NHER 6315 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenanced Palaeolithic flint flakes (Sheringham, poorly located)

Various supposedly Palaeolithic worked flints are known to have been recovered in the Sheringham area during the early 20th century, the majority of which are poorly provenanced. This record details the small number of unprovenanced finds that appear to be potentially genuine Palaeolithic artefacts.

FINDS IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM

It is recorded in Roe's gazetteer (S1) that the British Museum holds 2 unretouched Palaeolithic flakes from Sheringham. These are as follows:
1 flake. Sturge Collection (2011,8109.744). Noted in (S2) and described by Wymer (S3) as a rolled and stained primary flake. Previously recorded as NHER 6317
1 flake. Ex Warren (2011,8114.394).
The flakes in the British Museum are also listed by (S4) and (S5), which note that these and a retouched flake/flake implement (NHER 6255) are the only artefacts from Sheringham that can be considered with confidence as Palaeolithic.

According to (S2) the British Museum Sturge Collection also included 2 "small palaeos" from Sheringham. The nature of these artefacts (which do not appear in the museum's current records) is unclear. Although a noted added to (S6) by E. Rose (NAU) suggests that they are genuine handaxes, no other sources mention these artefacts.
Previously recorded under NHER 6317.

FINDS IN OTHER COLLECTIONS

According to (S6) in 1936 the Geological Museum (now part of the Natural History Museum) held a Palaeolithic flake found to the west of Sheringham, within "Middle Glacial Gravel". No other sources make reference to this object, which was probably recovered from cliff deposits.

It is also noted by (S6) that a "Clacton flake" from Sheringham is in the collections of the Institut de Paléontologie Humaine. This is apparently noted by (S7).
Previously recorded as NHER

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 17 July 2014.