NHER 8462 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenanced Palaeolithic flint handaxe and flake (Salhouse, poorly located)

Palaeolithic worked flints found during the early 20th century in Salhouse parish, but with no additional information regarding provenance.

REPORTED DISCOVERIES

Around 1921-22. Stray Find.
In April 1922 W. G. Clarke exhibited a Palaeolithic implement from Salhouse (that had been found by a schoolboy) at a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia. This object is figured in (S1) and was described as belonging "...to the period of La Micoque (transition from St. Acheul to Le Moustier), when pointed hand axes were made with one face chipped flat, and the other gabled, the ridge being generally not in the centre line, but to one side or the other…". It was 6 inches [15cm] long and 2.5 inches wide [6cm]. This implement was also noted in (S2), where it is described as a "…hand-axe of La Micoque type..." that resembled "…some of the later work at Whitlingham [NHER 9663]". Described by Wymer on (S9) and in (S3) as an acutely pointed handaxe (Wymer Type F b/ii), made on a thermal flake. See sketch on reverse of (S9).
This object is also noted in (S4) and (S5), although no additional information is given. Its present location is unknown, although according to (S6) it is recorded in (S7) that it was originally in the possession of [1].

FINDS IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

Roe (S8) records that the Norwich Castle Museum holds a single unretouched Palaeolithic flake from Salhouse. This object was identified by Wymer in the NCM's main H. H. Halls collection (NWHCM : 1924.83) and described on (S9) and in (S3) as a thick primary flake, 13cm long and very rolled.

A large side-struck flake of probable Palaeolithic date was recently identified in the Halls collection by P. Robins (NCM). This flake is 12cm long and may be the object recorded by Wymer.

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 12 May 2014.