NHER 58803 (Find Spot record) - Palaeolithic handaxe, Neolithic worked flints and Iron Age pottery, near Blood Hill barrow

Various prehistoric objects recovered during the early 20th century that are recorded as being found on Santon Warren, in the vicinity of the Blood Hill Bronze Age barrow (NHER 5655). These finds were previously recorded under NHER 5655. See NHER 5657 for the more poorly provenanced early discoveries on Santon Warren.

The mapped extent of this record reflects the area originally marked on the NCM record maps, although it should be noted that these finds were never precisely located. The size of the area shown on the NCM records was probably in part due to an attempt to show the location of H. D. Hewitt's finds (which are now known to have come from a much wider area).

See notes in file for NHER 5655 for further information on the finds discussed below.

PALAEOLITHIC FINDS

According to (S1) the Winchester Museum holds a Palaeolithic handaxe that is recorded as coming from 'Blood Hill', Santon. Information from (S9). This implement is also noted on (S10) and in (S2); in both cases listed as a rough-out. The finder and the circumstances of discovery are not known. This may have been a surface find, although it is possible that this object was in fact found in one of the gravel pits near Blood Hill (and therefore outside the bounds of this record). A possible candidate is a pit to the east (TL 8450 8788), although Wymer (S2) has suggested that this handaxe may have come from the pit at St Helen's Well, which lies to the south. At least one other handaxe has been found at the latter pit (NHER 5656). The Blood Hill handaxe is also noted in (S7) and (S8), although no additional information is given.

NEOLITHIC FINDS

This area was investigated by a range of antiquarian collectors in the early 20th-century and according to (S3) the area around Blood Hill barrow was "strewn with flint flakes and implements of various periods". It appears that one of W. G. Clarke's collection sites (Site 19) lay in this area, being described on (S4) as "Santon Warren, near Blood Hill". According to the notes in the file for NHER 5655 Clarke's finds included 4 flakes and 1 rough polished axe - these objects are now held by Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1926.32.19).

This area also lies within one of H. D. Hewitt's large 'Sites' (XXXIII Santon Warren East) and at least some of his finds probably came from near Blood Hill. According to (S5) 1 transverse petit tranchet derivative arrowhead in the NCM's H.D. Hewitt collection is marked "Blood Hill". See NHER 5657 for further details on Hewitt's Santon Warren finds.

IRON AGE FINDS

A significant number of Iron Age pottery sherds have also been found in this general area. According to (S6), in around (or prior to) 1936 sherds were found across an extensive area "…around St Helen's Well, extending into Santon parish." Although previously discussed along with the other Blood Hill area finds under NHER 5655, these finds are now listed under NHER 5656. It is however clear that at least some Iron Age material was indeed recovered in the Blood Hill area, including a number of pottery sherds that were found to the north-east of Half-Moon Plantation by C. Leaf and H. D. Hewitt. Although this plantation no longer exists, its location is shown on the 1st Edition O.S. map. According to (S6) Iron Age sherds were also found by R. R. Clarke on Santon Warren around this time (his Site 3). E. Rose (NAU) believed these finds were probably also from the Blood Hill area, although this is far from clear as it appears Clarke also recovered Iron Age material in the vicinity of St Helen's Well (see NHER 5656). R. R. Clarke's finds are recorded as being amongst the collection held by the NCM (NWHCM : 1939.10). The NCM also holds 2 Iron Age pottery sherds found by a Dr O. K. Schram that are listed as being from NHER 5655 (NWHCM : 2001.121.1) and therefore presumably came from somewhere in the vicinity of Blood Hill. These finds were accessioned in 2001 but it is unclear when they were found.

P. Watkins (HES), 14 May 2013.