NHER 9780 (Find Spot record) - Neolithic flint-working/mining site

Probable Neolithic flint working/mining site identified during the early 20th century.

SITE LOCATION AND DISCOVERY

According to (S1) this Neolithic flint-working site was identified by F. N. Haward at some time prior to 1906, "…in the fields on either side of the railway line on the northern slope of Chapel Hill, just above the river alluvium and below the 50-foot contour" (his Site 18?). In 1907 the site was independently discovered by H. H. Halls (his Site 6). Halls’ site is described in (S2) as lying in Markshall "…just below the 50ft. Contour on the northern slope to the Yare…". Worked flints were also collected here by W. G. Clarke (his Site 22).
A circular depression identified within or near to the main artefact scatter was thought to represent a "ploughed-out 'Cissbury' flint pit" (NHER 9779). This was surrounded by an accumulation of "rough flakes" (S2).
This site is also noted in (S3), (S4), (S5), (S6), (S7) and (S8). Information from (S9).

FINDS IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

At least a proportion of Haward's finds from this site were donated to the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1947.33.18). The museum records this collection simply as "Neolithic flint implements". These finds are not listed in (S10) so it is likely that no notable tool types are present.

Finds collected by W. G. Clarke at this site were also donated to the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1926.32.22). These are also recorded simply as "Neolithic flint implement" and are not listed in (S10).

The NCM also hold material that was collected by Halls at this site (NWHCM : 1924.83.6). This assemblage is listed in (S10) as comprising:
1 struck Levallois core (S11), 1 long-pointed piercer, 1 possible roughout for discoidal knife (S12), 1 fragmentary axehead roughout (S13) and an unspecified quantity of debitage.

The NCM also hold a number of Neolithic worked flints from Markshall that were donated by W. G. Clarke and H. H. Halls in 1909. It is further detail of these and other unprovenanced finds from the Markshall area.

The NCM also holds a number of red deer antlers that may have come from this site. See NHER 9778 for further details.

According to (S9) the Birmingham City museum holds a flint borer from this site. This object is also listed (S14), which indicates it is recorded simply as from "Markshall". The accession number (1928A16.6) suggests this piece was found by H. H. Halls. Previously recorded as NHER 39493.

THE NATURE OF THE NEOLITHIC ASSEMBLAGE
Haward believed his finds represented a location where "Cissbury" flint-mine type objects were "roughed-out" (S2). The artefacts from the site are described in (S2) as being of "large facies" with "long scrapers, planes and cones" predominating. It is also noted that many of the flakes had prominent bulbs of percussion and that "facetted butts" were rare. Healy (S10) noted that the NCM Halls collection includes debitage of a large size that is generally associated with flint mine sites.
This site is amongst the possible Neolithic flint mines listed in (S15).

SUBSEQUENT DISCOVERIES
According to (S9) a Neolithic flint scraper and a serrated flake were found at this site by R. R. Clarke in 1933. These were apparently given to the Norwich Castle Museum in 1937 (possibly integrated into the collection donated by W. G. Clarke).

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 31 March 2014.