NHER 6899 (Monument record) - Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement

Large and important Neolithic/Bronze Age occupation site.

EARLY DISCOVERIES

Early 20th century. Stray Find.
Found by owner of Bacton Hall farm while digging a hole for a gate post (on same hill as gravel pit where Bronze Age cinerary urns were found in 1823 (NHER 6097)):
Hoard of flint implements consisiting of axes, an axe hammer, a chisel and a 'long arrowhead' (?knife dagger).
Probably within area covered by NHER 6899. Although "the occupier of the farm at this time amassed quite a collection of the more obvious flint implements" these were subsequently lost.
Information from (S1) (which suggests these finds may have been grave goods associated with an inhumation).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 11 June 2014.

INVESTIGATIONS 1948-1951

During 1948 the fields around Bacton Hall farm were deep ploughed for the first time. This operation revealed a large number of dark soil patches that were initially interpreted as hearths. Over the course of the next few years over 650 of these features were identified. Around this time several small-scale excavations were undertaken in order to investigate these features. Surface collection also recovered a wide range of prehistoric finds.

June (and later) 1948. Excavation and fieldwalking.
Many pits containing black soil mapped, although these were not initially datable. One particular field containing such features did however subsequently yield a large number of prehistoric pottery sherds, including Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker and Grooved Ware sherds and at least one rim sherd from a Bronze Age urn. A significant number of worked flints were also recovered, including at least one Neolithic polished flint axehead and a number of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pieces, including a plano-convex knife and a discoidal polished knife. Other finds of note included a perforated macehead and a broken Neolithic/Bronze Age axe hammer.

A number of the features identified were excavated by J. E. Turner around this time. One was found to contain Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker pottery and carbonised acorns.

A selection of the finds recovered around this time was donated to the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1948.68), the remainder being retained by the finder.
This work was first reported in (S2). Information from (S3).

1949.
Various finds recovered by J. E. Turner including 1 polished axehead with squared cutting edge and lozenge cross section, 1 rechipped polished axe and 1 flint pick with tranchet edge (?hoe).
Information from (S1).

1950. Excavation.
Found in OS Field 63 (east of farm) at TG 306 308:
Middle Bronze Age cremation burial in 'overhanging rim' urn covered by portion of another large urn. Donated to Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1950.32). 'Pot boilers' and flint flakes also found. Information from (S3). These collared urns are amongst those listed in (Sa) (provenance incorrectly given as Edingthorpe).

1950. Excavation.
Trial excavation by Norwich Research Committee (NRC), directed by G. Larwood. Five sites were investigated within OS Field 49 (south of farm, centred TG 303 307), two of which revealed no archaeologically significant features. At the other three sites three "Bronze Age hearths" were excavated and flint flakes and a barbed and tanged arrowhead recovered. One of the 'hearths' investigated was found to be medieval. See photographs of excavated features in file (Se).

Finds recovered around this time included a Neolithic polished flint axehead.
This work was reported in (Sc). Information from (S3). It is noted in (S1) that the medieval feature produced sherds from a 12th-century jug.

1951. Excavation.
Hearth excavated by J. E. Turner.
Late Neolithic/Grooved Ware pottery recovered.
Information from (S4).

1951. Excavation.
Further NRC excavations, again directed by G. Larwood. Two areas investigated.
OS Field 64:
Two 'living hollows' filled with dark sand excavated. Finds recovered included 'rusticated ware' sherds, flint flakes, scrapers, 1 barbed and tanged arrowhead, 1 petit tranchet arrowhead and burnt flints.
OS Field 49:
Similar 'living hollow', which contained Middle Neolithic Peterborough Ware pottery. Other finds recovered included ?Grooved Ware sherds, flint flakes, scrapers and 'pot boilers'.
These discoveries were first reported in (Sd). Information from (S4). An extensive collection of Neolithic and Bronze Age pottery and worked flints was donated to the Norwich Castle Museum following the completion of this work (NWHCM : 1952.177).

FINDS FROM SURFACE COLLECTION 1948-1951

The Neolithic/Bronze Age axehammer found in 1948 is broken in half and has the beginning of a new perforation. This petrology of this implement was confirmed by Dr F. S. Wallis in 1969 (N96 Group XVIII Whin Sill); see (Sb). Information from (S3).

1948. Stray Find.
Found in field to south of Bacton Hall Farm:
1 Bronze Age half of axe hammer with beginning of perforation after

1948-1951. Excavation.

Surface finds and trial excavation produced Neolithic and Bronze Age flint and stone tools (including an axe hammer) and Bronze Age and Beaker pottery.
1949. Casual finds of Neolithic axes.
1950. Excavation by NRC. Neolithic/Beaker occupation site and cremation.
1951. Excavation of further hut sites.
1953. Casual find of palstave.
1956. Casual find of Bronze Age pottery and Neolithic sherd.
1958. Casual find Roman brooch.
1960. Finds of Neolithic pottery (S2) and pot boilers.
1962 - 4. Find of Beaker pottery.
1964. Finds of Bronze Age pottery and flints.
1965. Excavation by NCM of Bronze Age habitation site.
1966. Casual find of bronze cake or axe.
1966. Quartzitic macehead found while hoeing beet (TG 3039 3039). Discovery reported in (S6)
1967. Casual find of Neolithic flints.
1969. Casual find of Neolithic flints.
See details and list in file.

Detailed notes on finds, and find drawings in file.
E.Rose, (NAU) 4 April 1990.

April/May 2001. Metal detecting. Site slightly extended.
Roman coin.
2 medieval coins.
Post medieval coin.
Post medieval jetton and token.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 15 June 2001.

January-February 2007. Strip Map and Sample Excavation and Watching Brief.
Fieldwork along route of pipeline (Areas B, C and D):
In Area B 15 pits were found, and all except two contained a charcoal-rich deposit and seem to have some in-situ burning. The pits remain undated at present. Nine ditches were also observed and excavated in this area, most of which are likely to be relatively recent field boundaries.
Area C contained 5 pits, one of which was similar to those found further north-east in Area B. A cluster of two pits and a post hole were recorded at the highest point within this area, and were found to contain Neolithic flint flakes. Further pits in this area were found to contain flint flakes and a crested blade and small blade which dates from the Mesolithic to early Neolithic period. A fabricators and other worked flints were recovered from the topsoil in this area, providing additional evidence for Neolithic and Bronze Age activity.
Area D was also found to contain several charcoal-rich pits, but in this area these were more clustered than elsewhere. Two ditches were observed, neither of which could be dated. One appears to have been a drainage ditch, while the morphology of the other is suggestive of a boundary ditch. A large shallow pit was also recorded in this area and contained 19th-20th century artefacts.
See final report (S6) and assessment report (S7) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S9).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.115).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 6 July 2009. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 18 May 2019.