NHER 6885 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenanced ?Palaeolithic flint flake, foreshore (Paston, poorly located)

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Summary

During the early 19th century a flint flake was recovered from Cromer Forest Bed deposits exposed on the foreshore at Paston. This was one of many supposedly Palaeolithic worked flints recovered by J. Reid Moir around this time. Although this particular example was described as a "Clactonian flake" it should be noted that the majority of Moir's finds are now regarded as extremely dubious artefacts.

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet Not recorded
Civil Parish PASTON, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Map

No mapped location recorded.

September 1916. Stray Find.
Found by J. Reid Moir:
1 ?Palaeolithic prehistoric large flint flake.
This flake is one of a number of potentially Palaeolithic objects described and illustrated in (S1). It was found close to an exposure of "…black, carbonaceous, stony clay containing pieces of wood, and, more rarely, fragments of bone". This deposit was exposed at the base of the cliff beneath thick glacial deposits and was believed to be "…referable to the Lower Fresh-water Bed of the Cromer Forest Bed series.
This flake is also noted on (S2) and (S3). It is described on (S3) as a "Clactonian flake" and is apparently referred to in (S4). It was apparently donated to the Ipswich Museum.
It is uncertain whether this flake should be regarded as a genuine artefact. Around this time Moir published accounts of numberous supposedly Palaeolithic flints that had been recovered from the Cromer Forest Bed deposits exposed along the Norfolk coast. The majority are now regarded as extremely dubious.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 17 July 2014.

  • --- Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
  • <S1> Article in Serial: Moir, J. Reid. 1920. A Series of Humanly-Fashioned Flints found in the Cliffs and on the Shore at Mundesley, Norfolk. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia. Vol III Pt II (for 1919-20) pp 219-243. p 228; Fig 52C.
  • <S2> Record Card: Wymer, J. J. Wymer Index Card - Palaeolithic. Paston.
  • <S3> Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Miscellaneous Prehistoric.
  • <S4> Article in Serial: Breuil, H. 1932. Les Industries a eclat du Paleolithique. Prehistoire. Vol I pp 125-190. p 170; Fig 19.
  • FLAKE (Palaeolithic - 1000000 BC? to 10001 BC?)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

Jun 27 2023 1:59PM

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