NHER 20345 (Monument record) - Mesolithic/Early Neolithic, Late Neolithic and Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age worked flints

16 April 1984. Fenland Project fieldwalking.
Several discrete concentrations of material identified:

Site MTW AJ (Context 1; general scatter).
Small number of worked flints. Not closely datable. Site not included in final publication.

Site MTW AI (Context 2; [1]).
Just off chalk drift island. Small number of worked flints (not closely datable). Concentration not sufficient to identified as a 'Site' in the final publication.

Site MTW AH (Context 3; [2]).
Along chalk drift ridge. Small number of worked flints (not closely datable). Concentration not sufficient to be identified as a 'Site' in the final publication.

Site MTW AG (Context 4; [3]).
Just off edge of chalk drift ridge. Crudely flaked flint axehead. Not identified as a 'Site' in the final publication.

Site MTW AF (Context 5; [4]).
On chalk drift island. Small number of worked flints and occassional bone fragments. Flints not closely datable. Concentration not sufficient to be identified as a 'Site' in the final publication.

Site MTW AE (Context 6; [5]).
Small number of worked flints, including flakes, a serrated blade and a scraper. Although the file notes do not suggest a date for these flints it is likely that the serrated blade was either Mesolithic or Early Neolithic. Concentration not sufficient to be identified as a 'Site' in the final publication.

Site MTW AD (Context 7; [6]).
Scattered along chalk drift ridge for over 30m. Small number of worked flints and occassional 'pot boilers'. Flints not closely datable. Concentration not sufficient to be identified as a 'Site' in the final publication.

Site MWD 1 (Context 8; [7]).
On ridge above peat. Sparse spread of flints including axe fragment, 'pot boilers' (including two small concentrations) and occasional bone fragments. Max dimensions 57m NW/SE x 15m NE/SW. The worked flints were not closely datable.

Site MWD 2 (Context 9; [8]).
On side of ridge. Moderate spread of flints and sparse 'pot boilers'. Max dimensions 42m N/S x 15m E/W. The worked flints were predominantly of Late Neolithic date and included petit tranchet and oblique arrowheads. A small number of pieces were potentially Mesolithic (most likely a small group of blades).

Site MWD 3 (Context 10; [9]).
On north-east side of ridge, spreading down towards peat. Sparse to moderate spread of worked flints and 'pot boilers' with few fragments of bone. Max dimensions 79m E/W x 24m N/S. The worked flints were thought to be predominantly of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date, although a long, large end scraper was the only diagnostic tool present.

Site MWD 4 (Context 11; [10]).
Across two ridges and the intervening peat. Moderate, locally abundant 'pot boilers' with a few worked flints and bone fragments. Max dimensions 79m E/W x 24m N/S. Worked flints not closely datable.

Site MWD 5 (Context 12; [11]).
On edge of ridge. Small sparse spread of worked flints and 'pot boilers' with one bone fragment. Max dimensions 15m NW/SE x 10m NE/SW. The worked flints included a long-pointed piercer (borer) and a long end scraper and were tentatively identified as Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age.

An area of charcoal and burnt wood fragments was also recorded.

For further details see project archive (S1) and final publication (S2). Finds now held by Norwich Castle Museum.
R. Silvester (NAU), May 1984. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 9 September 2013.

October 2020. Metal-detecting. [12].
Middle Bronze Age palstave (S3).
Information from PAS import.
Site extended to the whole field. Previous extent recorded as Context 13.
E. McDonald (HES), 17 November 2020 and P. Watkins (HES), 1 January 2021.