Hoxnian Interglacial

The type site for the Hoxnian Interglacial is in a brick pit at Hoxne in Suffolk This period which is dated to roughly 425,000-375,000 years ago, had a particularly rich flora and fauna.

Birch and pine gave way to temperate mixed oak (Quercus sp.) forest with warmth loving species such as lime (Tilia), Ivy (Hedera helix), Holly (Ilex aquifiolium), Yew (Taxus baccata) and Mistletoe (Viscum album). Apart from yew the main understorey shrubs were Hazel (Corylus avellana) and Alder (Alnus glutinosa). Later Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) expands as does spruce (Picea sp) and fir (Abies sp.) with the deterioration of soils. The continued presence of lime and later Box (Buxus sempervirens) and vine (Vitis) indicate persistent high summer temperatures. The soil deterioration would be accelerated by species such as the spruce, fir, Beech (Fagus sylvatica), and the Wingnut (Pterocarya fraxinifolia) (now not native nearer than the Caucasus). As the climate cooled, fir, birch, pine (Pinus sp.) and spruce expand once more. Firethorn.(Pyracantha sp) is known only in Hoxnian deposits at Clacton and West Wittering. The Water Fern, Azolla filicoides, occurred during the Hoxnian but did not occur again until introducted in recent times.

Hoxnian Forest Clearing

The mammalian faunal assemblage of the Hoxnian Interglacial was very similar to that of the Cromerian Intergalcial and typically included Russian Desman (Desmana moschata), Mountain Hare (Lepus timidus), Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), Water Vole (Arvicola terrestris cantiana), European Pine Vole (Microtus subterraneus), large early form of Fallow Deer (Dama dama clactonia), Red Deer (Cervus elaphus), Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus), Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus), Giant Beaver (Trogontherium cuvieri), European Beaver (Castor fiber), Small Mole (Talpa minor), Aurochs (Bos primigenius), Wild Ass (Equus hydruntinus), Cave Lion (Panthera leo spelaea), Cave Bear (Ursus spalaeus) and Narrow Nosed Rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus hemitoechus), Macaque (Macaca sylvanus), Ancestral Wolf (Canis mosbachensis), Pine Marten (Martes martes), Badger (Meles meles), Wild Cat (Felis sylvestris), Cave Lion (Panthera leo spelaea), Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), Straight-tusked Elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) and Wild Boar (Sus scrufo).

Clactonian Fallow Deer

Later in the period Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), Merck’s Rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis), appeared in Britain for the first time. They occurred along with Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), Water Shrew (Neomys browni), Water Vole (Arvicola terrestris cantiana), Elk (Alces alces), Horse (Equus ferus), Macaque (Macaca sylvanus) and a more modern version of the Fallow Deer (Dama dama dama).

Modern Fallow Deer

In southern Britain there is prolific evidence of human occupation at this time, represented by literally thousands of handaxes and other stone tools. These artifacts are attributed to the Clactonian tool making tradional. Clactonian tools were made by Homo erectus rather than modern humans. The term is sometimes applied to early, crude flint tools from other regions which were made using similar methods. In 2004 a site in Kent yielded evidence of the butchery of a Straight-tusked Elephant using Clactonian tools. In the Midlands there is very little trace of occupation during this period.

‘Swanscombe Man', found at Swanscombe, by the River Thames near London, was a late Homo erectus/early Archaic H. sapiens. He, or rather she, is represented by part of an approximately 380,000–360,000 year old skull. Archaic H. sapiens had a "mosaic" of features and looks partly like H. erectus and partly like anatomically modern humans. They flourished from a quarter to a half million years ago, and their remains have been found from Swanscombe in the west to China in the east. The H. sapiens had an even larger brain and smaller teeth than H. erectus but still had large brows and a flat skull. They knew extensive use of hand-axes, cleavers, and various types of flake tools. Their culture is known as the Lower Paleolithic (Early Stone Age) or Archuelean. Pollen samples taken from the Lower Gravels at Swanscombe suggest that reed swamps, fen habitats and light woodland surrounded the site.

Archuelean Handaxes

The appearance of the Norway Lemming (Lemmus lemmus) towards the end of the Hoxnian heralded the start of another glacial period.