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The British Evidence |
An increase in the number of sites from the Late Palaeolithic onwards shows evidence for the Mesolithic occupation of Britain. The vast majority of sites are open air sites opposed to cave sites, usually surface sites with poor preservation. Little survives except for stone tools, which form the basis of most studies into the period. There are differences between the stone tools of the Mesolithic and those of the Late Upper Palaeolithic. Mesolithic tools are slightly smaller, possibly relating to changes in the hafting techniques. There are also different forms of backed tools, many of which are microlithic. It is more meaningful to compare the Final Upper Palaeolithic with the Early Mesolithic, as these periods show similarity and continuity in tool traditions. Antler and bone artefacts also show continuity between the Late Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, showing that, in Britain at least, there is not an abrupt change or a clear boundary between Palaeolithic and Mesolithic times. Microliths dominate the tool assemblage of the Mesolithic in Britain. These tools were a puzzle to archaeologists for a long time, with theories including that they were 'pygmy flints' produced by a race of midgets... It is now known that microliths were used as part of composite tools. The current framework of the British Mesolithic has two periods, Early (9,700 - 8,700 BP) and Late (8,700 - 5,300 BP). Early Mesolithic sites include Broxburne (site 102), Thatcham, Star Carr, and Shippea Hill. The tools used at this time were non-microlithic, similar to Late Upper Palaeolithic tools. Awls (tools for piercing holes) and core axes are common tool types from this period. Late Mesolithic sites typically have 'narrow blade' assemblages. Narrow scalene triangles, or 'rods', are the most characteristic forms of Late Mesolithic microliths. These are found in all parts of the British Isles. |
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