NHER 4951 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenanced Palaeolithic flint handaxes and potentially Palaeolithic flints (Cranwich, poorly located)

Various Palaeolithic or potentially Palaeolithic worked flints, recorded as being found in Cranwich, but with little or no additional information regarding provenance.

FINDS IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

Norwich Castle Museum:
The Norwich Castle Museum holds an unprovenanced Palaeolithic flint "palaeolith" from Cranwich that had been found by F. N. Haward (NWHCM : 1947.33.13) . Information from (S1).
Haward was a collector who recovered a range of Paleolithic objects from gravel pits in the parish during the early 20th century. This particular object is likely to be one of the two unprovenanced handaxes listed in (S2). It is briefly described on (S12), where it is listed as a handaxe/cleaver with tranchet edge. It is one of 8 Cranwich handaxes in the NCM that are described in (S3) and also noted by (S4) and (S5). The second unprovenanced Cranwich handaxe in the NCM was found by H. H. Hall and is recorded under NHER 4952.

Birmingham City Museums and Art Gallery:
According to (S11) this museumn holds 2 Palaeolithic handaxes from Cranwich (Bir 1929A6.7). One is recorded as being of cordate form and the other as sub-cordate. The finder is not given and the cirmcumstances in which these object were recovered are therefore not known at present. These objects are not listed in either (S2) or (S3) and a note on (S12) is simply a reference to (S11).
Previously recorded as NHER 35139.

REPORTED DISCOVERIES

Pre 1914. Stray Find.
Palaeolithic implement found in Cranwich by G. E. Ashley and exhibited at a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia in 1913. This was described as "…a Palaeolithic ovate from Cranwich" (S6). This meeting was also reported in (S7). Information from (S1). Also noted in (S3). It does not appear that this object was donated to any of the local museums.
Previously recorded as NHER 4953.

Pre October 1920. Stray Find.
On 20 October 1920 F. N. Haward exhibited a "pointed palaeolith" from Cranwich at a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia. This object was described as "…of Chellean type 5.2-in. long, from gravel at 100-ft (O.D.)". He also exhibited a "?Mousterian palaeolith" from Cranwich that was from "50-ft. O.D" and described as "worked partly on both sides of a bulbous flake, 8-in. long" (S8). These finds are noted on (S12) and in (S3). It is unclear whether either was a genuine Palaeolithic artefact, although the recorded length suggests the 'Chellean' implement may be the handaxe known to have been found at Munford Breck gravel pit (NHER 58794). It is also possible that one or both of these objects were the Palaeolithic handaxes that Haward recovered in a pit near the church (NHER 4949).

The NCM record card detailing early Palaeolithic discoveries in Cranwich (S1) also has the note "Acheulean (WGC)". The initials almost certainly refer to W. G. Clarke, although it is unclear whether this is a reference to him being a finder or to one of his publications. In 1913 Clarke noted "…undoubted 'drift' implements on the surface at Cranwich" (S9). In 1919 Clarke noted the discovery of at least one "Palaeolithic drift" implement in the parish (S10); almost certainly a reference to a handaxe recovered by H. H. Halls (NHER 4952). Neither source makes reference to Acheulian implements.
Previously recorded as NHER 4948.

P. Watkins (HES), 1 May 2013.