Discovered: The evidence that the A1 is TEN THOUSAND YEARS old

Mesolithic settlement was unearthed near Catterick in North Yorkshire

Site beside the A1 was used as an overnight shelter 10,000 years ago

This means the route predates previous estimates it was built by Romans



Flint tools dating back to between 6000 and 8000 BC were found at the site

The dig took place at known Roman settlements before the widening of a section of the road takes place

Dere Street runs alongside the modern A1 and the experts are focusing on a Roman town where they have found fragments of glass and a bowl

Near Cataractonium is evidence of Iron Age settlements and cremations

Many people may feel that they have spent a great deal of time on the A1 road, which connects London and Edinburgh.

But the route has been in use for a staggering 10,000 years, according to newly-discovered archaeological evidence.

A Mesolithic settlement, which has been compared to a modern-day service station, has been unearthed by researchers alongside the A1 near Catterick in North Yorkshire.

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The route, which is now the A1 between London and Edinburgh, may have been in use for a staggering 10,000 years, newly-discovered archaeological evidence suggests. Experts have discovered ancient artefacts during the widening of the road through North Yorkshire (pictured)

ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES A Mesolithic settlement has been uncovered beside the A1 in North Yorkshire. The site is believed to have been a kind of overnight shelter used by people travelling north and south thousands of years ago.

A number of flint tools dating back to between 6000 and 8000 BC were also discovered at the site.

Evidence of Iron Age, Mesolithic and Neolithic settlements have been found near the Roman town of Cataractonium, near the River Swale.

The team has discovered buildings on the edge of Dere Street - a Roman road running alongside the A1 - including shop frontages and even a bath house.

Finds during the excavations have included a complete Roman bowl called a Mortaria used for grinding herbs and spices.

Roman glass from a drinking vessel has also been found at the site of the Roman town.

Approximately half a mile further south from Cataractonium, is evidence of Iron Age settlements and Iron Age cremations.

This means the route predates previous estimates that claimed it was built by the Romans.

The site is believed to have been a kind of overnight shelter, used by people travelling north and south thousands of years ago.



A number of flint tools dating back to between 6000 and 8000 BC were also discovered at the site.



Steve Sherlock, Archaeological Clark for the project, said: ‘This was a place that these people knew of - a place they could return to on many occasions, to stay sheltered overnight during their travels.



‘It is telling us there is evidence for people using the route and moving through the area over periods of time.



‘It is also adding to our knowledge of the early Mesolithic period, a time we don't know very much about and this is very interesting.



A number of flint tools (pictured) dating back to between 6000 and 8000 BC were also discovered at the site, which is believed to have been a kind of overnight shelter by people travelling north and south centuries

A Mesolithic settlement (pictured), which has been compared to a modern-day service station, has been unearthed by researchers alongside the A1. Evidence of Iron Age, Mesolithic and Neolithic settlements have previously been found near the Roman town of Cataractonium, near the River Swale not far from this location

‘We found a small structure which resembled a type of shelter where they were making the flint tools that were also present at the site.’



This rare find was uncovered during the excavation of known Roman settlements in advance of plans to upgrade the A1 to motorway status between Junctions 51 and 56.



Neil Redfearn, principal inspector of ancient monuments for English Heritage in North Yorkshire, said: 'I think this is really tantalising. This discovery gives us an even greater understanding of the time depth and movement through this landscape.



The discovery was made along a stretch of the A1 close to Catterick in North Yorkshire (marked). It was uncovered during excavation of known Roman settlements in advance of plans to upgrade the A1 to motorway status between Junctions 51 and 56

‘Can we ask questions about route ways that predate the Roman period?’ he asked.



The A1 is the longest numbered road in the country and is under an almost constant state of upgrade.



Archaeologists have been excavating ancient monuments between Leeming and Barton, where construction work will begin to widen the road.



Finds during the excavations at Cataractonium include a complete Roman bowl called a Mortaria (pictured) which was used for grinding herbs and spices

Archaeologists were surprised to find the ancient 'service station' (pictured left) which provided shelter for travellers heading north and south 10,000 years ago. A Saxon brooch (pictured right) was also unearthed at the site. Archaeologists are busy trying to find treasures before the widening of the A1 goes ahead



Roman glass from a drinking vessel, was also uncovered near Cataractonium. Finds preceding the glass by thousands of years were additionally discovered nearby

Dere Street, which was built by the Romans, runs alongside the modern A1 and the experts are focusing their efforts on a Roman town located by the road near to the River Swale, called Cataractonium.

They have so far discovered evidence of Iron Age, Mesolithic and Neolithic settlements.



Sherlock said: ‘The road scheme is 12 miles (19km) long and we are investigating a number of different sites.



‘It was fascinating to find that one of those was in fact a Mesolithic site, a further 8,000 years into the past, beyond the Romans.



‘We are still finding extremely clear evidence of how people used to live here almost 2,000 years ago during the Roman period.’



The team has discovered buildings on the edge of Dere Street, including shop frontages and even a bath house.



This flint tool, which dates between 6000 and 8000 BC was also discovered at the site close to the busy A road

‘We think this was a particularly industrial part of the town,’ he said.



‘Finds during the excavations have included a complete Roman bowl called a Mortaria used for grinding herbs and spices. Another was Roman glass from a drinking vessel, found in Cataractonium.’



Approximately half a mile )0.8km) further south from Cataractonium, is evidence of Iron Age settlements and Iron Age cremations.



Redfearn added: ‘This is really interesting because we weren't quite expecting to find Iron Age material here either.



‘In pre-work, we have done quite a lot of studying at desktop level to try to understand what the level of archaeology of the landscape was actually like.

