Coastal curios? An analysis of ex situ beach finds for mapping new Palaeolithic sites at Happisburgh, UK

Abstract

Recent archaeological discoveries from exposures of the Cromer Forest-bed Formation at Happisburgh, UK, have radically changed interpretations of the nature and timing of early hominin occupation of northern latitudes, but this in situ archaeology is only one part of the picture. Surface finds of Pleistocene mammalian remains have been found along this coastline for centuries, with stone tools adding to this record over the past 7 years. The ex situ nature of these finds, however, means they are often seen as limited in the information they can provide. This work contributes to a growing body of research from a range of landscape and environmental contexts that seeks to demonstrate the value and importance of these ex situ assemblages. Here the focus is on Palaeolithic flint artefacts and Pleistocene mammalian remains recovered by a group of local collectors through systematic, GPSrecorded beach collection from 2013 to 2017, and their use in developing a methodology for working with ex situ Palaeolithic finds in coastal locations. The results demonstrate significant patterning that identifies unexplored exposures both onshore and offshore, considerably expanding the known extent of deposits and facilitating new insights into the wider archaeological landscape associated with the earliest occupation of northern Europe.

Lower and Early Middle Palaeolithic of Southern Britain: the Evidence from the River Test

“…Together, these sites suggest an expansion of groups with handaxes into northwest Europe between early MIS 16 and MIS 15. However, the possibility of an earlier appearance of handaxes in northwest Europe has recently been mooted by Bynoe et al (2021), based on the discovery of fresh condition handaxes on the surface of modern beach sands directly overlying Happisburgh Site 3. The early appearance of handaxes in the Solent record may also challenge the established view of the emergence of Acheulean technology in northwest Europe.…”

Middle Palaeolithic occupation of the southern North Sea Basin: evidence from the Sandscaping sediments emplaced on the beach between Bacton and Walcott, Norfolk, UK

“…The artefacts were recovered from the foreshore between Bacton and Horsey between January 2013 and September 2021. A detailed analysis of the material collected between 2013 and 2017 from Happisburgh to Eccles North Gap was undertaken by Bynoe et al (2021) and is included in this study for comparative purposes. The majority of the artefacts (98%) were found by eight collectors (JC, RF, IG, TG, CJ, JL, DN, MS).…”

“…4). While most of these finds are out of context and therefore difficult to interpret, some can be related to the known archaeological horizons at Happisburgh Site 1 and Happisburgh Site 3, while others indicate the presence of as yet unknown exposures of the CF‐bF offshore (Bynoe et al, 2021).…”

“…Bynoe et al (2021) identified three main areas (Areas A, B and C) for artefact recovery from the beach between Ostend and Eccles North Gap, based on the distribution of find spots between 2013 and 2017. Area A encompasses the majority of the known exposures of the CF‐bF in the Happisburgh area, including Happisburgh Site 3, whilst Area B includes Happisburgh Site 1.…”

“…Comparisons are made with the Area 240 lithic assemblage, providing an enhanced view of the archaeological record of the Palaeo‐Yare and of the southern North Sea more broadly. Comparisons are also made with the locally derived and in situ Lower Palaeolithic record from the foreshore in this area, which is derived from the Cromer Forest‐bed Formation (CF‐bF) and provides crucial evidence for the early human occupation of northwest Europe (Parfitt et al, 2010; Ashton et al, 2014; Lewis et al, 2019; Bynoe et al, 2021). The implications of the introduction of a Middle Palaeolithic assemblage to this archaeologically important coastline for future work on the archaeology of the CF‐bF are also considered.…”