NHER 6361 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenanced Mesolithic worked flints, West Runton (Runton, poorly located)

Various prehistoric worked flints known to have been recovered in West Runton during the late 19th century or early 20th century, but with little additional information regarding provenance.

FINDS IN NORFOLK MUSEUMS

A Mesolithic microlith from West Runton is listed in (S1) as being held by the Norwich Castle Museum (ex. J. E. Sainty). This object is described in R. Jacobi's records (S2), which also note that it is marked "W.R 18.9.25". This object does not appear to have been individually accessioned, suggesting it is part of a larger collection, although it is unclear which one. This is probably the Mesolithic find from West Runton mention in (S3) - see below.

FINDS IN OTHER MUSEUMS

The Mildenhall Museum is listed in (S1) as holding 3 Mesolithic microliths from West Runton, these donated by [?Lady Grace] Briscoe and J. E. Sainty. These finds are noted in (S2), although no details are recovered.

The Ashmolean Museum (Oxford) is listed in (S1) as holding 2 Mesolithic microliths and 1 blade/flake from West Runton. The accession numbers for these finds are listed on (S4) (1958.427-428) and they are listed in (S2) as the tips of 2 microliths and a bladelet. It is noted that they were formerly part of the J. Evans and were possibly found during the 1870s.

REPORTED DISCOVERIES

In the introduction to his first report on his Mesolithic site on Kelling Heath (NHER 6246) J. E. Sainty noted that a flint point "...had been found by Mrs Sainty near West Runton Golf Links, over four mile to
the east [of the Kelling site]" (S5). This was described as being similar to one of the objects illustrated in (S5), which is almost certainly an obliquely blunted point microlith.

Pre February 1935. Stray Find.
On 23 February 1935 J. E. Sainty exhibited a Mesolithic flint microlith from West Runton at a meeting of the Prehistoric Society (S6). This is probably the Mesolithic worked flint from West Runton that Sainty subsequently noted in (S3), although this was described simply as an "isolated specimen of typical Mesolithic technique". It is noted that the flaking site that produced this artefact had not yet been detecting. It is possible that this object was the microlith found in 1925 that is reportedly now held by the NCM (see above).

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