The First Britons
Digging up History
•
27m
If the words British history conjure up images of Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Boudica, Mary Seacole, The Beatles and the Blitz, you’re squinting at a small spec of the history of humanity of these Isles. Even if you go back to the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD, or even further to the Iron Age or the Bronze Age, you’re still only looking at 1% of humankind’s story in this land.
This is a 900,000 year old story of ice ages, glaciers and hunter gatherers. Of lions, hyenas, hippos, rhinos and woolly mammoths. Of archaeological discoveries like Cheddar Man, who was once thought to be the oldest Englishman who ever lived.
The story of the First Britons is a story of a species that would come and go many times before calling this land home. A story that has travel, and the movement of people, at its heart.
So what do we know about these early migrants to Britain’s shores? Travel writer Noo Saro-Wiwa talks us through the story of the First Britons, while Dr Selina Brace explains how her team at the Natural History Museum were able to extract DNA from Cheddar Man. Produced by Mark Bowsher.
Up Next in Digging up History
-
Life on the Wall
In this episode, Tristan Hughes visits two key sites along Hadrian’s Wall that can tell us more about everyday life on this far flung frontier, with a particular focus on hygiene and worship. First on the list is Chesters Roman Fort. Described as one of the most complete cavalry forts that surviv...
-
Vikings, Shipwrecks and Dinosaurs: Se...
Striking a line west along this dramatic stretch of ever-changing cliffs, Sam and his four legged companion Geronimo, begin their coastal journey at the red cliffs of Exmouth, a location that my have served as a reference point for the Vikings as they made the journey across from mainland Europe ...
-
The Hag of Beara
The Hag of Beara, also known as the Hag of Winter, was a mythical figure that predated Christianity in Ireland. She was regarded by people as the mother protector / creator of the landscape. Like many pagan gods and traditions, she did not escape the intolerant wave of Christianity that swept acr...
