These pieces of flint, left, found in Dartford, Kent, have revealed the existence of Neanderthals in Britain between 200,000 and 65,000 years ago.Archaeologists have discovered a previously unknown epoch in British pre-history when Stone Age hunters re-entered Britain after an absence of up to 90,000 years – because of climatically induced sea-level changes which turned the English Channel into dry land.
Until last month, no proof had ever been found for human occupation in Britain between 200,000 and 65,000 years ago – but now new evidence has revealed a human presence here in the middle of that period.
Although early humans originally arrived in Britain at least 700,000 years ago, they had been repeatedly forced out by particularly cold spells within the Ice Age.
But over subsequent millennia, their descendants and others gradually acclimatised to Europe's intermittently chilly conditions. As these early humans became more used to the cold, they evolved into a separate species of humanity, known as Neanderthal man.
Archaeologists from Southampton University and a commercial excavation unit, Oxford Archaeology, have discovered evidence of stone-tool manufacture, demonstrating that Neanderthals were living in Kent about 110,000 years ago.
Prior to that, the world had been warmer, the ice caps smaller, sea levels higher and the Channel had consequently been full of water and therefore uncrossable.
But then temperatures plummeted, sea levels dropped, the Channel dried up and big game in Britain migrated northwards – and the Neanderthals followed their dinner.
The Kent discovery is an example of how unprepossessing archaeological finds can have huge implications. For the objects which have changed our understanding of such a huge chunk of prehistory are just two pieces of flint – one 8cm-long probable cutting implement and a waste flake, almost certainly discarded while a Neanderthal hunter was making a similar tool... The Independent
Until last month, no proof had ever been found for human occupation in Britain between 200,000 and 65,000 years ago – but now new evidence has revealed a human presence here in the middle of that period.
Although early humans originally arrived in Britain at least 700,000 years ago, they had been repeatedly forced out by particularly cold spells within the Ice Age.
But over subsequent millennia, their descendants and others gradually acclimatised to Europe's intermittently chilly conditions. As these early humans became more used to the cold, they evolved into a separate species of humanity, known as Neanderthal man.
Archaeologists from Southampton University and a commercial excavation unit, Oxford Archaeology, have discovered evidence of stone-tool manufacture, demonstrating that Neanderthals were living in Kent about 110,000 years ago.
Prior to that, the world had been warmer, the ice caps smaller, sea levels higher and the Channel had consequently been full of water and therefore uncrossable.
But then temperatures plummeted, sea levels dropped, the Channel dried up and big game in Britain migrated northwards – and the Neanderthals followed their dinner.
The Kent discovery is an example of how unprepossessing archaeological finds can have huge implications. For the objects which have changed our understanding of such a huge chunk of prehistory are just two pieces of flint – one 8cm-long probable cutting implement and a waste flake, almost certainly discarded while a Neanderthal hunter was making a similar tool... The Independent
Los Neandertales vivieron en Inglaterra 40.000 años antes de lo que se pensaba.
Un arqueólogo de la Universidad de Southampton, en el Reino Unido ha descubierto evidencias de la presencia de Neandertales en Gran Bretaña al inicio de la última era glaciar, es decir, 40.000 años antes de lo que se creía hasta ahora.
El investigador descubrió dos antiguas herramientas manuales de piedra en Kent, durante una excavación. Se cree que estas herramientas fueron usadas para despiezar animales muertos.
Las pruebas realizadas señalaron que estas herramientas tendrían unos 100.000 años, lo que prueba que, en ese periodo, el hombre de Neandertal ya vivía en la región.
Según los especialistas, se sabía que los Neandertales habitaban el norte de Francia en ese momento, y este nuevo hallazgo sugiere que pasaron a Inglaterra a pie, a través de un puente de tierra existente entonces en el Canal de la Mancha. Tendencias 21 / Yaiza Martínez.
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