NHER 22920 (Monument record) - Multi-period prehistoric finds, ?prehistoric features and post-medieval pits

9 March 1952. Context 3 at TL 6937 9025.
Formerly numbered NHER 5178.
Polished stone axe, petrology no N164.
Information from [3]
R. R. Clarke (NCM).

Context 1.
General scatter.
In Curtis Catalogue are noted:
Two leaf arrowheads.
Two petit tranchet derivatives
Two triangular arrowheads.
One tanged arrowhead.
Four plano convex knives.
F. Healy (NAU).

1951 to 1963.
F. Healy (NAU) adds to this list in 1993:
Two more leaf arrowheads.
Two 'harpoon barbs'.
Ten scrapers.
A borer.
Four slug knives.
Three blunt backs.
Three fabricators.
Miniature axe.
Twelve other tools.
All from Curtis catalogue and not seen - and another planoconvex knife and a chisel arrowhead in the Secker Collection.
E. Rose (NLA), 29 September 1993.

August 1986. Found in pulling up weeds in sugarbeet field. Context 2 at TL 6934 9026.
Bronze jug handle with female head at top and satyrs mask at base. Compare with handle in (S1) from Etaples, Pas de Calais, 1st to 2nd century AD.
Immediate area checked by [1] with metal detector.
Information from [2].
See (S2).
Identified by E. B. Green (NCM).
W. Milligan (NCM), 19 August 1986.

25 April 1988. Fenland fieldwalking.
Good conditions, weathered harrowed soil, young cereal.

Context 1.
General scatter odd flint. FWL FN.

Context 4 at TL 6937 9034.
Concentration sparse pot boilers on edge of hollow. Chalky soil 24m north to south x 21m east to west at 2.1m OD. FWL 203.

Context 5 at TL 6932 9032.
Concentration of moderate flint mixed with sparse pot boilers on edge of large hollow. 35m east to west x 29m north to south at 2.1m OD FWL 204.
R. Silvester (NAU), 25 April 1988.

For full details of wares, flint types etc see (S3).

January 2000. Trial Trench.
Single trench excavated at site of new fishing lake.
A large hollow was identified, the upper portion of which was filled by a charcoal-flecked clayey-silt deposit that included abundant shells. Although almost certainly naturally formed the presence of charcoal suggested this feature filled whilst people were active in the area. Several worked flints of Mesolithic or Neolithic date were recovered from its fills.
A wide ditch was also identified, almost certainly the linear cropmark feature that had previously been identified crossing this site (NHER 30587). The nature of the deposits filling and overlying this feature suggested a relatively early date, although unfortunately little direct dating evidence was recovered. Two prehistoric flints recovered from an overlying peaty deposit do however provide some support for the suggestion that this is a prehistoric feature.
Three post-medieval marling pits were also found.
The small assemblage of worked flints found during this work included 7 flakes, 2 blades and 3 spalls. The blades were soft-hammer struck and patinated, indicative of a Mesolithic or Early Neolithic date. Although undiagnostic most of the other flints were also patinated to some degree suggesting they may have been of a similar date.
A small amount of poorly preserved animal bone and 23 modern iron objects were also recovered.
See report (S4) in file. The results of this work are also summarised in (S5) and (S6).
E. Rose (NLA), 10 February 2000. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 7 November 2013.