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Ipswichian Interglacial

The principal Ipswichian sites lie in east and southeast England. This
Interglacial started about 135,000BP and lasted until about 70,000BP.

A closed canopy of boreal forest dominated by birch and pine developed
at the start of the Ipswichian Interglacial. Later oak and elm occur,
the latter becoming dominant as Hazel and Montpelier Maple (Acer
monospessulanum) appear. The latter now has a southern and central
European distribution, and although it can now grow in Britain does not
set viable seed. The presence of Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) also
suggests that the climatic optimum of the Interglacial was perhaps 2 to
3° C warmer than the Flandrian or current postglacial periods, and
probably more continental.

The later part of the Ipswichian is characterised by a rise to what
appears to be dominance in the forest of another warmth loving species,
the Hornbeam. At the same time oak and Hazel decline in importance,
while there is a reciprocal rise in pine and the forests become more
open. The Hornbeam declines into the post temperate phase of the
Ipswichian and deciduous forest gives way to an open boreal forest of
pine and birch. The spruce, which characterises this period on the
continent, is absent from British Ipswichian sites.

Mountain Hare, Wolf, Red Fox, Brown Bear, Badger, Wild Cat, Wild Boar,
Red and Roe Deer, Aurochs and Hippopotamus are typical of the Ipswichian
Interglacial.

A large part of the later Middle Palaeolithic period coincides with the
Ipswichian Interglacial, which lasted from 130,000 to 35,000BP. Tools of
the earlier Middle Palaeolithic seem to consist of handaxes, flakes,
Levallois flakes and blades, side-scrapers, points, cores and
pebble/chopping tools. In the later Middle Palaeolithic tool designs
changed with the introduction of the small Micoquian handaxes and knives
and the classic triangular handaxes/knives which are commonly found in
England and elsewhere. The term 'Micoquian' comes from a cave in
southwestern France where these tools were first identified.

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