Regional settlement systems in Mesolithic northern England: Scalar issues in mobility and territoriality

Current models of the Mesolithic settlement and mobility systems of northern England have largely resulted in a highly constrained view of the spatial use of the changing postglacial landscape. The ethnography of northern hemisphere hunter-gatherers in North America is at odds with such interpretations. It can be shown that in mid and high latitude forested environments mobile hunter-gatherers (a) use large areas on a seasonal basis and (b) engage in long distance logistic mobility. The application of these observations to the Mesolithic of northern England leads to reappraisal of both the spatial scope of regional settlement systems, and the degree to which upland and coastal environments are employed in the subsistence–settlement strategy. The results are improved appreciation for the process of colonization and the “filling in” of the region as well as a more dynamic view of regional Mesolithic mobility systems, both of which have important implications for the role of sites such as Star Carr in regional context.