Beedings Palaeolithic Survey
Understanding the transition from Neanderthal to Modern Human populations in northern Europe
The Early Upper Palaeolithic site of Beedings is situated in West Sussex on the edge of the Lower Greensand scarp 4km north east of Pulborough. It is currently the site of Beedings Castle, a monumental late 19th century house built for the physician John Harley.
During
the construction of the house a series of fissures were revealed within the
underlying Rock. These contained a unique stone tool assemblage consisting of
some 2,300 pieces. Through the work of Roger Jacobi (The British Museum) it is
now thought that these tools are part of a distinctive group of old stone-age
(Palaeolithic) tools. It is probable that these tools date to in excess of
35,000 years ago; an age which suggests either an early colonisation date for
Britain by anatomically modern humans or occupation by technologically advanced
and late surviving Neanderthals.
Either scenario is exciting and of enormous significance for our understanding of the transition from Neanderthal to Modern Human populations in Northern Europe.
Related outputs
- Pope, M.I. 2009. Early Upper Palaeolithic archaeology at Beedings, West Sussex: new contexts for Pleistocene archaeology. Archaeology International 9.
- Pope M.I. 2008. Beedings: New work near Nutbourne, West Sussex. Past. 59.
Funding
Project Leader:
Project Partners:
- English Heritage
- Ancient Human Occupation of Britain Project
- West Sussex County Council
- Worthing Archaeological Society
Keywords:
- Beedings
- Palaeolithic
- Neanderthal
- Hunting
- Stone tools
- Archaeological Survey
- Archaeological Excavation
- Britain
Further information:
