The earliest human footprints outside Africa found in Norfolk, UK

by Earnest 20 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  ballistic

  I collect old maps cofty and sometimes try to discover old places - kudos to you.
• 

  Earnest

  LongHairGal, I think that this find demonstrates quite clearly what little evidence we have of the origins and spread of mankind. In this case the footprints were exposed as heavy seas had removed the beach sand. By chance they were discovered and photographed and within two weeks they had eroded away. How many thousands of footprints have been uncovered and disappeared without trace we will never know. Palaeo-archaeology and anthropology is a fascinating subject but there is never certainty, only probability.
• 

  cofty

  There was a find last year that seemd to suggest that a number of our hominin ancestors should actually be merged into fewer species. You are right Earnest there is so much still to be discovered.

  Ballistic - I live a couple of miles from the A1. Its fascinating to observe numerous abandoned parts of the old route of the "Great North Road" as it was widend and straightened over the years and villages were bypassed.

  ETA - The 1610 map is amazing. Apparently 17th century Northumberland consisted only of mountains and castles/big houses. The big house on the estate I live on is shown but spelled slightly differently. The estate is mentioned in the family tree of the D'Manners family right back to the 12th Century.
• 

  Phizzy

  Another interesting find recently were the remains of a young woman who lived about two thousand years ago in Eastbourne, a well known South Coast town full of retired people now.

  The interesting thing is this young lady was African. It amuses me to think that many of the really racist people who live in this Country may very well be descended from her, or her fellow Africans who were here then.

  As to the Norfolk folk stomping about in the mud 800,000 years ago they too must have been closely related to the first Out of Africans.

  It all makes a nonsense of racist ideas.
• 

  Island Man

  "the most likely candidate is Homo antecessor or ‘Pioneer Man’."

  'Pioneer Man'? See, I always new JW pioneering was a backward, degenerate step.

  Outlaw, you should be all over this!
• 

  Island Man

  [DELETED DUPLICATION]
• 

  bigmac

  i'm sure you will all be delighted to learn

  HAPPISBURGH

  is pronounced

  HAZE BRUH

  i know--I KNOW--its English--in England--its the way we pronounce fings--innit
• 

  cofty

  And on the same topic Edinburgh is pronounced "Edinburuh" not "Edinboro" thanks.
• 

  cantleave

  I love old maps ballistic. There are loads of old rights of way in this area most drawn along old herding routes. This is walking along one a couple of miles from home

  
• 

  Hortenzie

  800 000 years old footprints that that eroded away within two weeks of their discovery. Yeah, sure...