NHER 9353 (Find Spot record) - Palaeolithic flint handaxe

1876. Stray Find.
Found by F. W. Harmer in "...valley gravels in grounds of Oakland House"
1 Palaeolithic flint handaxe . Information from (S1).
Described in (S2) as "…a fragment of a fine ovate implement, found by Mr Harmer on his estate...". This discovery is also noted in (S3) and (S4) and is the reason that Clarke listed Cringleford in (S5) as a location that had Palaeolithic material prior to 1907. It was subsequently mentioned in (S6), (S7) and (S11).

Although it is not known exactly where this handaxe was recovered, the reference to valley gravels suggests it was probably not a surface find. This is supported by the fact that it is described in (S3) as having been "excavated". The 1st Ed. O.S map of the area marks a gravel pit in the grounds of Oakland House (TG 1945 0642) and it seems quite likely that the handaxe was found here.

Harman's handaxe was subsequently donated to Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1923.113). A degree of confusion comes from the fact that the NCM actually holds two Palaeolithic implements with this accession number. The first is a small cordate handaxe (with an original NCM sticker marked with this accession number) and the second is the broken distal end of a possible handaxe that appears to have been made on a (?thermal) flake. The HES holds a photograph of the second object which is marked "found at Oaklands, Cringleford" (S8). The fragmentary condition of this object points to it being the 1876 find, although it is the complete handaxe that would better fit the description of a "fine ovate". It should be noted that all of the sources noted above only make reference to one Palaeolithic implement at this site. It was noted on (S1) that the NCM held two objects with this accession number although this may be a reference to one of Harmer's finds recorded in the museum's records as a Neolithic polished axehead from Witton (also NWHCM : 1923.113).

Both of the handaxes in the NCM are listed by Roe (S9), but only the complete handaxe is noted by Wymer in (S10) - described as a slightly rolled cordate (Wymer type J e/v). Both handaxes are however noted on (S12) and in (S13) and (S14), although no additional information is given.

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 24 March 2014.