Northwest Europe, Britain (Britanniae), 5C ENGLAND : Mesolithic Period (9700-4000 BC)

The Mesolithic is defined by the sole presence of modern man, Homo sapiens, all other forms of early humans having gone extinct. With their climate changing they either had to follow the herds of mammoth, reindeer and bison moving north-wards or to stay and adapt to the changing environment.

Characteristic of the period is the development of miniature flints called microliths (‘small stones’), and the development of the first true axes and adzes for woodworking.

The people, however, were still nomadic, erecting wigwam type structures mostly occupied for only a few days until the resources in the surrounding area were exhausted.

Star Carr (9300-8400 BC) in the Vale of Pickering, North Yorkshire, lies at the western end of a palaeolake known as Lake Flixton. More sites were found around the lake, some were hunting camps, others resembled home bases. The area was richly stocked with large animals and the inhabitants of Star Carr probably used it as a seasonal hunting camp.

At Howick House (7600-7500 BC), Northumberland, a circle of postholes with a number of shallow hearths inside and dated to 7600 BC was thought to be evidence of the oldest house in Britain until an older one was found at Star Carr.

Found in Gough’s Cave, Cheddar Gorge in the Mendip Hills, Somerset, the remains of a human male, named Cheddar Man, dated to approximately 7150 BC, is Britain’s oldest complete human skeleton.

During this time Doggerland was a forested plain with inland lakes and rivers but c.6500-6200 BC rising sea levels submerged it beneath the North Sea, severing the connection between Britain and mainland Europe. This event, of course, was to have a significant impact on the history of both.