‘Pakefield Man’ Unlocks Secrets to Early Humans

Flint tools unearthed at Pakefield in Lowestoft confirm that early humans lived in Britain approximately 700,000 years ago; 200,000 years earlier than previously thought.

Moreover, soil samples taken from the site suggest that the climate in East Anglia 700,000 years ago was similar to the present day Mediterranean region, explaining why early ‘Pakefield Man’ could have migrated this far north and survived.

In 2005 an international team of researchers announced they had found no fewer than 32 flint tools in a fossil-rich seam at Pakefield, South Lowestoft. Their findings were published in ‘Nature’ magazine, putting Pakefield squarely on the archeological map.

Today, Pakefield is known not only for this archeological find but also for its Blue Flag beaches and the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival which takes place on the last Thursday and Friday of July. During the festival Pakefield Man can still be spotted; this time carrying a different assortment of tools: his beach umbrella, a cooler full of drinks and sandwiches, and his bottle of sun cream.