Experts working yesterday at the site alongside the A1 in North Yorkshire[North News]
Posted on 06/14/2014 9:31:30 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Britain's longest road, built almost a century ago, may actually have been used for 10,000 years.
Archaeologists were stunned to discover evidence of a Mesolithic settlement alongside the A1, which stretches 410 miles from London to Edinburgh.
The site, near Catterick in North Yorkshire, is believed to have been used by people travelling north and south as an overnight shelter, similar to today’s motorway service stations.
Items discovered at the settlement include flint tools that date back to between 6000 and 8000 BC.
Archaeologist Steve Sherlock said: “This was a place that people knew of – a place they could return to on many occasions to stay overnight during their travels. There is evidence of people using the route and moving through the area over periods of time. It is also adding to our knowledge of the early Mesolithic period, a time we don’t know very much about.
“We found a small structure that resembled a type of shelter where they were making the flint tools that were also present at the site.”
This rare discovery came during the excavation of known Roman settlements in advance of plans to upgrade the junctions from 51 to 56 to motorway status.
It was designated the A1 by the Ministry of Transport in 1921.
Archaeologists are excavating all the ancient monuments before they become less accessible.
They are focusing on a Roman town located by the road near to the River Swale, called Cataractonium.
Mr Sherlock added: “It was fascinating to find one of those was a Mesolithic site, a further 8,000 years into the past beyond the Romans.
“We are finding buildings on the edge of the Roman road – which runs alongside the A1 – including shop frontages and a bath house.”
(Excerpt) Read more at express.co.uk ...
Experts working yesterday at the site alongside the A1 in North Yorkshire[North News]
“Other than that, what have the Romans ever done for us?”
10,000 years old is pre-Roman.
Is everyone in the UK required to wear high visibility clothing?
:’D
Aha! Now we know what caused the Ice Age!
Global Warming from excessive Highway Construction causing increased horse and oxen traffic (with the inevitable effluvia), thus exacerbating the already rampant climate change being brought about by all those cooking fires.
Civilization is the enemy of Mother Gaia!
Down with Homo Sapiens!
That’s just to distract from their dental work.
There are roads in downtown Minneapolis that LOOK like they’re 10,000 years old.
LOL!
related:
Iron Age road link to Iceni tribe
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2764241/posts
This one is interesting, because it shows that, as in other places, Roman settlement began before conquest:
‘Britain’s first pre-Roman planned town’ found near Reading
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2766533/posts
this is, however, nonsense:
‘Roman’ roads were actually built by the Celts, new book claims
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3078474/posts
That road was probably built by Fred Flintstone and the good folks at Slate Rock and Gravel, LLC.
Sorry but the “overnight shelter” was actually a toll booth.
I could go for a big mammoth cookout right about now...
:’) Early hostel.
100......10,000....what difference does it make now????
When did we introduce broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage.....and beans????
hehehe.
Evidently the oxen and horses do not need such “Particular” vegetables in order to produce truly horrendous flatus. Ordinary grass does just fine.
Just watch out what happens when a mudder eats its fodder!
“Is everyone in the UK required to wear high visibility clothing?”
Makes it easier to find the body after they ignore all the other safety features.
I had the same reaction to your post, which is basically identical to most of your posts in archaeology and science topics.
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