NHER 10598 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenanced prehistoric finds (Ditchingham, poorly located)

Various prehistoric objects found during the late 19th century and early 20th century in Ditchingham parish, but with no additional information regarding provenance.

FINDS IN THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY

According to (S1) the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (CUMAA) holds a Mesolithic flint scraper and a Mesolithic flint blade from Ditchingham. The former (25.39 (195)) is described in R. Jacobi's records (S2) as an end scraper made on a blade.

As noted by (S3) this museum also holds a collection of Neolithic worked flints from Ditchingham. This collection is listed by (S4) as including 1 transverse petit tranchet derivative arrowhead, 1 flaked discoidal knife, 1 'notch', 1 fragmentary flaked flint axehead and 1 fragmentary polished flint axehead. These finds were unregistered at the time this list was produced.

FINDS IN THE NORWICH CASTLE MUSEUM

The NCM hold a quartzite pebble macehead with an hourglass perforation (NWHCM : 1968.19) that had been found at an unknown location in Ditchingham in 1949. Although this macehead is listed in (S1), objects of this type are not closely datable, having been found in both Mesolithic and later prehistoric contexts. See sketch on reverse of (S3). This find was previously recorded as NHER 10605.

The NCM also holds a single undated prehistoric flint flake (NWHCM : 1929.78.2) that had been found in a gravel pit at some time prior to its donation in 1929.

OTHER FINDS

Ditchingham is listed in (S5) as having produced Neolithic finds of both "Boulder Clay" and "Sandy Site" type. The latter were previously recorded as NHER 10600. The finders are listed as W. G. Clarke and W. A. Dutt. No other information is given and the present location of these finds is unknown, although it is possibly that some may be those now held by the CUMAA.

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 24 February 2014.