NHER 6254 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenanced possible Palaeolithic flint handaxe, beach (Weybourne, poorly located)

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Summary

The Norwich Castle Museum holds an unprovenanced worked flint from Weybourne which is marked as having been found in situ "below Weybourne Crag". This object was found during the early 20th century and was presumably recovered from the cliffs. Although the majority of the supposedly Palaeolithic objects recovered on the coast around this time are now seen as dubious artefacts, this particular find has been identified as a very rolled possible handaxe. See NHER 6252 for information on the other (much more dubious) potentially Palaeolithic worked flints recovered at Weybourne around the same time.

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet Not recorded
Civil Parish WEYBOURNE, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Map

No mapped location recorded.

Pre 1934. Stray Find.
The Norwich Castle Museum holds an object from Weybourne described as a "chipped flint" found "below Weybourne Crag in situ" (NWHCM : 1963.29). This was amongst a number of objects that were transferred from the Ipswich Museum in 1963 (originally R1934.138). Information from (S1).
It is likely that it was one of many flints from the area that were donated to this museum by J. Reid Moir.

Although the majority of Reid Moir's supposedly Palaeolithic "sub crag" flints are now viewed as dubious artefacts it appears that this object is potentially a genuine implement. It is almost certainly the same object as one that Wymer described on (S2) and in (S3) as a possible small handaxe made on a flake that was marked "below Weybourne Crag in situ". It is very rolled, stained and patinated. This object is also noted in (S4) and (S5), although no additional information is given.

See NHER 6252 for details of the other unprovenanced, much more dubious potentially Palaeolithic worked flints from Weybourne.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 30 July 2014.

  • --- Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
  • <S1> Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Palaeolithic. Weybourne.
  • <S2> Record Card: Wymer, J. J. Wymer Index Card - Palaeolithic. Weybourne.
  • <S3> Publication: Wymer, J. J. 1985. Palaeolithic Sites of East Anglia. p 19.
  • <S4> Unpublished Contractor Report: 1997. The English Rivers Palaeolithic Project. Regions 8 (East Anglian Rivers) and 11 (Trent Drainage). Wessex Archaeology. CR-2, No.3.
  • <S5> Website: TERPS online database. Site 22452.
  • HANDAXE (Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic - 1000000 BC? to 40001 BC?)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

Mar 7 2016 2:34PM

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