Repeopling La Mancheland: Landscape Perspectives on the Neanderthal Archaeology of La Cotte de St Brelade.

The Neanderthal site of La Cotte de St Brelade preserved a record of human presence, absence and adaptation over a 200,000 year period. In this lecture we consider this record alongside that of the wider English Channel region to approach the archaeology of the now drowned palaeolandcape of La Mancheland.  Taking the seabed topography as our guide, the nature of this landscape and it’s affordances will be considered. What role did the Channel Islands and coasts of Britain and France play in the lives of ancient humans populations and how can the record preserved at La Cotte and other terrestrial sites in the region help us to understand and research what now lies under the sea.