Britain's 'first' home dug up by researchers

A TEAM of archaeologists claim they have discovered Britain's earliest house.

Teams from Manchester and York universities who are working at Star Carr, near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, said the Stone Age house dates to 8,500 years BC, when Britain was still connected to mainland Europe. They unearthed the 3.5-metre circular structure next to a former lake.

The find predates the house previously thought to be Britain's oldest, at Howick, Northumberland, by at least 500 years.

The team said they are also excavating a large wooden platform made of timbers which have been split and hewn.

Dr Nicky Milner of the University of York said: "This is a sensational discovery and tells us so much about the people who lived at this time.

"From this excavation, we gain a vivid picture of how these people lived. For example, it looks like the house may have been rebuilt at various stages. It is also likely there was more than one house and lots of people lived here.

"The platform is made of hewn and split timbers; the earliest evidence of this type of carpentry in Europe. And the artefacts are intriguing as they suggest ritual activities."