NHER 6462 (Find Spot) - Palaeolithic flint handaxe and medieval/post-medieval possible stone cannon balls

Unstratified artefacts recovered on the section of Overstrand beach between Pauls Lane Promenade access and southern Promenade access.

Pre March 1930. Stray Find.
Found on beach at Overstand by J. E. Sainty:
1 Palaeolithic "Acheulian" flint handaxe. Donated to Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1959.45).
Information from (S1).

This object was exhibited at a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia on 3 March 1930 (S2). It was subsequently described and figured in (S3), in which it is recorded as having been found "..below high-water mark, and about 50 yds east of the breakwater, and 100 paces from the foot of the cliff". It is noted that only Cromer Till and Contorted Drift deposits were exposed along this part of the coast, with the latter suggested as the most likely provenance.

This handaxe is the handaxe from Overstrand listed in (S4). It is described by Wymer on (S5) and in (S6) as very rolled. It is also noted in (S7), (S8) and (S9), although no additional information is given.

It should be noted that the mapped extent of Context 1 represents only the general area in which this object was probably recovered, based on the information given in (S3).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 26 June 2014.

January 2010-December 2011. Stray Find. [1].
Medieval/post-medieval possible stone cannon balls.
Site extended to between Pauls Lane Promenade access and southern Promenade access. Previous extent recorded as Context 1.
Information from PAS import.
E. McDonald (HES), 1 December 2018.