Online Lecture with Professor Martin Bell

Join us for a fascinating online lecture with Professor Martin Bell from the University of Reading.

We will consider how the Severn Estuary has evolved over the ice ages, from a narrow and deeply incised valley discharging into the sea west of Lundy during periods of glaciation, to a wide estuary during interglacials.

During the ice ages, the valley was periodically visited by hunting parties whose hand axes are found in the river gravels and who occupied the caves of the Wye Valley, Mendips, and Gower. Once the estuary formed in the present interglacial, about 9000 years ago, there is extensive evidence of communities who exploited the wetlands for hunting, gathering and fishing at Uskmouth,  Magor and Goldcliff. At the latter, several seasonal campsites with stone tools, bones and evidence of the plants used have been excavated, along with human footprints preserved in the estuary mud. The most significant recent discovery is the first Mesolithic fish trap to be found in Britain.

We will discuss evidence that enables us to reconstruct the lives of these communities and the ever changing environment that supported their way of life and preserves unique evidence of their activities.

To Book

This is an online event. To receive the details to sign into the event, please book your place via our Eventbrite page.