NHER 23241 (Find Spot record) - Late prehistoric, Iron Age, Roman and medieval to post-medieval finds

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Summary

Fenland fieldwalking in January 1987 on well-weathered ploughsoil recorded numerous artefacts including pottery sherds from several periods, flints and a moderate spread of iron slag which might be of Roman date. Metal-detecting between 2016 and 2024 recovered Roman, medieval and post-medieval coins; a post-medieval token and a range of other, Late Bronze Age to post-medieval metal objects. These metal finds include a Late Bronze Age copper alloy awl; a Roman lead steelyard weight; medieval to post-medieval dress accessories; medieval harness fittings, a copper alloy seal matrix and lead weight; medieval/post-medieval copper alloy vessel fragments and a post-medieval spoon.

Protected Status/Designation

None recorded

Location

Map sheet	TF71SW
Civil Parish	PENTNEY, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

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Full Description

27 January 1987. Fenland fieldwalking on well weathered soil, which was ploughed and rolled.
Context 1: general scatter odd medieval sherds and flint, referenced as PEN AG in (S1).
Context 2: at location [1] odd sherds of pottery, possibly Iron Age, were retrieved although there are not enough for a Fenland 'site' despite careful search. Referenced as PEN AH in (S1) also see Fenland overlay.
Context 3: at location [2] a moderate spread of iron slag (sample taken, possibly Roman?) and couple of prehistoric sherds were found on gravelly sandy soil, north facing slope, just below the crest. Maximum area 63m (north-south) x 37m (east-west) at 8.2m OD. Referenced as PEN 7 on (S1).
Finds held by NCM.
R. Silvester (NAU) 28 January 1987.

Some of the material from Context 3 has been reidentified as medieval pottery.
See (S2) for full details of wares, flint types etc.

July-September 2016. Metal-detecting. [3].
Medieval buckle and lead weight.
Medieval/post-medieval copper alloy vessel leg.
Post-medieval shoe buckle.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 1 October 2016.

April 2017. Metal-detecting. [4].
Late Bronze Age copper alloy awl (S3).
1 medieval coin, a harness fitting and dress fastener.
1 post-medieval token and a buckle.
Information from PAS import.
E. McDonald (HES), 4 May 2017 and P. Watkins (HES), 8 January 2024.

November 2018. Metal-detecting. [5].
Medieval lead weight
Information from PAS import.
Previously recorded (in error) under NHER 60952.
P. Watkins (HES), 25 March 2023.

August 2019. Metal-detecting. [6].
1 Roman coin.
2 medieval coins, a belt mount and hooked harness fitting.
Medieval/post-medieval buckle.
1 post-medieval coin and a buckle.
Information from PAS import.
See finder's notes (S1) in file.
E. McDonald (HES), 7 October 2019.

September-October 2019. Metal-detecting. [7]
KLMD102019 - PAS details to follow.
See finder's notes (S1) in file.
E. McDonald (HES), 7 October 2019.

October 2019. Metal-detecting. [8].
Roman lead steelyard weight.
Medieval bar mount.
Post-medieval spoon fragment.
Information from PAS import.
E. McDonald (HES), 10 January 2020.

September-October 2024. Metal-detecting. [9].
Medieval belt mount or stiffener and copper alloy seal matrix.
2 medieval/post-medieval copper alloy vessel fragments.
Information from PAS import.
P. Watkins (HES), 29 May 2025 and 3 August 2025.

Associated Sources (10)

--- SNF16214 *Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. PEN 7. FENS.
--- SNF16223 *Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. PEN AG. FENS.
--- SNF16224 *Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. PEN AH. FENS.
--- SNF57722 Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
--- SNF100119 Unpublished Document: Turner, M.. 2019. Finds Information Document 'July/Aug/Sep finds for PAS (KLMDC - 9.9.19)'.
--- SNF100315 Unpublished Document: Turner, M.. 2019. Finds Information Document 'Oct/Nov finds for PAS (KLMDC - 11.11.19)'.
--- SNF100209 Unpublished Document: Turner, M.. 2019. Finds Information Document 'Sep/Oct finds for PAS (KLMDC - 9.10.19)'.
<S1> SNF8173 Monograph: Silvester, R. J. 1988. The Fenland Project Number 3: Marshland and Nar Valley, Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 45. p 138.
<S2> SNF58493 Archive: Fenland Folders.
<S3> SNF100887 Illustration: Gibbons, J. 2017. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age awl. Find Illustration. Film. 1:1.

Site and Feature Types and Periods (7)

Object Types (30)

POT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
AWL (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
STEELYARD WEIGHT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
COIN (Roman - 330 AD to 335 AD)
POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1400 AD)
COIN (Medieval - 1194 AD to 1204 AD)
BUCKLE (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1400 AD)
HARNESS FITTING (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1400 AD)
HARNESS HOOK (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1400 AD)
VESSEL (Medieval to 18th Century - 1200 AD to 1800 AD)
VESSEL (Medieval to 18th Century - 1200 AD to 1800 AD)
WEIGHT (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1400 AD)
WEIGHT (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1400 AD)
COIN (Medieval - 1205 AD to 1230 AD)
COIN (Medieval - 1280 AD to 1286 AD)
BUCKLE (Medieval to 16th Century - 1300 AD to 1600 AD)
SEAL MATRIX (Medieval - 1300 AD to 1400 AD)
STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1300 AD to 1400 AD)
VESSEL (Medieval to 17th Century - 1300 AD to 1700 AD)
STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1350 AD to 1499 AD)
DRESS FASTENER (DRESS) (Medieval to 16th Century - 1500 AD to 1539 AD)
BUCKLE (16th Century to 17th Century - 1570 AD to 1700 AD)
BUCKLE (16th Century to 17th Century - 1575 AD to 1700 AD)
COIN (16th Century - 1575 AD to 1575 AD)
SPOON (17th Century - 1650 AD to 1700 AD)
BUCKLE (17th Century to 18th Century - 1660 AD to 1720 AD)
TOKEN (19th Century - 1811 AD to 1811 AD)