NHER 1402 (Find Spot record) - Prehistoric, Roman and medieval finds

February 1914. Stray Find.
Various finds recovered during excavation of ornamental lake, described in (S1). These included a number of unabraded worked flint flakes and a scraper that were recovered from a sandy layer overlying the natural gravelly sand. These flints were identified as Aurignacian (Upper Palaeolithic). Other finds included a Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age barbed and tanged arrowhead, which was found much higher up, just below the turf. See (S1) for a photograph of this arrowhead and several of the earlier flakes. A Roman 'vase' and a red deer antler were also recovered. These finds are now held by the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1923.148). Noted by (S2), (S3) and (S4).

The potentially early flints are mentioned in (S5), (S6) and (S7). Although the date of these finds is not entirely clear from (S1) a number of Late Upper Palaeolithic and/or Mesolithic flints have now been identified in the collection held by the NCM. R. Jacobi identified a complete Late Upper Palaeolithic flint blade and the proximal portion of another (S8). The former is also listed in (S9). This collection is also listed in listed in (S10) as including 1 Mesolithic core, 9 blades/flakes and 2 scrapers. Jacobi recorded these as finds as comprising 1 'tortoise' core, 1 scraper, 1 end scraper on blade, 4 punch blades, 3 blade fragments and 3 flakes. Jacobi's records suggest that the core and the scrapers may also be Upper Palaeolithic, rather than Mesolithic.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 December 2013.

1923. Stray Find.
Additional finds recovered during cleaning and enlargement of lake.
Second Roman pot found. This discovery was reported in (S11), which notes that the custodian of the material at the Ruskin School (presumably B. Lowerison) had accumulated a sufficient range of Roman finds from the area of the park (including pottery, burials, coins and a millstone) to make it "…probable that a Roman 'villa' or some other residence existed in the park, or near it…".

The pottery recovered during this work was also given to the NCM (NWHCM : 1923.148). See drawings (S12) and (S13). These sherds are listed in (S14) and the site is also noted in (S15).

The NCM collection also includes a number of medieval sherds. Information from (S16).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 December 2013.