Seanchus of Celtic Ireland - 2

                                                                                 18000 BC - 8500 BC

18,000 BC The Sea levels were by now at their lowest for over 100,000 years being 460' / 130 metres below there present level due to the huge Ice Sheets covering Canada and Northern Europe leaving large areas of the Continental Shelf fully exposed as the thick Glacial Ice could expand no more and slowly began to melt and the Sea levels once again began to rise.

16,500 BC The Soltruean Culture that had lasted 3,500 years by now died out in France and the Magdalenian Culture began.

15,000 BC Although the Ice Sheets were now melting and the seas were rising it was still possible to traverse over all of the territory that extended from France to Ireland with the land bridge there actually in the south as the Ice receded towards the north of Ireland and Scotland.

13,500 BC The Sea levels had by now risen by 131' / 40 metres with many of the lowlands being flooded due to the increase in water flowing into the Oceans from the continuing melting Ice Sheets.

12,000 BC Plants began to expand their influence throughout Ireland and for the next 1,000 years it became open meadows and the land bridge over the Bering Straits in the Northern Hemisphere disappeared as the Seas continued to rise further.

11,000 BC Juniper, a tough low growing evergreen, started growing in Ireland as it does well on poor soils, followed by other species and Giant Deer and Reindeer were crossing over the land bridges, into Ireland, that still existed from the region now known as Briton.

10,400 BC The Bolling Interstadial another short Warmer Period occurred, but it only lasted for 400 years this time.

10,000 BC The Bolling Interstadial suddenly came to an end and the Older Dryas Phase, a period of Intense Cold, began in the highlands of Alba / Scotland and Albion / Briton for the next 200 years, with still no Humans as yet existing in Ireland, but there were great herds of Horses and Deer present with periods of Glaciation re - occurring, (From now on there was no land bridge to cross over in or out of Ireland.)

9,800 BC The Allerod Interstadial, (A new short Warmer Period) occurred that was to last for 800 years and the Ice began to melt again and the Sea began to rise again and Plants began to reappear at the end of the Quaternary Ice Age, which opened up new territories for the new advancing Modern Humans from the south to the north across the Trans - Alpine Europe.

9,000 BC The Ice Fields were by now receding quite rapidly in Ireland and the Juniper spreading its influence and Birch trees re - appeared as forestation began once more with Elm, Pine and with a more diverse group of varieties, with other plants appearing and animals that had also previously crossed the land bridges, the Red Deer, the Wild Boar, the Red Squirrels, the Pine - Martens, the Wolves, the Foxes, the Stoats, and the Eagles along with other birds of prey soon followed.

8,500 BC - 7,500 BC The *Old Stone Age / Palaeolithic Period was coming to an end.         

8,500 BC - 3,500 BC The *Middle Stone Age / Mesolithic Period was occurring.

                                                                                 +On to Seanchus of Celtic Ireland - 3