Record Details

NHER Number:4607
Type of record:Find Spot
Name:Palaeolithic handaxe and other finds, possibly from discarded antiquarian collection

Summary

A Palaeolithic handaxe, a Neolithic scraper, a polished Neolithic flint axehead, a mammoth tooth, pieces of Roman tile and ornamental shells were found. The exact location of this discovery is unclear. The range of objects found suggest they may have been part of an antiquarian's collection that has been discarded.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 8862 0753
Map Sheet:TF80NE
Parish:HOLME HALE, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

1973. Stray Find.
Found in "Meadow by former Nag's Head Public House, recently cultivated":
1 Palaeolithic "Acheulian" flint handaxe. See sketch (S1).
1 Neolithic partly-polished flint axehead and 1 large round scraper.
Fossils also found.
Circumstances of discovery unknown - probably not in situ. Information from (S2) and (S3).
These discoveries were reported in (S4). The worked flints were donated to the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1973.474).
The handaxe is briefly described and sketched on (S5) and is also noted in (S6). Wymer's believed that it may well have been a collector's throw-out (see below).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 30 May 2013.

April 1986. Field Visit.
Exact location of meadow found - note that formerly Nag's Head was wrongly located on map. Not exactly clear however whether finds were really from meadow or from garden of house (see NHER 16298). The handaxe is a perfect specimen of pointed type in rolled and stained condition. Most unlikely discovery at this provenance. Mammoth tooth (or antiqus immature) Roman tile, ornamental shells etc also found - suggests collector's throwouts.
J.J. Wymer (NAU), April 1986.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 1000000 BC to 40001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

  • HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 500000 BC to 40001 BC)
  • POLISHED AXEHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • SCRAPER (TOOL) (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 80 NE 25.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Illustration: Clough, T. 1973. Sketch of a Palaeolithic flint handaxe from Holme Hale. Card. 1:1.
<S2>Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Palaeolithic.
<S3>Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Neolithic. Holme Hale.
<S4>Serial: 1973. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1973. No 20. p 9.
<S5>Record Card: Wymer, J. J. Wymer Index Card - Palaeolithic. Holme Hale.
<S6>Publication: Wymer, J. J. 1985. Palaeolithic Sites of East Anglia. p 51.

Related records - none

Find out more...

Norfolk County Council logo Heritage Lottery Fund logo

Powered by HBSMR-web and the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd, and mojoPortal CMS
© 2007 - 2024 Norfolk Historic Environment Service