At a Glance
- A newly discovered Late Upper Paleolithic site on the Isle of Skye reveals the northernmost evidence of Ahrensburgian culture in Britain, dating back to the Younger Dryas cold period.
- Stone tools such as tanged points, blades, chisels, and scrapers suggest early humans survived in harsh glacial environments once considered too extreme for habitation.
- Excavations using drone surveys and test pits revealed that tools were crafted from local baked mudstone, indicating consistent access to raw materials by prehistoric settlers.
- Circular stone alignments found at nearby Sconser may have served hunting or fishing purposes. They resemble similar structures used during periods of lower sea levels in northern Europe.
- These findings challenge assumptions about late Ice Age human migration and suggest remarkable adaptability among early populations living on Europe’s rugged northern fringe.
A groundbreaking discovery in Scotland is shedding new light on the ancient human presence in the far northern reaches of the British Isles. Researchers from the University of Glasgow have identified a Late Upper Paleolithic (LUP) site at South Cuidrach on the Isle of Skye, marking the northernmost evidence of Ahrensburgian culture in Britain. The site, which includes stone tools and other artifacts, provides fresh insights into how early human populations adapted to the harsh climate of the Younger Dryas, a cold period that led to the expansion of glaciers across the region around 12,900 to 11,700 years ago.
The Ahrensburgian culture is known for its distinctive stone tools, such as tanged points and blades, typically associated with reindeer hunters. These tools were found alongside other artifacts, including chisels and scrapers, at South Cuidrach. The presence of these tools in a region once thought inhospitable due to extreme climatic conditions challenges previous assumptions about human survival during this time. This site, along with nearby intertidal stone alignments found at Sconser, provides valuable evidence of the adaptability of prehistoric populations in a landscape marked by glaciers, fluctuating sea levels, and rugged terrain.
Researchers used excavation techniques, including drone surveys and test pitting, to uncover and map the site. The artifacts were predominantly made from locally available baked mudstone, which suggests that early humans had access to consistent raw material sources. At Sconser, they discovered circular stone alignments that may have been constructed during a period of lower sea levels. While the exact purpose of these alignments remains unclear, they could have been used for fishing or other forms of hunting, similar to structures found in Scandinavia and other parts of Scotland during later periods.
The discovery of Ahrensburgian-type artifacts on the Isle of Skye pushes the boundaries of what was once believed about human settlement patterns during the late Pleistocene. This site, along with the intertidal structures at Sconser, opens new possibilities for understanding the lives of people who lived at the farthest edge of Europe, adapting to one of the most challenging environments on Earth. Further research may uncover even more evidence, potentially reshaping our understanding of human migration and survival during the final stages of the last Ice Age.
Further details can be found in the paper published in the Journal of Quaternary Science.
References
- Hardy, K., Barlow, N. L. M., Taylor, E., Bradley, S. L., McCarthy, J., & Rush, G. (2025). At the far end of everything: A likely Ahrensburgian presence in the far north of the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Journal of Quaternary Science, jqs.3718. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3718
- Jackson, J. & Phys.org. (2025, May 12). Discovery of ancient culture on remote Scottish isle rewrites the range of early settlers. Phys.Org; Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-discovery-ancient-culture-remote-scottish.html
