The Mesolithic Period in Hackney (9600 - 4000 BC)
Note
This time period is defined by modern humans moving away from hunting large animals in groups to a broader hunter-gatherer way of life.
As the last Ice Age ended around 10,500 BC temperatures rose, encouraging forests to grow. As the large herds of animals that thrive in open plain environments such as reindeer and wild horses declined, people switched to eating smaller animals such as deer and wild boar. Wetlands created by the warmer weather provided fish and wild birds.
Tools changed to meet these changes in prey. Tiny stone tools (microliths) were created to attach to more complex items such as spears, harpoons and bows and arrows.
People began to build homes at settlements. However, still reliant on natural, wild resources, these hunter-gatherers would move to different locations seasonally to benefit from different conditions and sources of food.
Potential settlements from the Middle Stone Age have been found at Northwold Road, just north of Stoke Newington Common, and at the site of the Hackney Brook.
Other local Mesolithic finds include:
- Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, 1 medium sized tranchet axe or adze was found
- Stamford Hill, 1 medium sized tranchet axe or adze was found
- Shoreditch, 1 medium sized tranchet axe or adze was found
As the last Ice Age ended around 10,500 BC temperatures rose, encouraging forests to grow. As the large herds of animals that thrive in open plain environments such as reindeer and wild horses declined, people switched to eating smaller animals such as deer and wild boar. Wetlands created by the warmer weather provided fish and wild birds.
Tools changed to meet these changes in prey. Tiny stone tools (microliths) were created to attach to more complex items such as spears, harpoons and bows and arrows.
People began to build homes at settlements. However, still reliant on natural, wild resources, these hunter-gatherers would move to different locations seasonally to benefit from different conditions and sources of food.
Potential settlements from the Middle Stone Age have been found at Northwold Road, just north of Stoke Newington Common, and at the site of the Hackney Brook.
Other local Mesolithic finds include:
- Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, 1 medium sized tranchet axe or adze was found
- Stamford Hill, 1 medium sized tranchet axe or adze was found
- Shoreditch, 1 medium sized tranchet axe or adze was found