NHER 15359 (Monument record) - Concentration of Mesolithic worked flints from Hockham Heath

1979. Fieldwalking.
Various prehistoric worked flints found on surface of area freshly planted with young trees. Area cut by railway, but material lies almost entirely (all but a few flakes) on east side of railway. Flints recovered by [1] were:
3 Mesolithic/Neolithic flint scrapers, 1 end-scraper, 1 core (many others on surface and uncollected), 1 retouched 'chunk', 14 blades and 6 retouched pieces (mainly blades).
1 Neolithic flint flake, possibly from polished axe.
Identified by A. Lawson (NAU), 15 October 1979. Information from (S1). These finds are also noted in (S2), although no additional details are given.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 22 April 2013.

Pre May 1981. Fieldwalking.
Further finds by [1], extending area to west across old railway. Flints found were:
1 Mesolithic flint microlithic. Obliquely blunted at bulbar end, bilaterally trimmed to point at distal end. Compare to Jacobi's type 3c in (S3).
1 Mesolithic/Neolithic blade core, 2 blade core fragments, 1 keeled core, 1 retouched core rejuvenation flake, 14 blades, 1 blade segment, 8 flake, 1 notched flake, 1 ?notched flake, 1 notched blade, 1 retouched blade, 3 miscellaneous retouched flakes, 2 end scrapers (one on blade) and 1 nosed scraper.
Certainly mainly Mesolithic, perhaps totally so.
Identified by F. Healy (NAU) 29 May 1981. Information from (S1). These finds are also noted in (S2), although no additional details are given.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 22 April 2013.

1983.
In January 1983 a map was supplied by [1] showing the distribution of the finds that that been found at in the vicinity of Cranberry Rough prior to this date (S4). An accompanying letter stated that many of the finds had been given to the British Museum.

The distribution map suggests that a single sherd of Roman pottery was also recovered from the southern end of this site. Further sherds of Roman pottery were recovered from the field to the east (NHER 15197).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 18 April 2013.

Pre December 1992. Fieldwalking.
In December 1992 many worked flints from Hockham were donated to the Norwich Castle Museum by [1], including a number from this site. Although it is possible that these include some of the finds detailed aboove, the museum's records suggest that all of the objects in this collection were found in 1992 (many of the flints from other locations are definitely previously unreported finds).

The bulk of the flints are from [2], a location described on an enclosed label as "small field by railway" (NWHCM : 1998.407.8). Two distinct groups of flints are present. The first group are unmarked and were identified by P. Robins (NCM) as 1 core, 3 crested flakes, 8 blades/blade-like flakes, 17 blades/blade segments and 26 flakes/fragments. It is noted that these flints represent debitage from a Mesolithic/Neolithic blade industry but lack diagnostic pieces. The second group are marked with the site's grid reference and include 9 bladelets, 1 piercer, 1 broken hollow scraper, 1 end scraper, 1 blade core, 5 blades and 5 flakes. The bladelets and blade core are probably Mesolithic with the other pieces of less certain date.

The NCM's collection also includes a retouched ?thermal flake that was found near the southern edge of this site at [3] (NWHCM : 1998.407.12).
P. Watkins (HES), 26 September 2014.

This site is one of several concentrations of Mesolithic flint that have now been identified along the margins of Hockham Mere (which was drained in the late 18th century), suggesting this area saw significant occupation at this time. This assertion is supported by the analysis of microscopic charcoal fragments recovered from the former lake sediments. At Hockham charcoal has been found throughout a series of deposits radiocarbon dated to 7500-3000 BC (S5). Sediments in nearby Quidenham Mere were found to be lacking corresponding concentrations of charcoal (S6), suggesting the fragments at Hockham were from adjacent small fires rather than forest fires (the other potential source of such material and one which would be expected to spread particles over a much greater distance). See also NHERs 8992, 25972 and 50311.
P. Watkins (HES), 18 April 2013.