NHER 10740 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenanced Palaeolithic handaxes (Aldeby, poorly located)

Palaeolithic and potentially Palaleolithic worked flint objects known to have been recovered in Aldeby during the late 19th century and/or early 20th century, but with little additional information regarding provenance.

REPORTED DISCOVERIES

Pre December 1905. Stray Find.
Found in Aldeby around this time by a Mr Dowson:
1 Palaeolithic "Acheulean" handaxe. According to (S1) it is recorded in (S2) that this information was conveyed to W. G. Clarke by H. B. Woodward in a letter on 4 December 1905. In light of this it is curious as to why Aldeby is not listed as a source of Palaeolithic material in either (S3) or (S4).

1921-1922. Stray Find.
Found by C. Hartley:
1 Palaeolithic "Acheulean handaxe".
Information from (S1).

The above discoveries are listed in (S5) and also noted in (S6), (S7) and (S8). In all cases this is simply a reference to the above information. Neither object appears to survive in any of the known museum collections, although it is possible that Hartley's handaxe in actually now in the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (see below).

Although it is unclear where these artefacts were recovered the most likely location is a large gravel quarry at the western edge of the parish (centred TM 432 931). These pits are listed as a possible source for these finds in (S8). Another handaxe was found on the surface of a former pit here in 1972 (NHER 10723). It is also suggested in (S8) that these quarries may have also been the source of two additional handaxes that were also found by Hartley in the 1920s but recorded as coming from the adjacent parish of Gillingham (see NHER 10727).

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 February 2014.

FINDS IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology:
The Cambridge University Museum holds a small ovate Palaeolithic handaxe that is recorded as being from "Alderby [sic], Norfolk" (1925.23 A). This was acquired from a Dr W. M. Tapp.

Interestingly none of the available sources appear to make any mention of this object and it is therefore possible that it is actually the C. Hartley find noted above. This suggestion is supported by the fact that Hartley is also reported to have recovered two other handaxes in neighbouring Gillingham and that the only potentially corresponding finds in a museum collection are two objects (at least one a handaxe) in the same CUMAA collection, which were also acquired from a Dr W. M. Tapp in 1925.

British Museum:
The British Museum holds a single worked flint from Aldeby that is recorded as being Palaeolithic (1919,1016.37). This object was donated by Hartley and is listed simply as "debitage". It is unclear whether this is a genuine Palaeolithic artefact, particularly as it is not listed in either (S5) or (S6).

P. Watkins (HES), 10 January 2016.