Earliest Human Activity in Northern Europe Confirmed

[Andre]

So another 200,000 years has been added to human presence in the UK:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-12/uoy-bpo121505.php

Bio-archaeologists pinpoint oldest northern European human activity

Scientists at the University of York used a 'protein time capsule' to confirm the earliest record of human activity in Northern Europe.
A team of bio-archaeologists from York were able to provide the final piece of scientific evidence which confirmed that primitive stone tools discovered in East Anglia dated back around 700,000 years – 200,000 years earlier than any other traces of human colonisation of northern latitudes. ...cont'd

 

[matthyaouw]

This has already been posted here:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=104421

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

The discovery, made at Pakefield in Suffolk, was described as one of the most important finds in British prehistory when it was announced in 2005. It was made by a team from the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain (AHOB) project, led by scientists at the Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies at the University of Cambridge.

The site yielded over 70 flint tools, including handaxes, flakes and cores, which were found in sediments that had been deposited before the Anglian glaciation, which lasted from 478,000 to 424,000 years ago. However, until now, the dating of the tools had been based on geological evidence and the precise age had been uncertain.

The York team, led by Professor Matthew Collins and Dr Kirsty Penkman, used a technique called 'collagen fingerprinting' to provide a more accurate age for the tools. Collagen is a protein found in bones and teeth, and its structure is unique to each species. By analyzing the collagen in the bones of animals found at the site, the researchers were able to determine the age of the sediments in which they were found, and therefore the age of the tools.

The results showed that the tools were indeed 700,000 years old, making them the earliest evidence of human presence in Northern Europe. This pushes back the date of first human occupation of Britain by 200,000 years, and adds another 200,000 years to the known human presence in the UK.

The findings have important implications for our understanding of human evolution and migration. The presence of humans in Northern Europe at this time suggests that early humans were able to adapt to different environments and climates, and were more mobile and adaptable than previously thought. It also raises questions about how these early humans were able to survive in such a harsh and cold environment.

The discovery of the Pakefield tools and the confirmation of their age has opened up new avenues for research into human evolution and the spread of humans throughout the world. It also highlights the importance of collaboration between different scientific disciplines in order to fully understand our past and the origins of humanity.