NHER 3890 (Monument record) - Mesolithic flint working site

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Summary

A significant number of Mesolithic worked flints were found here in 1960. These finds included blades/flakes, cores, tranchet axes and microliths. The field to the south of this site has also produced a notable number of Mesolithic flints (NHER 4105).

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet TF81NW
Civil Parish SOUTHACRE, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK
Civil Parish CASTLE ACRE, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Map

1960. Fieldwalking.
Mesolithic 'flint industry' discovered T. E. Matthew in 1960. The finds recovered are listed on (S1) as an unspecified number of long flakes (blades?), "about 60 good cores", 'core trimmings', 2 tranchet axes, 2 tranchet axe-sharpening flakes and 4 'microlithic points'. These discoveries were reported in (S2). The flints from this site are listed in (S3), although the quantifications are identical to those given by (S1), suggesting the finds themselves had not been examined.

The King's Lynn Museum's T. E. Matthews collection includes a number of Mesolithic flints from South Acre (KILLM : 1977.130.35). These are recorded as "microliths, core tools and blades from South Acre Mesolithic site", suggesting that most, if not all, are from this site. This collection was examined by R. Jacobi, although the only items recorded as Mesolithic in (S4) are 7 microliths.

The precise location of these finds is not entirely clear, with only an approximate grid reference given by (S1) and (S2) (TF 801 150). A note has however been added to (S1) indicating these finds were from an area centred at TF 8025 1505. This places these finds somewhere in the vicinity of the Southacre/Castle Acre parish boundary, close to where it appears a number of other Mesolithic worked flints were recovered in 1947 (NHER 4105).

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 13 June 2013 and 15 August 2014.

  • --- Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. NHERs 3890 and 15724.
  • --- Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 81 NW 17.
  • --- Slide: Various. Slide.
  • <S1> Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Mesolithic.
  • <S2> Serial: 1960. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1960. No 7. p 5.
  • <S3> Monograph: Wymer, J. J. and Bonsall, C. J. (eds). 1977. Gazetteer of Mesolithic Sites in England and Wales with a Gazetteer of Upper Palaeolithic Sites in England and Wales. Council for British Archaeology Research Report. No. 20. p 213.
  • <S4> Archive: R. Jacobi. -. Jacobi Archive. 10356.
  • BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • CORE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FLAKE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • MICROLITH (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • TRANCHET AXEHEAD (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • TRANCHET FLAKE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

Jul 30 2025 8:29AM

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