Stone Age research is ‘project of the year’

A study of one of the Europe’s most important Early Mesolithic sites – Star Carr, UK – has won Research Project of the Year in the national Current Archaeology Awards 2014.

Research at Star Carr, supported by the European Research Council amongst others, saw a team of archaeologists from the Universities of York and Manchester in the UK work on the site over the last ten years. The researchers sought to piece together the site’s use by hunter-gatherers at the end of the Ice Age around 9,000BC. The joint directors of the excavations, Professor Nicky Milner of York University, Dr Chantal Conneller of Manchester University and Dr Barry Taylor, now of the University of Chester, were recipients of the award which was voted for by the public.

Recent research at Star Carr has revealed the oldest house known in Great Britain – dating from at least 9,000BC – as well as the earliest known carpentry in Europe. Star Carr, located in North Yorkshire, has an international reputation in the archaeological world but is less well known to the public.

Conneller said: “It has been a real privilege to excavate such an exciting site and to communicate our findings to the public. It’s great news that our work at Star Carr has caught the public imagination. We hope that our work will inspire future generations to continue to study this period.”

One of the key aims of the project was to disseminate information on the important discoveries more widely. The team have written a book and presented their findings in a year-long exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum.