Submerged Stone Age village washing away
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The Maritime Archaeology Trust has released a story regarding the status of a submerged prehistoric settlement in the Solent, the strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of southern England.
Image: Michael Pitts
In 1999, a team of divers off the Isle of Wight first discovered the Stone Age flints, but current archaeological exploration is revealing that the 8,000 year old artefacts may be disappearing in the currents.
The site is known as Bouldnor Cliff, a dry Mesolithic settlement during the Last Glacial Maximum but covered in silt as ice sheets melted. This silt preserved the organic materials, such as hazelnuts, leaves, worked wood - probably for boat building - and string. The string dates to 8,000BP. Hundreds of flint tools have also been found, as well as a hearth with oak charcoal.
However, the powerful undercurrents are destroying the site through natural erosion, emphasizing the need for an excavation project plan.
This highlights the fascinating prehistory of Europe, and the effect of the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. When the land that we now refer to as Britain was separated from - ditto - Europe, major events occurred. Stephen Oppenhimer analyses this in his publication 'The Origins of the British: A Genetic detective Story' which sets a whole new agenda for prehistoric archaeologists working in Britain.
Visit the Stephen Oppenheimer section:
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/stephenoppenheimer/stephen_oppenheimer.php
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