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From: "Peter A. Kincaid" <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Genes and the Mesolithic of the British isles
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 11:15:53 -0300
References: <20060821105940.59980.qmail@web86605.mail.ird.yahoo.com>


> Crossing from the continent much further west than the
> area opposite Dover seems very unlikely, not because
> it was technically impossible, but because the simple
> very small-scale nature of Mesolithic society makes
> launching a boat towards a land that you cannot see or
> even know exists bordering on insane(the world view of
> Mesolithic societies was probably very small indeed).


Again this can be a confusing point as one has
to look at things in context of a timeline as
surely this is a very fluid area. While vast parts
of the North Sea were above water they did not
instantly fill in so the map changed quite a bit
over time and at various points along the way.
>From the very beginning you have the
largest land mass exposed. At that point we are
dealing with a very small nomadic population.
By the end (ie. the period just before final
coverage) I understand you are mainly left with
the Dover area land bridge and an island in the
Dogger bank area. The way I understand your
point I assume you are dealing more with the final
Dover land bridge. If you were to accept that
there could still have been migrations from a
Dogger bank island then, given the distance, English
Channel crossings are just as likely.

Regardless, if one considers Dogger land to just
apply to lands east of Dover then one still has to accept
that the same conditions made crossing plausible
west of Dover as one could see land to the north.
I refer to the graphic at:

http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/marine/alsf/seabed_prehistory/sea_level_map.html

which covers coast lines from Dover west to the
vicinity of the Channel Islands. I also refer to the
mapping project graphic at:

http://www.arch-ant.bham.ac.uk/research/fieldwork_research_themes/projects/North_Sea_Palaeolandscapes/index.htm

which outlines the extent of the once exposed areas.
While the eastern part may have been the last infilled
it is clear that western points were much more open
for crossings. After all one would almost certainly
see points in between and venture there. Remember
that one can see the Scilly islands from Cornwall and
I believe that back in the Neolithic age they were mainly
one island.

Best wishes!

Peter

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