No one is certain, but scientific evidence points to the fact that the first humans (Homo-Sapiens) date back to around 200,000 years ago.
The Stone Age spans many thousands of years, so it is useful to break this time period into three specific groups. These are:
Palaeolithic: (approximately 200,000BC – 10,000 BC)
Whilst there is currently no tangible evidence that primitive humans travelled or lived in this area during the Palaeolithic Period, this does not rule out the strong possibility that primitive man and woman did indeed once tread on the very ground on which we now walk.
Mesolithic: (approximately 10,000BC – 5,000BC)
Beach flints found along the Vale’s coastline serve to suggest hunter/fishermen may have lived here, maybe following their cattle inland in the spring for grazing. The high quality of our agricultural land would have attracted settlers also.
Neolithic: (approximately 5,000BC – 2000BC)
As immigrant tribes became more settled, they began to grow crops. A recent discovery at Brocastle appears to indicate woodland clearance for the purpose of growing barley and corn.
Around 3000BC, new tribes people began to arrive from Europe. Burial sites at Tinkinswood, St Lythan’s and Maes-y-Felin serve to provide solid evidence of their inhabitation of the area.
