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Archaeology

Life on the Costa del Cromer

Nature volume 438, pages 921–922 (2005)Cite this article

Flint fragments from eastern England constitute the earliest known evidence of human occupation of Britain. The climate was balmy, and the environment was home to a wide range of animals and plants.

About 700,000 years ago, Britain was connected to continental Europe, and the large rivers that drained central and eastern England meandered sluggishly into the North Sea basin. Sediments laid down by these lowland rivers are found today along the coastline of northern Suffolk and Norfolk. As the sediments were deposited, remains of animals and plants became trapped in them: large and small mammals, reptiles, molluscs, and even trees, fruits and seeds, after which the Cromer Forest-bed Formation was named. Parfitt et al. (page 1008 of this issue1) show that, along with hippos, rhinos and elephants, early humans were evidently roaming the banks of these rivers. They did so during a warm interglacial period, and much earlier than hitherto thought for this part of Europe.

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Figure 1: The cliff at Pakefield on the Suffolk coast.

S. A. PARFITT

Figure 2: Dating the human occupation of Europe.

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  1. the Department of Archaeology, Leiden University, PO Box 9515, Leiden, 2300RA, The Netherlands

    Wil Roebroeks

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  1. Wil Roebroeks
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Roebroeks, W. Life on the Costa del Cromer. Nature 438, 921–922 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/438921a

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