NHER 5872 (Find Spot record) - Possible Late Saxon skull, London Road

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Summary

Sometime before 1886 a human skull was recovered during trenching of an allotment located on the Newmarket Road (now London Road) just outside of Thetford. The skull was probably of Late Saxon date and associated with the 'ancient burial ground' in this area. Likley on another occasion, a 'celt' was recoverd about 150 yards from the skull.

Protected Status/Designation

None recorded

Location

Map sheet	Not recorded
Civil Parish	THETFORD, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Map

No mapped location recorded.

Full Description

Before 8 November 1886. Casual find.
A resident of Thetford exhibited a skull to the Cambridge Antiquarian Society described as having been 'dug up at the depth of 18 in. on the site of an ancient burying ground, about a mile from Thetford on the Newmarket Road' (S1). A later statement within (S1) indicates that the skull was recovered during trenching of an allotment. The skull had a wound measuring 2 and 5/8 inches and there was evidence of repair following the injury. The resident also exhibited a celt found apprpximately 150 yards from the skull.
The original record card noting this find (S2) was previously transcribed as 'Skull with wood found by man trenching allotment 15 inches down in ancient burial ground 1 mile up London Road', but it is likely that this difference was largely a transcribing error. London Road, Thetford does lead towards Newmarket, Cambridgeshire.
H. Hamilton (HES), 22 September 2016.

Associated Sources (3)

<S1> SNF7879 Article in Serial: Cambridge Antiquarian Society. 1890. Appendix of report presented to the Cambridge Antiquarian Society at its foth-seventh annual general meeting, May 24 1887.. Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society. Vol VI Part III. pp xcvii-xcviii.
<S2> SNF87262 Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Late Saxon. Thetford [2].
<S3> SNF57722 Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.

Site and Feature Types and Periods (1)

FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)

Object Types (1)

HUMAN REMAINS (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)

Related NHER Records (0)

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Record last edited

Sep 22 2016 3:58PM