Creswell Crags, that limestone gorge separating Nottinghamshire with Derbyshire, has a bit of celebrated status in archaeological circles — specifically the Palaeolithic, the Ice Age.
It turns out the Neanderthals were around here some 60,000 to 40,000 years ago when Creswell was a desolate, tundra like scene, with grasslands stretching as far as the eye could see over northern Europe. A little river was casually snaking through the gorge, a prequel to the lake that’s now here thanks to those wonderful Victorian landscape architects.
The Neanderthals probably found the gorge by following the summer migrations of the herds of deer from Doggerland, that sunken land bridge connecting Great Britain to mainland Europe. The deer might have calved their fawns in the shelter of the gorge, easy pickings for the Neanderthals who were also attracted by its many caves.
It resembled a summer haven for the Neanderthals, with the sunlit caves on the Derbyshire side serving as their shelter for about a month. Subsequently, they trailed the deer herd southward to Doggerland for the winter. Eschewing the damper caves on the Nottinghamshire side, the Neanderthals designated them as galleries for their cave art.
These Neanderthals were no softies. Built like the proverbial brick shithouse, they roamed far and wide, dealing with the elements. Creswell Crags’ caves were just one of their stopovers, leaving behind some nifty stone tools and butchered deer bones as their calling cards.
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