Watch
Description
The earliest appearance of Neanderthals in Europe is associated with fundamental changes in how humans behaved and adapted to their environments. A recently discovered archaeological site, excavated ahead of the construction of a school, provides a key opportunity to understand this critical period.
The lecture will detail the results of excavations undertaken by UCL Archaeology South-East at Maritime Academy, Frindsbury between 2021 and 2023. The site is located within a large solution feature in the Chalk which has functioned as a capture point, trapping sediments and protecting a multi-period Palaeolithic locale from erosion for 330,000 years. Within the feature buried soils and sediments contain stone artefacts which have barely moved since discard. A minimally disturbed site of this age is a significant discovery, dating to a period in Britain central to discussions on early Neanderthal behaviour and changing technologies.