Page 14 - June 190409.pub

We do it in trenches!

Having moved to Hellifield as recently as 2004, I’m still seen by
many locals as an off cumden. Even worse, an off cumden from
Lancashire! However, off cumdens have been moving into the area
for some 8,000 years.
The last ice age, which gave much continuous human occupation since.
shape to the dales landscape, ended
around 10,000 years ago. This led to a So how do we know? This is well
warming climate and eventually to before written evidence, well before
variable environments, including photography, television or Facebook.
expanses of water, marshland and The evidence comes from scatters of
mixed forest. As the climate improved flint artefacts and waste particularly in
resources suitable a variety of life, upland areas and near lakes and
including humans, allowed the hunter- marshes. Star Carr, near Scarborough
gather lifestyle know as Mesolithic is a waterlogged site revealing a wealth
(middle stone age) to develop. Though of artefacts including wood and bone
the Mesolithic has been characterized objects as well as the microliths,
by the idea of the hunter-gatherer, characteristic of Mesolithic peoples.
recent research has suggested some
elements of a more settled life with In our own area, evidence of human
sites in longer or repeated use than activity and occupation in the
originally thought. The land has had Mesolithic is found near Malham Tarn.

14