Monument record 6980 - Probable Neolithic & Bronze Age Flint Working Site

Fieldwalking survey undertaken as part of the Raunds Area Project identified a significant flint scatter

{1} {1} Two concentrations of flint have been identified in the northern part of Hargrave parish. The principle area (52b) is particularly sharply defined from the surrounding background scatters and with 39 flints per ha within 3ha has the second greatest density of material within the Survey area. The densest part of the concentration occupies little more than 1ha and increases to 80 flints.
Both concentrations are located close to the Hargrave Brook some 50 and 155m to the south-east. Alluvium associated with the stream does not appear to have masked the scatters, which appear to coincide with the only present day exposures of gravel within the eastern half of the survey area. The gravel forms two islands within the Oxford Clay. The importance of this is that the gravel provides a source of good quality raw material in an area otherwise restricted to Boulder Clay flint. Areas of gravel are also attractive for settlement.
The concentrations comprise almost exclusively regular debitage, though a slight concentration of parent material occurs in the southernmost concentration. Blades and flakes are evenly distributed throughout. There is no distinction in the distribution of scrapers and other tools from the general distribution along the valley side.
Site 52b (South): In common with the smaller concentration to the north the proportion of regular debitage is unusually high. A slight Bronze Age presence is indicated by one of the flakes, and a small proportion of the debitage may be of a similar date.
Most surprising is the lack of scrapers and the few retouched implements. The composition of the group and the highly localised extent of the gravel islands suggest that this location acted as a source of high quality raw material, serving a wide catchment beyond the flint-rich gravels of the Nene Valley during the earlier and probably also the later Neolithic. There is no cropmark evidence for Neolithic or Bronze Age monuments and areas of settlement might reasonably be expected to be marked by greater numbers of tools.

Location may have acted as a source for high quality raw material rather than forming a settlement; no cropmark evidence for Neolithic or Bronze Age monuments & areas of settlement would be expected to have greater numbers of tools.

{2} Most surprising is the lack of scrapers and the few retouched implements. The composition of the group and the highly localised extent of the gravel islands suggest that this location acted as a source of high quality raw material, serving a wide catchment beyond the flint-rich gravels of the Nene Valley during the earlier and probably also the later Neolithic. There is no cropmark evidence for Neolithic or Bronze Age monuments and areas of settlement might reasonably be expected to be marked by greater numbers of tools.

<1> Parry S., 1993, Raunds Area Survey Report, p.315 (checked) (Draft). SNN1175.

<1> Parry S. et al, 2006, Raunds Area Survey: An Archaeological Study of The Landscape of Raunds, Northamptonshire 1985-94, p.265-66 (checked) (Book). SNN105780.

Record last edited

Aug 19 2019 2:01PM