An important group of Neanderthal flint axes, mammoth bones and other artefacts has been found just off the coast of East Anglia. The material is part of a growing body of evidence for submerged prehistoric landscapes in the North Sea, being brought to light in the course of dredging.
The axes – one of the largest groups ever found – were spotted by a keen-eyed amateur archaeologist when a consignment of North Sea gravel arrived at the Dutch port of Flushing.
The Independent reports that a joint research programme, and possible World Heritage listing, will be discussed at an international meeting of archaeologists in Holland this week.
Detailed archaeological research at the bottom of the North Sea would be likely to solve a host of Stone Age mysteries. It should help establish when Britain was recolonised by humans after a 100,000-year uninhabited period. It may also reveal for the first time the full technological capabilities of Neanderthal Man, because preservation on and in the sea bed is extremely good. Wooden, stone and bone implements have almost certainly survived.
Tags: lithics, Neanderthals, North Sea
