Early Inhabitants of England

Human Inhabitation in England

• Evidence of stone tools and footprints at Happisburgh in Norfolk indicates human habitation in England over 800,000 years ago.
• The earliest evidence of early modern humans in Northwestern Europe, a jawbone discovered in Devon at Kents Cavern, dates back to between 41,000 and 44,000 years ago.
• Continuous human habitation in England began around 13,000 years ago, at the end of the Last Glacial Period.

Prehistoric Era

• The Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Age periods have left numerous remains in England, including Stonehenge and Avebury.
• The region was inhabited by the Celtic people, known as the Britons, including Belgic tribes such as the Atrebates, the Catuvellauni, and the Trinovantes, in the south east during the Iron Age.

Roman Conquest and Rule

• The Roman conquest of Britain began in AD 43, and the Romans maintained control of their province of Britannia until the early 5th century.

Anglo-Saxon Settlement

• The end of Roman rule in Britain facilitated the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, which is often regarded as the origin of England and the English people.
• The Anglo-Saxons, a collection of various Germanic peoples, established several kingdoms that became the primary powers in present-day England and parts of southern Scotland.
• They introduced the Old English language, which largely displaced the previous Brittonic language.

Test your knowledge about the early human habitation in England, from the discovery of stone tools to the evidence of early modern humans in Northwestern Europe. Explore the history of continuous human habitation dating back to around 13,000 years ago.