500,000 Year Old Hand Axe Found in Norfolk Rewrites British Prehistory

The Happisburgh handaxe, crafted from glossy black flint 500,000 years ago, is exquisitely beautiful.

Photo: Norwich Castle Museum

Discovered by a man walking his dog in Norfolk in 2000, this is North West Europe’s oldest hand axe, showing human occupation in Britain 200,000 years earlier than previously believed.

The discovery has served to make Norfolk and Suffolk the focus of international attention and study as the earliest known location for humans in the whole of north-west Europe.

The area would have been joined to Europe at that time.

The hand-axe is more intricately crafted than necessary for its intended purpose, suggesting that its maker valued both its aesthetic appeal and its functionality.

Much like a Swiss army knife, it was a versatile tool that could be used for scraping, chopping, and butchering.

It even had a blunt end, allowing it to serve as a mallet for driving objects into the ground.

Additionally, the hand-axe was quite sharp, making it an effective multipurpose tool.

The well preserved handaxe was discovered in situ, embedded in Pleistocene sediments revealed at low tide on the Happisburgh foreshore.

Recognising its significance, the finder reported the discovery, allowing researchers to promptly visit the site.

They made crucial observations about the deposits surrounding the handaxe and their connection to the glacial sediments exposed in the cliffs.

Among the first to arrive was John Wymer, who documented the visit in his notebook. Accompanied by Peter Robins and Jim Rose, he took photographs of the handaxe and the deposits.

Wymer noted subsequent visits later that year and again in May 2001.

During these visits, a research team from Royal Holloway, University of London, drilled boreholes and dug trenches to establish the stratigraphy and collect material for analysis.

Three years later, the site was excavated by a team from the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain (AHOB) project.

Although excavating the inter-tidal zone was challenging, it was productive, yielding a small collection of artefacts and faunal material.

Subsequent excavations by the University of Leiden, in collaboration with the AHOB team, expanded the artefact assemblage and provided significant new paleoenvironmental information.

It was determined that the handaxe was found in organic muds deposited during an interglacial period approximately 500,000 years ago.

These findings were recently published in Quaternary Science Reviews.

During the 2004 excavations, a survey along the beach led to the discovery of what became known as Site 2.

The following year, continued exploration led to the discovery of Site 3, with the 2004 excavation site being designated Site 1.

Site 2 offered limited opportunities for extensive excavation, but a small area yielded a handaxe from deposits immediately beneath the Happisburgh Till.

In contrast, Site 3 provided more extensive excavation opportunities.

Each summer from 2006 to 2012, archaeologists excavated the sediments and sieved them in the sea, recovering flint artefacts and faunal and floral remains.

The faunal assemblage, along with paleomagnetic evidence, indicated that Site 3 dated to around 850,000-900,000 years ago, making it the earliest evidence of human presence in Britain.

Life for prehistoric humans during the time when hand-axes were used, spanning from the Lower to Middle Paleolithic period, was challenging and required significant adaptation to the environment.

Early humans lived in natural shelters such as caves, rock overhangs, and, when necessary, constructed simple shelters from branches, leaves, and animal hides.

They were nomadic, moving frequently in search of food and following the migration patterns of animals and seasonal availability of plants.

They lived in small groups or bands, often consisting of extended families.

Social structures were likely based on cooperation and shared responsibilities.

Their diet was varied and included meat from hunting animals, fish, fruits, nuts, seeds, and roots gathered from their surroundings.

Hand-axes and other tools were essential for hunting, butchering animals, and processing plant materials. These tools improved their efficiency in acquiring and preparing food.

Despite the harsh conditions, they developed tools, social structures, and cultural practices that laid the foundation for human civilisation.

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