A HISTORY OF NORFOLK 



stroyed, but between twenty and thirty were preserved,' though the con- 

 tents were scattered about. Among the objects picked up on the spot 

 were a spindle-whorl, a glass bead and almost microscopic shells, some 

 metallic plates, perhaps portions of a mirror of the Roman pattern, two 

 studs and fragments of a bone comb ornamented with double concentric 

 rings. It is interesting to note that at the distance of about half a mile, 

 in the parish of South Acre on the other side of the river Nar, could be 

 traced earthworks of considerable size, and an ancient lane, now over- 

 grown with bushes, runs from one spot to the other. 



In 1 89 1 the existence of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery evidently not 

 far from this site was first suspected on some urns coming to light at 

 the western boundary of the Priory Field ; and a thorough examination 

 of the site was suggested by Dr. Jessopp and carried out through the 

 liberality of Mr. Henry Willett of Brighton. The field lies about a 

 mile and a half to the north-west of the village, bordering on the high 

 road to King's Lynn. It covers the southern side of a gently sloping 

 chalk hill, the surface soil rarely exceeding a foot in depth. The urns 

 had been deposited so near the surface that in almost every instance 

 the repeated ploughings to which the soil had been subjected had de- 

 stroyed some of the mouths and necks, and in many cases shattered them 

 so completely that they fell to pieces at the first attempt to remove 

 them. The urns were met with in such quantities that it became 

 impracticable to mark the exact position of each on the chart. It was 

 clear however that they had been deposited without any regard to 

 order or regularity, sometimes singly, frequently in pairs, sometimes in 

 groups of four or five close together. Considerably more than fifty 

 specimens were recovered, though only about twelve were got out 

 whole ; all were of coarse pottery, evidently made of the sandy clay of 

 the district, and burnt in smother kilns, which gave them the black 

 appearance of the Roman Upchurch ware. In size they varied from 

 a diameter of 12 inches to that of 7 or 8. Some were quite plain, but 

 the ornament was not the same on any two specimens. The favourite 

 design consisted of repetitions of a circle about half an inch in diameter 

 filled with cross lines, or a larger one containing a cross of four lines 

 with triangles near the circumference. The method adopted in all 

 cases* was stamping with a stick or other implement cut to the required 

 pattern. Sometimes large rough flints had been laid upon the mouth of 

 the urn by way of protection. The urns had not been deposited upon 

 the bare chalk, but in every instance upon a bed of mortar 6 inches 

 deep ; and so deeply were they imbedded in this that it was often 

 difficult to raise them without leaving the bottom of the vessel behind. 

 In every case the urns were more or less filled with the surrounding 

 soil, but also contained a conglomerate of broken human bones burnt 

 and discoloured. Some also contained the thin hollow bones of a bird 

 about the size of a rook. Very little of the skeleton remained in each 



* Some were given to Norwich Museum by Lord Leicester. Society of Antiquaries, Proceedings, 

 vol. iv. p. 172. 2 Traced patterns appear in addition at Shropham (figs. 8, 1 1, 13). 



330 



