Mesolithic People
Check out this quick animation about the people at Morton! To find out more about the Holocene Storegga Slide Tsunami, check out our interview with Mildred the Mesolithic at the bottom of the page.
The People
The first people to arrive in Scotland were the Mesolithic people, 10,000 to 5000 years BP (Before Present). They were hunter gatherers, who moved around a lot and they lived in very simple huts. The first Scottish Mesolithic people settled in Morton, just behind Tentsmuir forest.
We know that the early people here liked to eat shellfish because we found the shells in the middens they dug. Middens are big holes in the ground that early people used as rubbish bins! Gross!
There were lots of animals in Scotland who were hunted by the Mesolithic people.The bones of different deer species, pigs, fish and sea birds were found in the middens at Morton. By this time, dogs had been tamed so it's likely our Mesolithic friends had pets!
The tools used by these people were made of stone. They made arrowheads and tools called scrapers. Archaeologists call these items microliths. We think that the site at Morton was large because there was a big variety of tools found. If you look closely through the trees at Morton you might be able to see a giant arrowhead!
The Environment
The weather was getting warmer and soils were more productive which meant more food for our Mesolithic people! Hazel and birch were the most common types of tree at around 9,000 BC. The Mesolithic people were also big fans of hazelnuts. Lots of hazelnut shells were found at Morton.
Watch this interview with a Mesolithic person who survived the Storegga Slide Tsunami 7000 years ago.
Have you been paying attention? It’s time for a quick question!
Can you remember what the Mesolithic people’s favourite nut was?
Click on the question mark to find out!