NHER 469 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenanced Palaeolithic and potentially Palaeolithic worked flints, Mousehold Heath (Norwich, poorly located)

Palaeolithic and potentially Palaeolithic working flints known to have been recovered on Mousehold Heath during the early 20th century, but with no additional information regarding provenance.

REPORTED DISCOVERIES

Pre February 1920. Stray Find.
On 1 February 1920 a flint "implement found in the plateau gravel on Mousehold Heath was exhibited at a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia (S1). This was sent for exhibition by J. Reid Moir but had been found by a Mr Spalding.

Pre December 1921. Stray Find.
On 5 December 1921 T. L. G. Burley exhibited another flint implement from Mousehold Heath at a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia. This was described as "…like a coup-de-poing, originally shaped by sub-Crag man, the patina of that period being retained on one face. On the other face all round the edge had been rechipped, apparently by Palaeolithic man, as the chipping had an ochreous patina". This was also reportedly from the "plateau gravel" (S2). Although elements of the recorded description hint at this object having been a handaxe it should probably be regarded as a dubious artect.

FINDS IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

In 1935 a handaxe was seen at Great Yarmouth Museum. It was recorded as a "plano-convex ovate with ochreous patina, boldly flaked". It is thought to have been destroyed during the blitz. Information from (S3).
This possible handaxe is presumably one of the two listed in (S4) and one of the four noted in (S5) and (S6). Roe (S4) also lists a Palaeolitic core from Mousehold Heath, although the source of this information is unclear.

Amended by P. Watkins (HES).