Joint in-person meeting of the Prehistoric Society and Prehistory Research Section of the Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society. 

Date: Saturday 5th September 2026 at 2pm - 3.30pm

Venue: Leeds City Museum, Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 8BH

Free booking to open in July. 

Dr Jess Bates, Research Project Manager, Department of Archaeology, University of York.

‘Life after the Ice Age: Uncovering secrets of hunter-gatherers at Star Carr and Flixton Island, in the Vale of Pickering' 

In this talk, we will journey back over 10,000 years to explore the extraordinary prehistoric archaeology that has been excavated from two sites located around a vast ancient lake, Lake Flixton. Discover how the unique, waterlogged conditions found at the Mesolithic site of Star Carr have acted as a prehistoric time capsule, preserving evidence of Britain's oldest wooden bow, early evidence of domesticated dogs, and the iconic antler headdresses. We will also learn more about Britain's final Palaeolithic hunters from evidence found at Flixton Island - a site that offers us a rare glimpse into the lives of those who were some of the last to live alongside wild horses. Join us to learn more about the people who formed a key part of Yorkshire's deep history and shaped part of the landscape we see around us today. 

Dr Jess Bates is a Research Project Manager in the Department of Archaeology, University of York, working on FORAGER, a 6-year European research council (ERC) funded Synergy project. Jess specialises in Mesolithic structures and settlements, and collaborated with Yorkshire Museum on their Life After the Ice exhibition on the site of Star Carr. She has also worked on the spatial analysis for Flixton Island, a key site dating to the Palaeolithic-Mesolithic transition in the Vale of Pickering.

Image: Mesolithic house reconstruction in York Museum Gardens, copyright Louise Bedford