NHER 1400 (Find Spot record) - ?Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic worked flints, Bennet's Orchard.

Flints from Bennet's Orchard (old Ordnance Survey Field 41).

1912. Stray Find.
In 1912 a Palaeolithic handaxe was found in Bennet's Orchard. Information from (S1). See photo in file (S2). On the reverse of (S2) it is noted that this object was given to the Sedgewick Museum. This object is listed in (S3), although here it is recorded as being held by the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (CUMAA).

It appears that this is one of two "leaf-shaped" implements from Heacham described and figured in (S4), where it is described as a "Solutrean [Upper Palaeolithic] laurel leaf point". It is recorded as being in the collections of the CUMAA (30.30) and had been donated by "Mr B. Lowerison and his friends". It is also mentioned as a possible Late Palaeolithic implement in (S5) and (S6). It is however noted on (S7) that it is perhaps more likely to be a Neolithic laurel leaf. See NHER 1399 for details of a similar piece found on the beach at Heacham around the same time. This was also listed as a handaxe in (S1).

This object is described by Wymer recorded on (S8) as being very thin and in mint condition, which would appear to support a Late Upper Palaeolithic or later date for this object. It is also noted in (S9).

A number of other worked flints were also recovered in Bennett's Orchard around the same time, 27 of which were photographed (S10). It is noted that a number of these flints were stained a reddish brown. This flints had also been found by B. Lowerison and as with the object detailed above, it appears that they were first given to the Sedgewick Museum and then subsequently passed to the CUMAA. It is suggested on (S11) that a number of these pieces are Mesolithic, although it should be noted that none are listed in (S12).

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 December 2013.,