December 1998 to January 1999

Forest-walk 28
Forestry Compartment Downham 3041.

Norfolk SMR - 34278
Parish - straddling parish and county boundary of Santon Downham in Suffolk; and Thetford in Norfolk.
Survey Area - 6.08 ha. Sample Fraction - 2.75 %
Centre on TL 8281 8424.
Soil - Worlington - upland brownearth, but splash of Methwold/Worlington slope soil at Suffolk (west) end.
Relief - North-east facing slopes of dry valley.
Water - Little Ouse River 2 km.
Height OD - 25 to 35 metres.
Date - 22/12/98.

5 retouched or notched flint flakes.
54 unmodified flint flakes.
108 burnt flints.

No previous forest-walk of this survey had thrown up nearly as many pot-boilers as this site. The burnt flints are crackled, and light grey / blue to white in colour. These burnt flints are scattered at high density across the entire survey area. However contexts G4; G5; H4; and H5 all produced higher numbers of burnt flints suggesting that a pot-boiler concentration is centred on TL 8284 8418 C. Forest-walk 31 conducted nearby on com­partment 3083 was to reveal an even higher burnt flint density. Clearly this area is carpeted in burnt flints, but are they an archaeological phenomena?

Most flakes very sharp - absence of edge damage noticeable. Knapping skills and / or raw material quality much better than in many of these forest collections. Raw material almost exclusively weathered nodules with thick cortex. - notes by Peter Robins for Norfolk Museum Services

Lithic Sample Size = 59. Sample Area = 1672 M²
Medium Lithic Density for Forest-walk 28 = 3.53 per are². Burnt flint density = 6.46 per are²

Forest-walk 29.
Forestry Compartment Hockwold 6103.

Norfolk SMR - 34277
Parish - Hockwold-cum-wilton. Date - 17/01/99.
Survey Area - 3.84 ha. Sample Fraction - 2.75 %
Centre on TL 7485 8824
Soil - Methwold/Newmarket - shallow and calcareous rendzina/brown earth.
Relief - South-facing slope
Water - 900 metres.
Height OD - 10 to 20 metres.

2 flint flakes.
1 burnt flint.

A few post-medieval potsherds along western edge.

This compartment offered good prospects, sitting on south-facing slopes, less than one kil­ometre from a river, close to the fen-edge on chalky soils. Previously recorded finds in the vicinity include a Neolithic axe; a scraper; and ?Iron Age sherds. Yet, the surface finds for this survey were very few.

Lithic Sample Size = 2. Sample Area = 1056 M²
Very Low Lithic Density for Forest-walk 29 = 0.19 per are². Burnt flint density = 0.09 per are²

Forest-walk 30
Forestry Compartment High Lodge 3064

Suffolk SMR - BRD155
Parish - Brandon. Date - 29/01/99.
Survey Area - 3.2 ha. Sample Fraction - 3.25 %
Centre on TL 8005 8423.
Soil - Worlington upland brown earth.
Relief - traversing ?dry valley slopes.
Water - Little Ouse River 2.7 km; Horseshoe Pit 1 km.
Height OD - 35 to 40 metres OD.

1 sherd of Romano-British pottery
1 convex flint scraper.
2 informal flint scrapers.
3 retouched flint flakes.
46 flint flakes.
1 flint keeled waste core (late prehistoric).
11 burnt flints.

No post-medieval / modern finds.

Finds were stronger on the northern end on a south-facing slope. All three scrapers were found there.

Variation in patination suggests at least two as­semblages / phases. Most pieces have amounts of cortex. Quality variable.- Colin Pendelton (Suffolk C.C).

Lithic Sample Size = 53. Sample Area = 1040M²
High Lithic Density for Forest-walk 30 = 5.1 per are². Burnt flint density = 1.06 per are²

Forest-walk 31
Forestry Compartment Downham 3083

Suffolk SMR - STN065
Parish - Santon Downham. Date - 29/01/99.
Survey Area - 3.76 ha. Sample Fraction - 3 %
Centre on TL 8230 8377.
Soil - Worlington upland brown earth.
Relief - flat. Water - 2.6 km from Little Ouse River; 2.1 km from Horseshoe Pit.
Height OD - 40 to 45 metres.

1 sherd of ?Romano-British pottery (micaceous).
5 retouched flint flakes.
41 flint flakes.
1 flint waste core.
154 burnt flints (only a sample of which were actually collected)

No post-medieval / modern finds except the small pit and earthworks.

A number of earth-banks exist across the compartment, all which are clearly marked on OS maps. A small pit, surrounded by spoil exists at TL 8229 8378. Burnt flints carpet the whole survey area, but a concentration appears to exist at the southern end at context A1; A2; B2.

Small presence of deeply patinated (mesolithic?) flints. Mainly unpatinated, relatively squat assemblage with large proportion with cortex. Fair quality workmanship - maybe end of EBA or MBA? - Colin Pendleton (Suffolk C.C).

Lithic Sample Size = 47. Sample Area = 1128M²
Medium Lithic Density for Forest-walk 31 = 4.17 per are². Burnt flint density = 13.65 per are²