 1; general scatter).
General spread of flint flakes over field. Not listed in final publication.

Site MTW AO (c. 2; TL 6880 9664).
Scatter of flints on edge of ridge. Concentration not sufficient for this to be identified as a 'Site' in the final publication.

Site MTW AP (c. 3; TL 6892 9659).
Scatter of flints. Concentration not sufficient for this to be identified as a 'Site' in the final publication.

Site MTW 21 (c. 4; TL 6880 9659).
On north side of Catsholm ridge. Moderate scatter of flints. Max dimensions 40m NW/SE x 18m NE/SW. The worked flint assemblage was identified as predominantly Mesolithic and included blade cores, core trimming flakes, a truncated piece (made on a blade) and equal numbers of blades and flakes.

Site MTW 22 (c. 5; TL 6876 9664).
On north side of Catsholm ridge. Sparse to moderate flints and sparse 'pot boilers'. Max dimensions 49m N/S x 17m E/W. The worked flint assemblage included flakes, blades and cores but was not closely datable. It was however noted that the smaller flakes and blades were mostly from the northern edge of the concentration, suggesting two overlapping areas.

Site MTW 23 (c. 6; TL 6887 9656).
On flattish part of Catsholm ridge. Sparse to moderate concentration of 'pot boilers' and a few flints. Max dimensions 47m E/W x 32m N/S. Worked flints not closely datable.

Site MTW 24 (c. 7; TL 6878 9667).
On edge of ridge with peat depression to north. Sparse to moderate spread of flints with sparse 'pot boilers'. Max dimensions 31m E/W x 21m N/S. The worked flints were mostly not closely datable, although a long-pointed piercer was potentially Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age.

Site MTW 25 (c. 8; TL 6885 9667).
On gentle north slope of ridge. Moderate spread of flint with sparse to moderate 'pot boilers'. Max dimensions 82m E/W x 20m N/S. The worked flints from this site were identified as predominantly Mesolithic and included blade cores, core trimming flakes, flakes, blades (a significant proportion), an end scraper and a truncated piece.

Site MTW 26 (c. 9; TL 6898 9662).
On north edge of ridge. Sparse to moderate concentration of flints and 'pot boilers'. Max dimensions 35m E/W x 25m N/S. The worked flints from this site were identified as predominantly Mesolithic and included a blade core, core trimming flakes, blades ,flakes, an end scraper and two truncated pieces (both on blades).

The various Mesolithic assemblages recovered from this field may be part of a continuous spread of material. They are part of a general pattern of Mesolithic activity on Catsholme ridge. For further details see project archive (S1) and final publication (S2). Finds now held by Norwich Castle Museum. R.J. Silvester (NAU) and E. Rose (NAU), 11 December 1984. Amended by M. Dennis (NLA), 7 July 2006 and expanded by P. Watkins (HES), 12 September 2013.

Spring 2003. Fieldwalking.
Fieldwalking undertaken by [1]. This was the first phase of a detailed examination of the lithic scatters that had previously been identified in this part of the Catsholme ridge. The aim of this initial work was to take "grab samples" from the area, the principal aim being to investigate the extent of the lithic scatter identified by the Fenland Project fieldwalking. Areas of approximately 50m square were examined around each of these sites, with lithics weighing a total of 1570g recovered. Of this 1166g came from the area of Site MTW 25 (Context 8). This distribution of this material suggested that Site MTW 25 was now more discrete than the elongated scatter depicted in (S2). Information from (S3).

The assemblage recovered represented all stages of the lithic working process, with cores, waste and retouched pieces present. Although no detailed breakdown of the assemblage is given in (S3) it is noted that it included broad blades and blade cores of Early Mesolithic character, fine parallel-sided narrow blades of later Mesolithic type and an earlier Neolithic blade-like flake component, with end scrapers and burnt flint.

Following this initial survey an much more systematic, focused fieldwalking survey was undertaken of two adjacent 25m x 25m grid square. These were positioned between Fenland Project Sites MTW 25 and MTW 24, with the aim being to assess whether these lithic scatters graded into each other.
This work recovered over 400 flint objects (5466g) which are listed in (S3) as comprising:
108 burnt flints.
115 ?prehistoric flints, including 112 irregular flakes, 2 hammerstone and 1 'chunk'
1 ?prehistoric ?pottery sherd (brown fabric with quartz inclusions, friable).
55 prehistoric flints, including 1 ?core, 1 burnt core fragment, 11 irregular flakes, 41 flakes, 1 flake from pebble core.
1 ?Upper Palaeolithic/Early Mesolithic flint long blade.
17 Early Mesolithic flints, including 10 blades (same possible flakes), 5 flakes, 1 core and 1 core fragment.
19 Mesolithic flints, 15 flakes, 2 irregular flakes, 1 blade and 1 burnt sub-circular scraper.
15 Late Mesolithic flints, including 3 blade cores, 2 core fragments, 1 core rejuvenation flake, 3 flakes and 6 blades.
50 Mesolithic/Early Neolithic flints, including 49 flakes and 1 core fragment.
33 Late Mesolithic/Early Neolithic flints, including 2 flake/blade cores, 1 blade core, 15 flakes and 15 blades (some of which may be flakes).
19 Early Neolithic flints, including 2 notched flakes, 1 notched blade, 6 flake/blade cores, 3 core fragments, 5 flakes and 2 blades.
4 later Neolithic flakes.
1 Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age barbed and tanged arrowhead.
It is also noted in (S3) that the northern grid square produced finer micro-debitage, including spalls, chips and small flakes. Overall the material appears to represent repeated use of this area over a long period of time. It is also that that Site MTW 25 appears to be of particular importance, representing a location where a lithic scatter may grade down slope into a peat waterlogged environment.

Spring 2003. Shovel Test Pit survey.
A shovel test pit survey was undertaken in the areas adjacent to the grid squares that had been subject to intensive fieldwalking. The aim of this work was to assess the likely densities of lithic material in the area to the north of the main scatters identified during the Fenland Project fieldwalking. All but one of the test pits lay either beyond or on the exteme northern edge of the area covered by this record. The material from these pits is recorded under NHER 41026. The single test pit within this site was positioned close to Site MTW 24 (Context 7) and produced only 3 prehistoric flint flakes.

P. Watkins (HES), 19 November 2013.

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• OCCUPATION SITE? (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 3000 BC to 1501 BC)

Associated Finds

• BURNT FLINT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• BURNT FLINT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• CORE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• CORE? (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• DEBITAGE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC? to 42 AD?)
• FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• FLAKE? (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• HAMMERSTONE? (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? (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC? to 42 AD?)
• BLADE (Upper Palaeolithic to Early Mesolithic - 40000 BC? to 7001 BC?)
• BLADE (Early Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 7001 BC)
• BLADE (Early Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 7001 BC)
• BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• BLADE CORE (Early Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 7001 BC)
• BLADE CORE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• CORE (Early Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 7001 BC)
• CORE (Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 10000 BC to 3001 BC)
• CORE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• END SCRAPER (Mesolithic - 10000 BC? to 4001 BC?)
• FLAKE (Early Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 7001 BC)
• FLAKE (Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 10000 BC to 3001 BC)
• FLAKE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• FLAKE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC? to 4001 BC?)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• RETOUCHED BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• SCRAPER (TOOL) (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• BLADE (Late Mesolithic - 7000 BC to 4001 BC)
• BLADE (Late Mesolithic - 7000 BC to 4001 BC)
• BLADE (Late Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 7000 BC to 3001 BC)
• BLADE CORE (Late Mesolithic - 7000 BC to 4001 BC)
• BLADE CORE (Late Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 7000 BC to 3001 BC)
• CORE (Late Mesolithic - 7000 BC to 4001 BC)
• CORE (Late Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 7000 BC to 3001 BC)
• FLAKE (Late Mesolithic - 7000 BC to 4001 BC)
• FLAKE (Late Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 7000 BC to 3001 BC)
• BLADE (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)
• CORE (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)
• END SCRAPER (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)
• FLAKE (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)
• FLAKE (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)
• NOTCHED BLADE (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)
• NOTCHED FLAKE (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)
• BARBED AND TANGED ARROWHEAD (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 3000 BC to 1501 BC)
• BORER (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 3000 BC? to 1501 BC?)
• FLAKE (Late Neolithic - 3000 BC to 2351 BC)

Protected Status

• Higher Level Stewardship

Sources and further reading

Related records

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Methwold (Parish Summary)