Study Guides

Unit Summary

This unit examines the archaeological record that exists for Stone Age Britain and introduces pupils to the way in which archaeologists make claims based on this evidence. As the first unit in KS2, it covers the settlement of humans in Britain during the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic eras.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe some of the main features regarding the chronology of the earliest humans in Britain.

Key Notes

• Natural climate change has meant that different groups of humans have come to and left Britain at different times.
• Stone tools and footprints at Happisburgh show that the first known Britons came to Britain c. 950,000 years ago.
• Around 500,000 years ago teeth and bones found at Boxgrove show Homo heidelbergensis lived in Britain.
• Ice Ages around 450,000 and 20,000 years ago resulted in long periods when no humans lived in Britain.
• Homo sapiens came to Britain c. 40,000 years ago, left during the most recent Ice Age and returned c. 12,000 years ago.

Vocabulary To Learn

• Homo sapiens: the only surviving group of humans is the Homo sapiens
• archaeologist: someone who studies human history by exploring artefacts found in the ground is an archaeologist
• prehistoric: something from before written history is known as prehistoric
• Ice Age: an Ice Age is when the Earth becomes very cold for a long period of time

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• That there has only ever been one type of human.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Life at the end of the last Ice Age Study Guide
• Settlement during the Mesolithic Era Study Guide
• Significant Stone Age artefacts Study Guide
• Skara Brae and life in the Neolithic Era Study Guide
• The evidence of the Paleolithic Era Study Guide