Monument record MDR2845 - Artefact scatter, Hedge Lane, Astonhill, Brassington

A small collection of surface finds was recovered from the surface of a ploughed field at approx. SK 203586 in 1969. Finds included seven sherds of pottery, 49 flint and chert artefacts and three chips from polished stone axe heads. The pottery sherds were all small and to some extent abraded, and included single sherds of Grimston ware, 'Windmill Hill ware with Ebbsfleet traits', Mortlake and Fengate ware. The flint and chert items included a triangular microlith (the only undoubtedly Mesolithic item in the collection), three whole or fragmentary leaf-shaped arrowheads, a transverse arrowhead, five scrapers, two knives, seven pieces with secondary working and 28 other worked flints, including several blades. The polished axe head fragments were all of a fine-grained pale green stone, perhaps of Group VI (Great Langdale). The main interest in the collection lies in the suggestion of a long occupation for the site, with some activity in the later Mesolithic and a Neolithic range from perhaps as early as c. 3000 BC until after c. 2000 BC. (1) Photographic record. (4). Further Neolithic finds were made following fieldwalking in 1993 at approx. SK 201586. These included a reworked axe of Langdale type, at least two scrapers, a burin, a notched blade and debitage. The finds were given to Sheffield Museum. (5)