Excavations in Kent reveal 700,000 year-old tools, showing early humans survived Britain’s harshest Ice Age conditions.
Archaeological discoveries made in the United Kingdom shatters the previously held beliefs about how early humans managed to survive under some of the planet's most extreme climates.
Found near the River Stour in Canterbury Kent, the signs of ancient humans show that not only did they occupy Britain during a fierce Ice Age, but they might also have done so with some extraordinary adaptations to endure it.
Researchers from Cambridge University at a site popularly referred to as Old Park have uncovered what is probably the earliest known evidence of human occupation in Northern Europe.
According to the thousands of stone tools recovered through gravel and sediment layers a human had settled there between 712,000 and 621,000 years ago. The species to which these early inhabitants belonged was Homo heidelbergensis and believed to be a direct ancestor of Neanderthals.
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This time period corresponds to one of the coldest climatic episodes in prehistoric Europe the Anglian glaciation.
The Glacial Anglian around 450,000 years ago was thought to have made Britain inhospitable to human life. Although deep in glacial deposits are found flint tools and scientists are convinced that they were not transported by natural forces but rather created and used on-site.
The positioning of these tools purposely buried and suggests early humans were protecting them from erosion or returning for them later offering insight into a surprisingly advanced level of planning.
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This discovery negates the previous assumptions that early humans invaded Britain during the warmer interglacial phases only. The survival of Homo heidelbergensis within such an extremely inhospitable environment raises important questions on their survival strategies. The plant remains were found co-located with the tools and suggest that the area was a cold grassland ecosystem. Extinct animals such as rhinoceroses and horses also roamed the area, possibly providing a vital food source.
Researchers think that these early settlers probably followed the migrating animals and used rudimentary types of shelter and palette thin clothing, probably made from the skins of animals. Their capability of adaptation indicates complex lapses in social behavior and environmental knowledge and countering the assumption that early men were primitive in survival capability.
It provides a rare window into the life of the Ice Ages and builds up the case of the early human capacity to endure. Far from grumbling on these ancient ancestors of Britain probably thrived working together, innovating tools and mastering their harsh surroundings long before the modern age began.
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Disclaimer: This article reflects ongoing archaeological research. Interpretations may evolve as further studies and peer reviews continue.
