Palaeolithic archaeology and the British quaternary sequence

Abstract

Studies within the last two decades, culminating in the recent publication of the I.G.C.P. Project 24 Quaternary Glaciations in the Northern Hemisphere (Sibrava et al., 1986) have amplified, changed or questioned much of the accepted sequence in Britain during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. This review takes the chronology of events as now seen and relates it to the evidence for the palaeolithic period, prior to that in the reach of radiocarbon dating. It would indicate that there was considerable human activity in Britain before the Hoxnian Stage and that Acheulian hand-axe industries of considerable refinement were present, and that these industries occurred before or co-existed with non-hand-axe Clactonian Industries. Only the latter can be demonstrated as having been present during the earlier part of the Hoxnian Interglacial. Acheulian Industries occur in various forms from towards the close of this interglacial and during the long period before the Ipswichian Stage. It is not possible to demonstrate a human presence during the Ipswichian Interglacial as represented by the type site, and artifacts occur very sparsely if at all in sediments attributed to other warm periods or the period between the Hoxnian and Ipswichian Stages. Levallois technique is not found as a significant element of flint industries until the latter part of this period. During the first half of the Devensian Stage flint industries with distinctive hand-axes and Levallois flakes occur, and can be described as Mousterian of Acheulian Tradition.