Ice Age Migration

Twenty three thousand years ago. Towards the end of the Old Stone Age, also known as the Upper Paleolithic. The weather in Europe and in many parts of the world took a turn for the worse. Temperatures plummeted. Rain levels fell. And a massive ice sheet slowly advance to cover most of northern Europe and stay in there for the next few thousand years. We know that during this glacial period, many animal and plant species sought shelter in Europe's three warmer southern peninsulas Iberia, Italy and the Balkans. But the question is, where did the people go? Archaeological material recovered from this time period has shown that a large number of our ancestors retreated to Franco Canterbury, an area covering the southwest of France and northeastern tip of Spain. But was this the only area where people traveled to escape the worst of the weather? Let's go back to the growing ice sheet. In order to grow, the ice mass had to take up water, causing sea levels to fall at its maximum. When the ice reached as far south as Germany. Sea levels were up to 120 metres lower than today. That's approximately the same height as the London Eye. As a result, areas of shallow sea became exposed and Europe's shape was very different to the one we recognize. It could be that humans lived on these exposed shores during the Paleolithic Age, but we have no evidence of their settlements because it's now underwater.