NHER 9487 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenanced prehistoric worked flints, Hethel (Bracon Ash, poorly located)

Various prehistoric objects found during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the Hethel area of what is now Bracon Ash parish, but with no additional information regarding provenance.

THE FINDS OF H. H. HALLS

As noted in (S1), Hethel was one of the areas in which Neolithic worked flints had been found by H. H. Halls between 1907 and 1919. These finds are recorded by (S2) as "implements of boulder clay type". These finds come from a location that he designated Site 19, and included a "…a broad-based barbed arrowhead of uncommon type…" that he exhibited at a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia in 1911 (S3). Unfortunately the location of this site is not known. At least some of these finds (but probably not the arrowhead) are now held by the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1924.83.19).

Halls also found at least two potential Palaeolithic objects in the Hethel area, one at his Site 19 and another elsewhere. These objects are recorded separately under NHER 9486.

THE FINDS OF W. G. CLARKE

Finds were also recovered at at least two locations in the Hethel area by W. G. Clarke during the early 20th century. The Norwich Castle museum holds a collection of flints that were found at a location Clarke designated Site 44 (NWHCM : 1926.32.44). The museum's records suggest that this collection comprises both Mesolithic and Neolithic flints but give no additional details. It does not appear that this collection includes any particularly diagnostic tools as it is not listed in either (S4) or (S5). As these finds are not mentioned by either (S6) or (S1) it is likely that they were recovered between 1919 and 1926.

The Norwich Castle museum also holds a fragment of worked flint that was found by Clarke at a different location in Hethel (his Site 67). This object, which appears to have been mistakenly listed as part of a chipped flint axe in the museum's record, is recorded under NHER 9486.

OTHER FINDS

A noted added to (S2) by E. Rose (NAU) suggests that the British Museum also holds unprovenanced finds from Hethel. It is noted which collector donated them.

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 20 February 2014.