Some 300,000 Years Ago

Though the date on the map may be out. This is how early man crossed from Africa into Europe and to the far north.

You will find that this Historical Blog will not run in any sort of sequence, due to the fact I will be posting as facts that concern the area and Cookham in particular come to light.

We now step back in time some 300,000 years, yes I know it was a long time ago, but it does reflect on what exists today. The bones of the oldest person known to have lived in Britain, was in fact a woman. Her skull was discovered in the gravels in Swanscombe on the south bank of the Thames in North Kent. The age of this find was, according to records at a quarter of a million years ago.

Where did these people known as "Chellean's" come from. Again according to records I find that the most likely place was North Africa. You are now going to ask: "How did they get here?" Well at that point in time the continents as we know them today were still land linked. The Straits of Gibralter and the English Channel did not exist. It is thought that they lived in small comunities, and most likely in trees. Their club like axes and tools were not sharp at all, and again it is thought that food was mainly fruit and green vegetation. It was not until the Acheulian Man came along, were the stone axes and cutting tools pecfected to being quite sharp. They gave the flint a straight edge and followed the grain of the stone.

Then came the last Glaciation Period or Ice Age, and these settlers were forced to retreat to where they came from and warmer climes.

This I think gives you an idea of who was walking around this area during this time period, and makes up part of our history.