The Stone age (10,000 to 2,500 BC)

Polished flint axe head (reproduction).

The first evidence of human activity in the Brumstead area dates from the Mesolithic period (10,000 - 5,000BC) and is a broken chipped flint tool found just south of the Parish boundary with Stalham (01 - SMR unknown). This is consistent with the limited number of finds from this period found in the region. Two polished Neolithic (5,000 - 2,500BC) axe heads have been found in the south of Brumstead with part of a further one just outside the boundary plus a further Neolithic axe head was also found in the north east of the Parish (01 - SMR unknown). Due to their fragile nature, polished flint axe heads are thought to have been used for ceremonial rather than practical use and their discovery indicates a tribal existence during this era. A Neolithic flint sickle found in nearby Stalham (01 - SMR unknown) strongly indicates the practice of farming during this period and three known Neolithic settlements are to be found to the north west of Brumstead in the Witton / Ridlington area (02 - page 27).

Pot boiler (note cracking).

In 1999 excavations for a new pipeline in the east of the Parish turned up various un-dateable prehistoric flint tools and field walking over the Parish has recovered many more along with numerous pot boilers (01 - SMR various). Plotting the flint tools plus pot boilers found reveal that they tend to be concentrated in the middle of the Parish on the slightly higher ground, thus indicating the likely general area of prehistoric settlement.

References ;

01. The Sites and Monuments Records held at Gressenhall, Norfolk.

02. An Historical Atlas of Norfolk, edited by P. Wade-Martin and published by the Norfolk Museums service - 1994

Definitions ;

Field walking involves walking over a ploughed field in either a random or ridged way picking up objects of historical interest.

Polished Axe Head is a flint axe that has been ‘ground’ down and smoothed to form a highly polished finish.

A Pot boiler is a burnt piece of flint or stone of prehistoric date that is thought by most archaeologists to have been used to heat food or water in a pot by dropping it into the ceramic pot after it has first been heated over a fire.

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