NHER 33292 (Find Spot record) - Palaeolithic flint handaxe and mammoth tusk

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Summary

In 1996 a Palaeolithic flint handaxe and a mammoth tusk were found here during gravel extraction. The handaxe is of a form typically associated with Late Middle Palaeolithic activity. A small number of additional worked flints were subsequently recovered at this location, including a possible fragentary Lower Palaeolithic handaxe. Four Mesolithic blades are also listed as being found at this site, although it appears that these are the same objects as those recorded under NHER 31950.

Protected Status/Designation

None recorded

Location

Map sheet	TL79NE
Civil Parish	CRANWICH, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

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Full Description

July 1996. Field Observation.
Mammoth tusk found in the area.
W. Milligan (NCM) 13 June 1997.

This record previously stated that several Mesolithic blades were also found here, although these objects had already been recorded under NHER 31950. There appears to have have been some degree of confusion regarding the grid ref. given and it is therefore unclear which location is correct. These finds were however reported as coming from this site in (S1). See NHER 31950 for a full description of these blades.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 3 May 2013.

August 1996. Stray Find.
Found by [1], probably in a heap (origins presumably deep gravels in eastern half of pit):
1 Late Middle Palaeolithic small, flat-butted cordate handaxe. Shape and size suggests that this handaxe is Mousterian (of Acheulean Tradition) with an age within the period 100,000-30,0000 years before present. See drawing (S2).
Identified by P. Robins (NCM), see description in file.
This discovery is noted on (S3) and is described and figured in (S1) and (S4).
W. Milligan (NCM), 8 August 1997. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 3 May 2013 and 10 January 2016.

October 1997. Stray Find.
1 ?Palaeolithic flint ?fragmentary handaxe. See drawing (S5).
1 prehistoric flint blade, 1 flake and 1 core/trial piece.
Identified by P. Robins (NCM), see description in file [2].
Objects subsequently donated to the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1999.1.12.27.2).
These discoveries were reported in (S6) and the handaxe is also noted on (S3).
P. Watkins (HES), 10 January 2016.

Associated Sources (7)

--- SNF8804 Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1> SNF86455 Article in Serial: Gurney, D. (ed.). 1998. Archaeological Finds in Norfolk 1997. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIII Pt I pp 181-192. p 182.
<S2> SNF92133 Illustration: Robins, P. 1997. Drawing of a Middle Palaeolithic flint handaxe from Cranwich. Paper. 1:1.
<S3> SNF92480 Record Card: Wymer, J. J. Wymer Index Card - Palaeolithic. Cranwich.
<S4> SNF93949 Article in Serial: Robins, P. 1998. Some Recent Lithic Finds from Norfolk. The Quarterly. No 31 pp 14-19. pp 15-16.
<S5> SNF94241 Illustration: Robins, P. 1998. Drawing of a ?Palaeolithic flint ?handaxe from Cranwich. Paper. 1:1.
<S6> SNF86466 Article in Serial: Gurney, D. (ed.). 1999. Archaeological Finds in Norfolk 1998. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIII Pt II pp 358-368. p 359.

Site and Feature Types and Periods (3)

Object Types (6)

ANIMAL REMAINS (Palaeolithic - 1000000 BC to 10001 BC)
BLADE (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
CORE (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
FLAKE (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic - 1000000 BC? to 150001 BC?)
HANDAXE (Middle Palaeolithic - 150000 BC to 40001 BC)

Related NHER Records (0)

Find out more...(1)

Cranwich (Parish Summary)

Record last edited

Aug 22 2016 3:16PM