Ice Age Britain
Kents Cavern's archaeological story is closely connected to the changing climate of Ice Age Britain.
During colder periods, sea levels were much lower than today and Britain was connected to mainland Europe by land. Humans and animals could move across these changing landscapes, while caves such as Kents Cavern provided shelter from harsh conditions.
The cave contains remains of Ice Age animals including cave bears, hyenas, mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses and other species. Some of the oldest animal remains found at Kents Cavern are around 500,000 years old!
The layers preserved inside the cave are particularly important. Sediments containing human and animal remains were covered by layers of calcite during warmer periods, helping to preserve them for thousands of years.
| YEARS AGO | NAME OF PERIOD | CLIMATE |
|---|---|---|
| 750,000 – 350,000 | Cromerian Interglacial | Warm |
| 350,000 – 250,000 | Anglian Glacial | Cold |
| 250,000 – 200,000 | Hoxnian Interglacial | Warm |
| 200,000 – 125,000 | Wolstonian Glacial | Cold |
| 125,000 – 72,000 | Ipswichian Interglacial | Warm |
| 72,000 – 12,000 | Devensian Glacial | Cold |
picked.cave.lively
