NHER 59916 (Find Spot record) - Many Neolithic worked flints and possibly earlier material

Pre 1935. Stray Find.
A large number of prehistoric worked flints were recovered at this location by J. S. Warburton during the early 20th century. Warburton described this site in his notes as "..the richest site [he] had ever found", with several thousand implements recovered in total. Information from (S1).
These discoveries were previously recorded under NHER 4945.

This is believed to be the site that he first mentioned in (S2); described as lying approximately 1 mile [1.6km] to the east of the village, close to the spring that was the source of the Methwold Lode (this marked on the 1st Edition O.S. map at TL 763 951). The site is recorded on (S3) as being on "R. Parrot's land on Munford Road - left side opposite farm [Warren Lodge]", situated east of Spring Lodge [TL 752 946] and west of the Didlington Drove".

In (S1) Warburton describes recovering many interesting flints, including 64 scrapers, 10 of which were "…steep, in the Aurignac style" and 12 that were of the "long variety". Other implements recovered were "cones" (probably single platform cores), a "...very small handaxe, a beaked-shaped implement… [and] a small implement with chipping all round". This description would certainly suggest that some earlier prehistoric pieces were present in this collection. In his personal notes written a number of years later he describes having recovered "…several thousand implements in all: over 30 arrowheads: hundreds of first class scrapers; half a dozen butts and edges of polished axes. Some suggestive of Late Palaeo. Age". Information from (S1).

According to his notes the majority of Warburton's flints from this site were given to the Norwich Castle Museum, with (S3) recording that material from several of his Methwold sites was acquired in 1929. In the late 1988s F. Healy (NAU) was able to identify a collection of Warburton's finds that had been accessioned in 1929 (although its present whereabouts are unclear as it cannot be identified in the present museum records). Healy listed that following pieces in (S4):
12 cores, including 1 with blade scars.
1 core trimming flake.
14 flakes.
4 blades.
13 scrapers.
1 scale-flaked knife.
1 piercer (borer).
1 fabricator.
This assemblage, which clearly can only represents a proportion of the material recovered, would appear to be no earlier than Neolithic in date. Only one collection from Methwold (NWHCM : 1948.64.6) can be associated with Warburton, this recorded by the museum as comprising undated implements and arrowheads.

It is clear that the bulk of the material from this site is either not in the NCM, or at the very least is not amongst the formally accessioned material. As a result the assemblages listed above should be treated with a degree of caution, particularly as Warburton recovered material from several sites in Methwold.

E. Rose (NLA), 29 November 1993. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 November 2013.