The home is so old that when it was built Britain was still part of Continental Europe. The circular structure near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, which dates back to the Stone Age 8,500 years BC, was found next to a former lake.
The house predates the dwelling previously thought to be Britain’s oldest, at Howick, Northumberland, by at least 500 years. The team said they are also excavating a large wooden platform made of timbers which have been split and hewn. It is thought to be the earliest evidence of carpentry in Europe.
Dr Chantal Conneller and Barry Taylor from the University of Manchester have been working with Dr Nicky Milner from the University of York at Star Carr since 2004. The house was first excavated by the team two years ago.
According to the archaeologists, the site was inhabited by hunter-gatherers from just after the last Ice Age, for between 200 and 500 years.
More at the Telegraph
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Wow, that’s old! Someone should invite the DIY SOS or the60 minute makeover team in though
Something weird about that number…. Wouldn’t a house dating from 8500BC be 10,500 years old not 11,500 years old? Or does the headline mean it was last used in 8500BC but was built in 9500BC?
Just imagine if I were one of those creationistas. What would I make of this story?
“This story is the work of Satan! GOD created the world 6-10 thousand years ago. These devil worshipping scientists are all out to fool you in the name of Satan. It is a conspiracy, just like Ben Stein so cleverly and honestly states in his film ‘Expelled – No intelligence allowed’.
For this to be accurate and true, the occupants would have witnessed creation as it happened, and that would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it. Haha. PROOF that GOD does exist. You will all burn in hell and I will watch your pain at the side of Jesus in Heaven.”
Yawn..
I opened a packet of prunes today. It was labelled “Ready to Eat” in big bold lettering.
Ready to eat?? Do they also sell inedible prunes at the supermarket? Was it just blind luck I happened to select the edible ones??
hey! when did those guys break into my house??
Fascinating stuff, although the little bit I saw on a news report today I found difficult to make out where the actual house was.
LC x
Great find but can we learn more?Was it a transitory seanonally based House or was it sedentary in nature.If like Howick in Northumberland.If it is indeed sedentary this further alters our previously known ideas about Mesolthic lifestyle.
And soon after, Britain declared independence from the then European Continent and put a large moat between them and the rest. They wanted to get away from the appointed war lords of Europe and rule their own land themselves, after a while wanting to be warlords themselves.