The earliest horse remains found, in the area that today is Britain and Ireland, date to the Middle Pleistocene. Two species of horse were identified from remains at Pakefield, East Anglia, dating back to 700,000 BC.[1] Spear damage on a horse shoulder bone discovered atEartham Pit, Boxgrove, dated 500,000 BC, showed that early humans were hunting horses in the area at that time.[2]
In the Late Pleistocene, beginning c. 126,000 years ago during the Eemian interglacial phase, the land which now comprises the British Isleswas joined to the rest of Europe by an extensive land bridge, extending from approximately the current coast of North Yorkshire to as far south as the English Channel. This allowed migration back and forth across this bridge for humans and fauna for several millennia; hunters could follow their prey (including equids) as the climate fluctuated.[3]
While much of the archaeology of Britain from this time is drowned under the modern seas, remains have been discovered that show horses were present, and being hunted, in this period. Significant finds include a horse tooth dated between 55,000 and 47,000 BC and horse bones dated between 50,000 and 45,000 BC, recovered from Pin Hole Cave, part of the Creswell Crags system in Northern England. Additional horse remains from the same era have been recovered from Kent's Cavern.[4] In Robin Hood Cave, also part of the Creswell Crags system, a horse tooth was recovered dated between 32,000 to 24,000 BC, and some of the earliest prehistoric artwork in Britain was also recovered—an engraving of a horse, on a piece of horse bone.[5] A goddess figurine, carved from horse bone and dated 23,000 BC was recovered fromPaviland Cave in South Wales.[6]
Horse remains dating to the later part of this period - the closing stages of the Ice Age - were found at Farndon Fields, Nottinghamshire, dating to 12,000 BC[7] Mother Grundy's Parlour, also in the Creswell Crags system, contains horse remains showing cut marks indicate that hunting of horses occurred there around 10,000 BC.[8] A study of Victoria Cave in North Yorkshire produced a horse bone showing cut marks, evidence of hunting, dating to around 10,000 BC.[9] Much additional archaeology of Britain from this period is probably drowned under modern seas, but remains unearthed to date show that horses were present in what is now Britain, and being hunted, during the last Ice Age.
Bruce Drago Roman Warrior
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