Anglian

Quaternary glacial deposits found in East Anglia, England. Other possibly related and isolated patches exist elsewhere in Britain, but they are older than the extreme range of radiocarbon dating and palaeomagnetism shows them to be younger than 700,000 bp. This period is sometimes equates with the Elster glacial maximum and dated to c 300,000-400,000 years ago. During the Anglian-Elsterian glaciation in Europe a large ice-dammed lake formed in the North Sea, and large overflows from it initiated the cutting of the Dover Straits. In East Anglia, the deposits are stratified below Hoxnian and above Cromerian interglacial deposits and Acheulian and Clactonian artifacts are found in the sediments. Most of the evidence of human activity in Britain and Europe is later than this time. Anglian is more often used to describe the group of deposits or the one glaciation (antepenultimate) of that time.

Group of British Quaternary glacial deposits, mainly found in East Anglia; isolated patches of glacial deposits exist elsewhere in Britain which may possibly be correlated with the Anglian. The exact age of the Anglian sediment is unknown, but they are older than the extreme range of radiocarbon dating (70,000 bp) and can be shown by palaeomagnetism to be younger than 700,000 BP. Some authorities equate the Anglian with the Elster glacial maximum on the continent and date it to c300,000 to 400,000 years ago. In East Anglia, Anglian deposits are stratified below Hoxnian and above Cromerian interglacial deposits. Acheulian and Clactonian artefacts are found in Anglian sediments, but most evidence of human activity in Britain and in the rest of Europe is later than this time (see Table 6, page 419). It used to be thought that the Anglian represented one glaciation (the antepenultimate) and the term is still frequently used with this meaning. The Quaternary in Britain is now known to be much more complex and such a usage is not advisable; the term Anglian is better confined to the description of a group of deposits.

Quaternary glacial deposits found in East Anglia, England. Other possibly related and isolated patches exist elsewhere in Britain, but they are older than the extreme range of radiocarbon dating and paleomagnetism shows them to be younger than 700,000 bp. This period sometimes equates with the Elster glacial maximum and dates to c. 400,000-300,000 years ago. During the Anglian-Elsterian glaciation in Europe a large ice-dammed lake formed in the North Sea, and large overflows from it initiated the cutting of the Dover Straits. In East Anglia, the deposits are stratified below Hoxnian and above Cromerian interglacial deposits, and Acheulian and Clactonian artifacts are found in the sediments. Most of the evidence of human activity in Britain and Europe is later than this time. Anglian is more often used to describe the group of deposits or the one glaciation (antepenultimate) of that time.