Frere, John

John Frere, (born Aug. 10, 1740, Roydon Hall, near Diss, Norfolk, Eng.—died July 12, 1807, East Dereham, Norfolk), British antiquary and a founder of prehistoric archaeology.

Frere was a country squire and, from 1771, an active member of the Royal Society of Antiquaries. In 1790 he discovered Stone Age flint implements among some fossilized bones of extinct animals at Hoxne, near Diss. Anticipating later archaeological methods, Frere carefully noted and described the strata uncovered. Though fettered by the then-popular belief that the Earth had been created in 4004 bc, in reporting his findings (1797) Frere nevertheless suggested that the remains may have dated from a time considerably earlier than 4004. His report was politely received but had to wait some 60 years to be appreciated.