Steps from History

Abstract

Human footprints were discovered at Happisburgh, UK, in 2013. This paper describes their discovery and the difficulties of recording such enigmatic remains in a coastal environment. The geological and environmental context in which they were found is given, together with the evidence of the dating of the site to either 850,000 or 950,000 years ago. The implications of how humans coped with long, cold winters of northern Europe is discussed; the evidence of a family group indicates that seasonal migration is highly unlikely, leaving the possibilities of either physiological adaptations, such as functional body hair, or the use of technologies such as shelter, clothing and fire. The second part of the paper shows the various ways in which the footprints have reached wide and diverse audiences through media reports, exhibitions and books. They show the powerful messages that footprints can generate through the ideas and emotions that they provoke and the immediacy of their connection with the deep past.