Archaeologists have discovered conclusive evidence that early humans not only lived in Britain more than 700,000 years ago but also endured one of northern Europe’s most extreme ice ages. The discovery, unearthed during an excavation in Old Park along the River Stour in Canterbury, Kent, provides the earliest recorded evidence of human survival in such conditions.
Findings from the site, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, show that Homo heidelbergensis, an early human species that is thought to be the ancestor of Neanderthals, lived in the region between 712,000 and 621,000 years ago. The Cambridge University archaeologists and their co-workers found thousands of stone tools in deep river sands and gravels, which are some of the oldest human records in northern Europe.
Stone artifacts have been discovered in Canterbury since the 1920s, but new excavations began in 2020, revealing much older sediments than ever before. The unique geology at Old Park, where high and ancient gravel layers are preserved, allowed researchers to examine deposits that are typically inaccessible in Britain.
While the lower layers show early occupation, the greatest surprises were reserved for deposits dating to around 440,000 years ago, during one of European prehistory’s most severe ice ages, the Anglian glaciation. Archaeologists discovered sharp flint tools within gravel and sand layers, which led them to suspect that they had been produced at the height of the glaciation and then quickly buried before erosion could damage them. The preservation of these unworn edges implies the tools were crafted and discarded on site, not carried by natural forces.
The find refutes early beliefs that Britain was uninhabitable during its coldest phases. For many decades, academics thought it was just during warmer periods that human groups returned, but the evidence at Old Park indicates early humans had adapted and lived within glacial conditions.
Microscopic plant remains found in the same levels suggest that the environment was a cold grassland, which supported animals such as extinct rhinoceroses and horses. Whether or not these groups were resident inhabitants or seasonal migrants is unknown, but their occurrence in such climates raises questions as to how they could have endured intense cold. Scientists assume that they may have used animal skins, constructed shelters, or tracked migrating herds to survive.
The excavations also shed light on the types of tools made at various phases. Two distinct categories of Acheulean handaxes were found at Old Park—some roughly made and elongated, others more finely shaped and ovate. The range shows that separate populations, separated by as much as 200,000 years, occupied the site, possibly having different cultural traditions or technological skills.
In addition to the technical details, the discoveries give insight into the resilience of early humans. Surviving the Anglian glaciation would have required not only advanced tool production but also social cooperation, environmental knowledge, and perhaps even early clothing innovations or shelter construction.
The find situates Canterbury as one of the most significant prehistoric sites in Britain, with evidence of human occupation at the very edges of survival. It also provides a broader picture of how early humans dispersed and adapted across Europe when it was experiencing extreme climate change.
Excavations at Old Park are ongoing, with scientists continuing to analyze thousands of artifacts and environmental samples.
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