Monday 20th October 2025 - Chris Stringer
The ancient human occupation of Britain
Abstract: The ancient human occupation of Britain
'The Ancient Human Occupation of Britain and Pathways to Ancient Britain projects have been investigating major questions about the human colonisations of Britain and Europe since 2001. Questions addressed include the earliest evidence for human arrival in Britain and the mapping of at least 10 subsequent colonisations (probably by 4 different species), and an investigation into what was controlling these arrivals and subsequent local extinctions.
Bio:
Chris Stringer is a Research Leader in Human Origins at the Natural History Museum. His early research was on the relationship of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens in Europe, but he now collaborates with archaeologists, Earth scientists, and geneticists in attempting to reconstruct the evolution of humans globally. He directed the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain project from 2001 until it finished in 2013 and is now co-director of the follow-up Pathways to Ancient Britain project, as part of funding from the Calleva Foundation, which has contributed to the foundation of a new Centre for Human Evolution Research at the Museum. He has authored/co-authored numerous papers and books on human evolution and is active on Twitter @ChrisStringer65.
The ancient human occupation of Britain
Abstract: The ancient human occupation of Britain
'The Ancient Human Occupation of Britain and Pathways to Ancient Britain projects have been investigating major questions about the human colonisations of Britain and Europe since 2001. Questions addressed include the earliest evidence for human arrival in Britain and the mapping of at least 10 subsequent colonisations (probably by 4 different species), and an investigation into what was controlling these arrivals and subsequent local extinctions.
Bio:
Chris Stringer is a Research Leader in Human Origins at the Natural History Museum. His early research was on the relationship of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens in Europe, but he now collaborates with archaeologists, Earth scientists, and geneticists in attempting to reconstruct the evolution of humans globally. He directed the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain project from 2001 until it finished in 2013 and is now co-director of the follow-up Pathways to Ancient Britain project, as part of funding from the Calleva Foundation, which has contributed to the foundation of a new Centre for Human Evolution Research at the Museum. He has authored/co-authored numerous papers and books on human evolution and is active on Twitter @ChrisStringer65.