Lesson 2 (Draggred) PDF

## 2.2 More evidence... ### Star Carr Star Carr is perhaps Britain's best-known Mesolithic site. It has been excavated since 1948. Situated on the shore of what was once Lake Pickering, it has made archaeologists rethink many of their ideas about the period. The site contains a group of houses th...

## 2.2 More evidence... ### Star Carr Star Carr is perhaps Britain's best-known Mesolithic site. It has been excavated since 1948. Situated on the shore of what was once Lake Pickering, it has made archaeologists rethink many of their ideas about the period. The site contains a group of houses that may have been permanently occupied, although another view is that it was a spring and summer hunting camp. ### Red Deer It seems that the hunter-gatherers may have deliberately burned some of the woodland near where they lived, to encourage fresh grass and thus lure deer to them, rather than having to go off seeking prey. There is also evidence that they collected piles of fresh ivy in autumn and winter and left them nearby, encouraging deer to come and feed, therefore making them easier to hunt. ### Peat Because the site is so wet, many artefacts have been preserved in the peat. A beautiful pendant found in 2015 is thought to be the oldest piece of art ever found in Britain. A wooden paddle is evidence of canoes being used. Hundreds of points for spears or arrows have been found, made from red deer antlers. Many stone tools were made from flints found on nearby beaches. ### Howick House Howick House was discovered in 2000, near the coast of Northumberland. Erosion of the cliff exposed the remains of what has been described as the best-preserved Mesolithic house in Britain. Radiocarbon dating of the hearths inside the hut suggested it was built around 7600 BCE. The hut was 6 metres in diameter, and built - **The area near Star Carr Mesolithic site today** - **Barbed points made from worked antler, found at Star Carr** The image shows an aerial view of an area of flat land including fields and a road. The image also shows six black spearheads. One is described as a 'pendant' and the others are 'barbed points made from worked antler'.