NHER 5119 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenanced Palaeolithic handaxes, West Tofts (Lynford, poorly located)

Several Palaeolithic handaxes are known to have been found in the West Tofts area of what is now Lynford parish during the late 19th century and/or early 20th century. Unfortunately the exact provenance of these implements remains unclear.

REPORTED DISCOVERIES

A Palaeolithic handaxe from West Tofts is one of several listed by R. Smith in (S1) as being of flat-butted cordate form. As noted in (S2), handaxes of this type (often described as bout coupé) shows a strong association with Late Middle Palaeolithic Neanderthal activity. This handaxe is also noted as a possible bout coupé in (S11), (S12) and (S13). The present location of this implement is unknown.

FINDS IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

Roe (S3) lists 4 handaxes as unprovenanced handaxes from West Tofts; one being that listed in (S1) and the others held by the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (CUMAA).

Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology:
The 3 handaxes held by the CUMAA are described by Wymer in (S2). They include an unusual implement that contains one valve of a fossil bivalve shell (1916.82/Record 2). This object (previously recorded seperately as NHER 5124) is known to have been discovered around 1911 (S4) and was the subject of a short article published in 1973 (S5). It has subsequently been discussed by Oakley and others as an early example of art in human behaviour - see for example (S6), (S7) and (S8). Images of this object have also appeared in a number of other publications.

The other West Tofts handaxes held by the CUMAA (1916.82/Record 7) are described by Wymer in (S2) as cordate implements, both rolled to some degree.

Ipswich Museum.
According to Wymer (S3) the Ipswich Museum also holds an unprovenanced handaxe from West Tofts. This is described as the butt of a rolled ovate handaxe.

All of the objects described above are also noted in (S9) and (S10).

The source of the West Tofts handaxes is unclear. In (S2) Wymer suggests the Forestry Commission Pit (NHER 5131) as a probable source, although the notes on these finds in (S10) contradict this earlier assertion, arguing that the large pit adjacent to Gravel Pit Cottages is a more likely provenance (NHER 58802). As the Forestry Commission Pit was on the site of an earlier pit (the Swell Pit) either location could have been the source of these objects.

P. Watkins (HES), 13 May 2013.