NHER 15361 (Find Spot record) - Concentration of Mesolithic worked flints from near former Cranberry Farm

1979. Fieldwalking.
Fieldwalking by [1], next to former Cranberry Farm, on edge of former Hockham Mere. At foot of abrupt slope up to west. Found on surface freshly planted with young trees; on ground sloping down to base of former mere. Flint artefacts consisting of:
1 Mesolithic core, 1 flake, 1 blade and 1 'chunk'.
Identified by A. J. Lawson (NAU), 12 October 1979 and compiled by A. J. Lawson (NAU), 15 October 1979. Information from (S1). These finds are also noted in (S2), although no additional information is given.
See NHER 15360 and NHER 15362 for details of Palaeolithic objects found during this work.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 18 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 (S3). An accompanying letter stated that many of the finds had been given to the British Museum.
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).

Found at [2]:
1 Mesolithic flint microlith and 1 notched blade. In bag marked "Meso" but not listed in museum records (NWHCM : 1998.407.6).

Found at [3]:
1 ?Mesolithic flint blade and 1 long narrow flake (NWHCM : 1998.407.9).

Information from museum records. Probably identified by P. Robins (NCM).
P. Watkins (HES), 25 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 (S4). Sediments in nearby Quidenham Mere were found to be lacking corresponding concentrations of charcoal (S5), 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).
P. Watkins (HES), 18 April 2013.