The Entire History of Neolithic Britain and Ireland (4000 - 2500 BC) | Ancient History Documentary

The entire history of Neolithic Britain and Ireland from the migration and rise of the first farmers to the fall of their civilisation.
Who were the first farmers of the British Isles? Where did they come from and why did they migrate to these islands?
And why did they build all those incredible megalithic monuments that we see in the landscape today?
This documentary covers the history of the Neolithic in Britain from around 4000 BC to the arrival of the Bell Beaker people in about 2500 BC.
We will look at the first farmers of Europe and their migrations across the continent, as well as their interactions with the Mesolithic Western Hunter Gatherers who were already there.
And we will dispel some of the biggest popular misconceptions about these amazing people.
*If you enjoy these videos please consider supporting the channel
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Music
Multiple tracks by Lombus ➜ lombus.bandcamp.com/
Away - Patrick Patrikios
The Awakening - Patrick Patrikios
Metamorphosis - Quincas Moreira
Dawn of Man - Quincas Moreira
Familiar Things - The Whole Other
Thunderbird - Kevin MacLeod
Hidden Past - Kevin MacLeod
Sunrise in Paris - Dan Henig
Medieval Astrology - Underbelly & Ty Mayer
Nocturnally - Amulets
Voices - Patrick Patrikios
The Plan's Working - Cooper Cannell
Video Sources
The First Farmers of Europe: An Evolutionary Perspective - Stephen Shennan ➜ amzn.to/3wNDcqA
Britain BC: Life in Britain and Ireland Before the Romans - Francis Pryor ➜ amzn.to/3eyDsn5
Stonehenge - Mike Parker Pearson ➜ amzn.to/3ri4Wm4
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[@DanDavisHistory]

If you enjoy the video please hit "like" and share it with a friend, that would help me out enormously. Cheers! And check out the People of the Bronze Age playlist for more videos like this: kzbin.info/aero/PLUyGT3KDxwC8u4jG_tOjN-8-bsHxucUxn

[@StephenMortimer]

maybe they brought the MUMPS with them and the "others" were susceptible to it

[@perplexedpapa]

@@StephenMortimer That's a curious thought. I'm sure someone has already researched the genetic paths of the different pathogens, and now I'll be thinking about them too. When Dan was talking about how the people flourish in the northern areas during one of the declines, I was wondering if a flu like virus may have been introduced from the South but didn't make it to the North because the people there stayed isolated. Would be a little ironic if the peoples that took the British Isles from the "native" British people used mumps in trade blankets to take their land. But that's in another time.

[@StephenMortimer]

@@perplexedpapa this quasi myth of smallpox blankets is too often repeated by SJW's... go to a local reservation and observe the miserable wretches (not the half breeds)

[@mookins45]

@@StephenMortimer wretched fascist, i pity you

[@perplexedpapa]

@@StephenMortimer My mother's mother was raised on a reservation. Have you been to any of the reservations? They didn't choose which lands they were stuck with, the government did. Mostly lands that couldn't be easily farmed, no living wage jobs nearby(until the casinos), treated like a lower class of people, forced to learn the ways of the white or die, all of this after they stopped bounties and a bunch of other laws to keep them weakened. If it wasn't so cruel it would be impressive. A little island nation taking over a very big portion of the world using drugs to fund their conquests. Sugar, tobacco, opium... Along with cotton, potatoes, and maize they got filthy rich. I know that the English were not alone in the taking of the Americas, but they held on the longest, and came back for more a few decades later. Hopefully the days of conquests are over for the most part, but we never know. There are still some radical thinkers out there.

[@reporebo]

hedgehog with mushrooms on its spines at 4:40 was the surprise hit

[@stickemuppunkitsthefunlovi4733]

When sonic enters Mario world.

[@davidh6300]

@FilthyDank Wasteman the 11th he he he

[@Henchman34]

That freaked me out lol. Are they growing on the hedgehog!?

[@originaluddite]

Do hedgehogs just wander around and get all sorts of softer things stuck to their spikes?

[@cmur4372]

@@Henchman34 IKR!

[@Non-Serviam300]

I love how you talk TO your audience, not AT them👍🏻

[@DanDavisHistory]

That's a wonderful thing to say, thanks.

[@Non-Serviam300]

@@DanDavisHistory 👊🏻😉

[@sonoransaguaro3786]

@Vexed Ascetic🌵re; "TO and not AT"... "Aye, aye, Arrrgh, Cap'n!!"

[@Survivethejive]

I find the Neolithic dark age so interesting. It shows how easily and regularly civilisations fall! Learned a lot from this one thanks Dan

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you, great to hear that! Yes that pattern of growth and collapse seems to be inevitable right from the start of civilisation.

[@anandvardhantedlapu7414]

@@DanDavisHistory Please make a video on Dravidian links to Indus valley Civilization.......

[@Mysucculentchinesemeal]

Me too, I never got to spend much time on them in school, I think that’s why I find it so interesting.

[@helenamcginty4920]

I think of the neolithic period as a cultural thing rather than a civilisation. People came together in large numbers at Avebury where they constructed the huge henge and stone circle with all its other internal structures and at Durrington Walls and built wood henges there and, eventually, Stonehenge just down the river. But I think of it more as a society with common cultural practices as witnessed by the stone monuments all along the Atlantic coasts of Spain, Brittany and Britain. But a civilisation is a much more organised thing. There dies not seem to have been a centralisation of governance as developed in the bronze age. Any other ideas anyone? Am I out on a limb here?

[@thegreenmage6956]

@@helenamcginty4920 A ‘cultural thing’ *would* be a civilisation

[@annakobuk3618]

This channel is one of the best things that happened to the internet

[@petedandrea8463]

Ex of St. Albans, Herts here, now living in CO, USA. I grew up playing on new housing developments near my mums house. Every so often work on the building site would stop due to a piece of Roman pottery being dug up. My and my mates would hang out at the archaeological dig hoping for treasure to be discovered, lol. I never gave up my fascination with British history and channels like yours are a God send. Thanks for doing what you do, much appreciated!

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you very much Pete.

[@Missangie827]

people have never stopped trying to get away from their relatives have they?

[@DanDavisHistory]

lol

[@oftin_wong]

That's what I've always suggested for the systematic population of the ancient world ...by foot Something was driving it lol

[@markgarin6355]

Well... people already live where you are...so if you want to have your own land....you got to go somewhere else. Depending on rights of inheritance, most conquistador were 2nd or later sons, they had no guarantees, parental property went to first born.

[@oftin_wong]

@@markgarin6355 you must be a lot of fun at parties

[@markgarin6355]

@@oftin_wong freaking hysterical....

[@finishhim6663]

Why do I always stumble across great docs when I'm supposed to sleep.

[@DanDavisHistory]

It's a grand conspiracy, I'm afraid.

[@andersschmich8600]

Absolutely fantastic! I am getting my Master's Degree in History in Ireland starting this fall, and my tentative research thesis concerns cultural continuity and Medieval use of Neolithic sites.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Wonderful. That cultural continuity and reuse of the sites of previous peoples is fascinating isn't it. That's a fascinating and worthwhile degree, Anders.

[@andersschmich8600]

@@DanDavisHistory Oh yeah, especially given the analysis of remains at places such as Newgrange. It kind of does seem like the 'ghost' of the Neolithic lived on.

[@elizabethford7263]

@@andersschmich8600 how did the medieval Celtic Christian mind explain these monuments? Did they continue the folk tales of the Tuatha de Danaan or any earlier "invasions"? We know they christianized the old gods, so how did they interpret the physical remains in the Landscape???

[@bazzaboy1100]

@@andersschmich8600 just yesterday i was reading a reddit post in r/history, it was a BBC article about a site in England with artifacts and traces proving use from the neolithic to the 18th century, the site is on the route of a new main road being built, with other points along the route signifying that a "road" existed long before Romeans arrived

[@danic9304]

That sounds a fascinating thesis!

[@ryanoreilly4176]

You showed great respect for Ireland by distinguishing it each time from Britain. Thank you.

[@capatheist]

Oh really? What’s it to an O’Reilly?

[@highgarden9704]

@@capatheist You replied to O'Reilly quite wryly, I must say I think of you quite highly

[@fod2011]

​@@highgarden9704 I hope these comments are smiley and not bile y

[@highgarden9704]

@@fod2011 I never replied slyly, although the comment was made quite dryly

[@Alhajfnfncudj]

😆😆

[@juneroberts5305]

Every now and again I go through your whole channel. The amount of information you cram into an episode never ceases to boggle my tiny mind, and you are so engaging that listening to your uploads never gets old.

[@WWeronko]

With the arrival in Neolithic Britain of the Bell Beaker peoples came the renewed growing of barley in a massive way. Barley at the time was strongly associated with beer brewing. The spread of the Beaker culture in Britain introduced high levels of steppe-related ancestry, resulting in a near-complete transformation of the local gene pool within a few centuries, to the point of replacement of about 90% of the local Neolithic-derived lineages. It clearly demonstrates the power of beer.

[@hoponpop3330]

Wouldn’t the increase in Barley be indicative of a colder climate and soil changes ?

[@horatiuscocles8052]

Based boozer

[@blacktigerpaw1]

Sounds like genocide. The Yamnaya wiped out the Neolithic lineage in Spain.

[@DaVultureTTG]

@@blacktigerpaw1 it doesn't look great does it 💀

[@pedrolucasdesousa4718]

Beer Beaker Culture 🤣

[@TheWitchInTheWoods]

Really interesting. I think the Bronze age history of Britain is a fascinating story of waves of invasion. But I can't help but wonder what happened before all this.. I'm talking of the history of Doggerland and the deep dark ice ages. As I live near Creswell crags, I know where I live these stories go back into even deeper histories, of people arriving between one ice age and the next. If you could do a video about these people that would be amazing. Although I know we know very little about them. But very interesting, thank you.

[@oftin_wong]

Clan of the cave bear... is a good read, the author is clearly intrigued by this subject, dramatized but still a good read. Jean M. Auel (author)

[@TheWitchInTheWoods]

@@oftin_wong thank you.

[@elenavaccaro339]

Look for Don's Maps on the internet. Loads of information related to that time period including links to some of the anthropology papers Auel used as the basis for the books.

[@cindyleehaddock3551]

I love this show, but there also is the Britain BC and Britain AD show by Francis Pryor. The first ones do cover Doggerland some. There are also a few episodes of Time Team that cover the subject.

[@ahklys1321]

But why, of all place Ireland? I can only guess they were being chased there

[@masterdrewanthony]

This is spectacularly narrated. Even if the subject matter weren't factual, and were entirely fictional, it would have been a pleasure to watch all the same. Bravo!

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you very much.

[@needfoolthings]

It's true. He could read Earthdawn sourcebooks to me.

[@paulbennett772]

Stonehenge - not midsummer sunrise, but midwinter sunset. Brilliant series of videos! I'd like to read a story describing the travails of Doggerland people, as they cope with the aftermath of the Storegga catastrophe, and a video of the research that went into it. Any chance, Dan?

[@hoperules8874]

Oh wow! I bet it would be beautiful! Too bad you can't share pics in the comments.

[@helenamcginty4920]

I understood it was focused on midwinter sunrise. Marking the return of the sun after the solstice.

[@jamienelson3470]

Apropos of nothing, the hedgehog with the mushrooms stuck all over was the very best.

[@ellerose9164]

Yes so cute🦔

[@basilbrushbooshieboosh5302]

Love the video Dan. And two things especially: That you intersperse the video with maps that have dates for migrations, and also that you own your earlier misconceptions. On the first point, it gives viewers a chrono-spatial context to work by. Especially if they have picto-graphic learning leanings such as myself. On the second point you become inclusive of your viewers possible fallibilities. Thanks for the large section on the ritual sites of the Orkney's, as that is one of my ancestral origin areas through my mum's mum. I can never hear enough about that site.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you.

[@ruththinkingoutside.707]

This channel makes presentations that are so incredible they defy expectations in every way.. it reaches a place that’s oddly both emotional and intellectual.. it’s just SO GOOD.. ..you are compelled to rewatch all of them..

[@peterfrance7489]

That was great Dan. Thank you. I've been missing a coherent narrative that weaves together all the different threads of the successive migration waves and their ways of life - and here it is presented in digestible form.

[@Maddog3060]

It's really amazing looking back on these far periods of history. Our recent history as a civilization has massive, world changing events happening on a decade-by-decade basis, or even sooner. Even in the early modern period you had countries rising and falling in power in as little as a century; see Sweden as an example. But these periods of history that one may consider a mythic age lasted for as long, or longer than the time between us and the birth of Christ. What stories have we lost? What history was forgotten? Were there kingdoms? Wars? Heroes and villains? What stories did they tell each other. What explorers dared venture forth and bring back tales of far off lands? Sadly we have lost this information, and probably will never know. Something to mourn, I think.

[@adamgill537]

Beautifully put

[@vee1545]

Reading this gave me a wee shiver, well put

[@seanwhelan879]

I absolutely love your channel , content is excellent 👌 and your narration is brilliant. Waiting on you're books to arrive. Great work. Peace all 🇮🇪

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you Sean! Much appreciated. I hope you enjoy my stories.

[@PortmanRd]

Makes you wonder how these islands would've developed had Boudicca been successful in kicking the Romans out of Britain.

[@richardsleep2045]

Wow! Excellently researched and explained, thanks. This period's events have puzzled me for years.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you Richard.

[@cpswyl2]

Great production, Dan. Your honesty and plain speaking is greatly appreciated. Its good to get the closest juxtaposition to how things likely really were so long ago. My only comment regarding improving such a production (just a personal preference that may or may not resonate with others) is I think it is possible to overuse musical accompaniment. You have a good clear speaking voice. The information is compelling enough. I would suggest looking into selecting phases or moments where music can be best used to highlight. Otherwise it can get a little wearing. Well done.

[@cathjj840]

I sort of agree, although I generally just spontaneously tune it out. It never came into my consciousness as invasive or distracting.

[@edgarsnake2857]

Thanks for the timeline emphasis. It really helped to keep it all in perspective. Outstanding work. Thanks.

[@michel3386]

Really great work Dan!!! The neolithic its one of my favorite subjects in history, and there is still some many mysteries yet to be discovered about this time.

[@jennifermcdonald5432]

Although I know I could not survive this kind of life, I can’t help but think that life must have incredibly beautiful. So very few people in the entire world, absolutely no pollution anywhere, very connected small groups of people living together. Of course it was a very hard life, lots of loss through death and illness, not to mention no pain killers.

[@oftin_wong]

A cracked tooth or a deep splinter could certainly end your time on earth back then

[@jennifermcdonald5432]

@@oftin_wong True, but you’d never be hit by a drunk driver, or get Covid-19 or the like. I know there were about a million you could die of, or suffer from with absolutely no help to be had, anywhere but the scenery would have been magnificent, and hopefully the people wouldn’t have learnt to be so horrible.

[@oftin_wong]

@@jennifermcdonald5432 oh look I agree, i know they found evidence of bone cancer, and arthritis on ancient skeletons, lots of injuries that healed over, lots of sooty smoke youd be breathing in living on top of a fire constantly ... not too sure about people being nicer, I'm sure that the spectrum of human emotions and human nature was identical to what it is today at all extremes. I reckon you wouldve seen the most wonderful things in nature To the point of knowing what animals were thinking and being able to predict their behaviour perfectly

[@e.priest8937]

@@jennifermcdonald5432 the people would still be people.

[@vaahtobileet]

@@jennifermcdonald5432 obviously you had disease back then as well

[@lesleeg9481]

Hedgehog wearing some lovely mushrooms - priceless. Thanks for this video. It fires the imagination to think about being a Mesolithic or Neolithic Briton.

[@staninjapan07]

Top-class work, Mr. Davis. It's a fascinating topic, and I was pleased to hear you openly speculating about what might have been. Liked. Subscribed.

[@ArturdeSousaRocha]

That summary at the end is the cherry on the cake. It reinforces understanding of the presentation as a whole, what with it containing so much information.

[@theknave4415]

There is so much to learn about these topics and issues, that the more you learn, the more you realize how truly ignorant we really are, when it comes to ancient history. You're doing great work, Dan. Keep after it. ;)

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you! Yeah I agree, it's a never ending delve.

[@t_time5053]

@@zsbacskai7331 ok

[@jenellsaphid]

@@zsbacskai7331 history is a social science and it's useful for a lot of things... mainly in how events have shaped today.

[@aaron6178]

This was awesome. You made my Saturday super enjoyable. Thanks buddy. Your analysis is considered and well researched.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thanks! Most of the info is from the book The First Farmers of Europe.

[@mattrusingmail]

9:10 - I’ve been searching for this understanding of history for so long. Thank you so much.

[@MaicoWeites]

How did I not find this channel earlier? Great video incorperating lots of the more recent findings!

[@jamienelson3470]

Absolutely fascinating, as usual!

[@jezusbloodie]

"Why do it the easy way when you can do it the hard way" - personal motto Please never stop making it not simple for yourself if that means this damn high quality content 💜

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you very much.

[@alayneperrott9693]

Beautifully presented and really enjoyable.

[@A_Saddler]

This is an amazing documentary and incredible content! I've been watching almost all of your videos these past few days and learned so much about prehistoric Europe. Thank you! Also, just wanted to mention how the history of these people mirrors the history of Rapa Nui so much (Fall of Civilizations channel). A population boom and bust, then an equilibrium that evolves into a lot of monument building before newcomers discover them and they succumb to disease and conquest.

[@heirofatlantis2798]

Damn Epic, Dan!

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thanks! It's an epic tale to be sure.

[@grandmastersreaction1267]

So happy to see your channel is blowing up. Well done mate and keep it up!

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thanks, bro, appreciate it.

[@iceetmarne3571]

It's great to listen to your uploads Dan. I'd never really recognized how immersive your images were. Thank you.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you.

[@michaelleblanc7283]

Dan Davis Author - You are a good man to meet. You've made all of us all better time travellers. Thank you for allowing us to watch you.

[@LeedsLyons]

Excellent work Dan, the narration of your videos is brilliant.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you very much.

[@DinoFuzz1988]

Awesome vid! I especially love these long form vids. good vibes!

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you very much!

[@RaySawhill]

Nicely done, very informative and enjoyable, many thanks.

[@Melkimund]

loved the video! I learn so much! i found the segment at 19:02 particularly interesting, have revisited that part a few times now to really grasp the content.

[@jackbroughton1431]

Amazing video, watched the whole thing, great work. This and Jive’s works, are the best out there bar none.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you, I appreciate that enormously.

[@dirksharp9876]

It's blowing up Dan! You deserve it.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you.

[@francisfischer7620]

Fascinating! And so well done!

[@wolfpac4934]

Thank you for this great video.

[@noahtylerpritchett2682]

I can't wait for you to do a Bell-beakers video it's gonna be awesome. I hope you cover the Bell-beakers both continentally and in Britain. This video is awesome btw

[@madderhat5852]

This is one of the best , concise shows I've seen on this topic. And here I am, an Australian whose ancestors come over in the Irish/British immigration waves of the mid 19th century. They came from the Liverpool area and County Cork. I wonder why the rush in from 4000bce to 3700bce? On day, post-covid, I'll get to Skara Brae as it's on my bucket list.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

[@manzelli1981]

Dan, your content has taken this 20th Century history geek and made him into an ancient history addict. Keep up the great work!

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you very much indeed.

[@victoriawilliams6156]

Again, another well-made well presented video.

[@westower7898]

I found your level of detail in your research and your presentation so captivating, that I just went out and ordered The Wolf God. I'm eager to see if your level of wordsmithing equals your skill as a documentarian. If it does, I found another favorite author to read all their works eagerly.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you, I hope you enjoy the novella, Wes. If you read ebooks you can try any of my novels by downloading a 10% sample from Amazon. Cheers.

[@doggerlanddk664]

Remember Doggerland

[@OblateSpheroid]

Wonder what the chances of human DNA ever being recovered from Doggerland are. Would love to see how well represented populations from there were in Neolithic Britain. Could have been mostly replaced by later groups.

[@sawahtb]

Exactly, that's how the cattle got to Britain.. not sure about Ireland, but a calf isn't as big ..

[@DanDavisHistory]

That isn't how the cattle got to Britain. Doggerland was gradually submerged by rising seas until it was finished off in about 6200 BC.

[@runedyrting8476]

@@DanDavisHistory Other videos on Utube claim that Doggerland existed to a degree until 4000 BC. And it is a much more likely explanation to assume that cows were driven overland.

[@DanDavisHistory]

They're wrong and the cows weren't driven over land.

[@Atroposian]

VERY good work! Thank you for putting it all into context.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Much appreciated!

[@catmomjewett]

Dan, that was amazing. Thank you. 💛

[@olinayoung6287]

Spectacularly good!! I’m only 3/4s of the way through because every second is packed! But wanted to comment & thumbs before more time goes by. Thanks so much ⭐️✨☀️⭐️✨!!!

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you! So glad you're enjoying it.

[@johnarmlovesguam]

Fascinating tales from the past well-told. Thanks Dan.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you.

[@cecileroy557]

I subscribed a while ago. I LOVE your channel. Your voice is pleasant and extremely easy to listen! Sometimes I leave certain well-researched channels because they are so difficult to listen to.

[@dennisscott2516]

This is so well produced. This channel’s vids are bonkers. Meaning how can something this good exist for everyone.

[@spcm6781]

Hi Dan I know this video is 9 months old but I think I've watched this video 4 times now! I absolutely love it, it brings history to life. I'm fascinated by the neolithic period on these Isles. I live in Sligo Ireland. I'm surrounded by neolithic megalithics, its one of the richest part of Ireland for such sites. Carrowkeel in Sligo is several hundred years older than Newgrange.

[@adambane1719]

Yo bro, I grew up in Strandhill at the foot of Knocnarea

[@j1hnyny]

im from Sligo too!

[@talanigreywolf7110]

Time Team is coming back thanks to Tim Taylor's efforts to revive it. They already have two digs under their belts, with several more prospective sites listed. They best part, in my own opinion, is they've named their command vehicle, a beautiful RV, "The Mick Mobile"!

[@citytrees1752]

Really well put together. Thanks for the calm voice over and the quiet - not overpowering - music (there could even be spots where you don't put music at all).

[@massonman9099]

Amazing. Well told, lovely video.

[@dracodistortion9447]

so glad i found your channel! havet read your books but you certainly give great KZbin videos, I might just have to read your stories 🤔

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you very much I appreciate it.

[@dracodistortion9447]

@@DanDavisHistory of course mate 👌🏻

[@bruceparr1678]

Something similar is happening today. Huge numbers of people of a different culture are arriving in Britain and subsuming the previous culture.

[@helenfawcett9685]

Fascinating, both for understanding the deep history, and the process of research for wriitng. Thank you!

[@iambenk]

Wow, great video. And probably your best one until now. I really enjoyed it.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it, thank you.

[@Ghost2743]

Thanks for this, your channel is my favorite new subscription. And thank you for the tone, for not suggesting my people were completely wiped out. I realize it's only a thin slice of my ancestry in a way but I descend from an unbroken male line of the first men of Britain and Ireland. Their surviving of everything discussed in this video and everything after means a lot to my eyes.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Very cool

[@dirksharp9876]

That's actually incredible. I would have thought most of the men similar to that lineage would have came to Britain with Germanic peoples.

[@Ghost2743]

@@dirksharp9876 Most male haplogroups in Britain (R1b-L21) come from the bell beaker migration during the bronze age, followed by Germanic/Saxon lines (Mostly R1b-S21,R1a,I1), then Scandinavian (I1,I2,R1a) and native subclades of I2.

[@dirksharp9876]

@@Ghost2743 To my understanding most of the R1b that came to Britain via various Germanic migrations was R1b-U106. And since most I haplogroups in Britain overwhelmingly came from Germanic migrations, it makes it that much more rare that a modern man could be directly paternally descended from WHG there. That's quite a legacy.

[@Ghost2743]

@@dirksharp9876 In England yea actually R1b-L21, and -U106 would both be around 30%, but the former is much more common as you move north and or west, I'm used to thinking of it being more prevalent in the isles on the whole. But yea thanks man, def proud of my forefathers.

[@johntomasini3916]

Excellent work Dan.

[@cyberedge881]

Your videos are absolutely exceptional.

[@norsemagicandbeliefs8134]

Really well put together videos! Always liked your history! Do you edit these yourself with stock footage? Or outsource the editing? Been thinking making more videos with this style

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thanks man, appreciate it! Yeah I edit with stock. It takes ages and having an editor would help but the editing is really how you tell the story isn't it so I don't know. Yours must take quite a bit of editing as well - bringing in so much text and images etc.

[@elizabethford7263]

I found your channel through Dan's. Great minds and all that.

[@norsemagicandbeliefs8134]

@@DanDavisHistory Yes takes too much time either way haha. Thank you! and good luck to our channels so we may grow and be able to pay editors to save us time someday

[@DanDavisHistory]

Yes indeed, I'm sure we will get there eventually. Your content is excellent.

[@thicclegendfeep4050]

I can't help, as a man of significant Brittish heritage, but wonder what life was like for our Mesolithic and Neolithic forefathers on the isles, how rugged and harsh life must have been for our Mesolithic forefathers to live in the harsh northern weather, and bring food home to their family and tribe, the hard manual labor of our Neolithic forefathers, and just what was going through their minds when they constructed the great stone megaliths that now cover our home isles, and how they reacted when the Bell Beakers entered, bringing a whole new culture and way of life utterly alien to them, did they try to resist them ? Did they peacefully assimilate ? I wonder what their languages and cultures were like. I'm also kind of interested in what the language of the Bell Beakers was like, what kind of forgotten Indo European did our ancient ancestors speak ? I like to think it has a weird blend of Germanic, Celtic, and Italic elements in it. The Brittish isles has such a long and rich wealth of history

[@imastaycool]

The term British Isles is part and parcel of antiquated notions of the British empire which are long gone. The Brits use this term for Ireland to cause conflict as it's a political term. Even UK law uses the term British Islands to refer to the UK, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man as a single collective entity, but does not include Ireland. The manufactured term was introduced as the British Isles in the 16th/17th centuries by English and Welsh writers for both propaganda and political reasons. The term itself was always controversial to the Irish, but became more so after the breakup of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1922. The term is rejected by the Irish government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish people. The term was formally disavowed in September 2005 by the Irish Government when Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern famously stated: "The British Isles is not an officially recognised term in any legal or inter-governmental sense. It is without any official status. The Government, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, does not use this term." We reject it. It's just another manufactured British term to establish some sort of false dominance over another nation of people on a different island…

[@ScottJB]

​@@imastaycoolThe British Isles ❤

[@imastaycool]

@@ScottJB third country rule taker whose economy is BELOW sanctioned Russia's hahaha Illiterate nation of inbred racists. Did you see the video of the Australian reporters that were LAUGHING at Brits? 🤣 Insignificant third country rule taker 😉

[@60079regulatorylaw]

Amazing,thank you for Sharing.

[@ariomannosyemo9090]

Awesome stuff man! Love it.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it.

[@oltyret]

Land rush? Sounds familiar. In fact, there were a lot of land rushes in North America and European farmers displaced North American Hunter Gatherers. Land would be...reserved for the Hunter Gatherers. Then, due to population pressure, it would be opened up. Some leapfrogged ahead to get there...Sooner? Dan Davis, you have a historical model for what may have happened in Neolithic Britain in the colonization of North America, Australia and South Africa.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Yeah you're right - I think there are many historical and prehistorical examples of this process! Actually I was thinking about this recently as I've been reading a bit about the Bantu expansions and there were periods of rapid migration just like this. The Bantu people were also farmers and this gave them a huge numbers advantage over the native hunter gatherer peoples in the Congo and Southern Africa. Some of these Bantu speaking groups would settle in the new lands and others kept going in different directions. They were astonishingly successful in all different environments.

[@petergurry9652]

Absolutely brilliant.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you.

[@ronaldboulder308]

This kind of content is what the world needs.

[@zack9679]

Great channel! Love this

[@sebvillars]

This is an incredibly well presented history of the period. Waw! Cheers from a French-speaking Swiss listener.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you.

[@ianbeddowes5362]

I am utterly fascinated by the Neolithic culture.

[@oldmedic3216]

Thank you for this amazing video. Your explanations and analysis are phenomenal. You have definitely peaked my interest in the Neolithic period. Yes, I have subscribed.

[@Nyctophora]

Thank you, that was fantastic!

[@therationalcollection2999]

It's funny. Ive been to 42 countries and caught many planes.. but yet I'm still jealous to understand the feeling of discovery these people must have felt ferrying over their livestock from Europe

[@missourimongoose7643]

Imagine seeing your first Irish elk (the largest of the deer species) it had horns that were over 10 feet across

[@DanDavisHistory]

Pretty sure they were long extinct by this point but yes they were truly magnificent creatures.

[@alfredoaohansen7468]

@@missourimongoose7643 How many toes are 10 feet

[@burymycampaignatwoundedkne3395]

I’m not sure why, but I find the quick zoom ins on the livestock faces very amusing

[@DanDavisHistory]

Good - it's supposed to be funny!

[@KT-ur7pi]

When at Knossos last, my friend Peter and I would pretend to be the minotaur and Moo at the tourists, it made us laugh that's for sure. It's always reassuring you find fellows such as you two that have that common silly gene so inherit to these islands. Fabulous video btw Dan, thank you for the education and entertainment 👍

[@cathjj840]

Something about cows seems to be hardwired into Europeans' genes (or perhaps soft-wired through their epigenetics), so of course that would include their humour, that most essential human trait. I once knew an artist (US but living and selling in Europe) who made fortunes with her silly, simplistic pictures of cows!

[@lilaotearoa5399]

Amazing content man.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you.

[@angusarmstrong6526]

Fantastic work buddy!

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you!

[@bremnersghost948]

Great stuff as always Dan, Could you please do a Video on the Thornborough Henges? One of/If not The Largest Prehistoric Earthwork Sites in Britain. Yet barely covered by Historians and very little on YT. Make a great setting for a Book too ;-)

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you! Funny you say that, I had that area in my script but I cut it out because the video was already so long (I also cut out a whole 5 mins on stone circles). But yes it's a fascinating area and a great example of what I was talking about when I said ritual landscape with sites linked by cursus. Can't promise a dedicated vid but I will make more Neolithic videos for sure - there's so much more to say. Cheers.

[@joycewycoff3061]

Curious about why you think it's a great setting for a book. I'm planning a month of exploration this fall, mainly research but with an eye on a book location. Would love to hear your thoughts.

[@bremnersghost948]

@@joycewycoff3061 Hi Joyce, Where to begin, The beauty of the landscape there, The Scale of the Henges, The amount of other monuments in the surrounding area eg Star Carr, Perhaps most importantly for an author, Nobody else has yet based books there lol. Since original comment, The whole site has been donated to English Heritage so hopefully there will be serious archaeology done there now its not privately owned.

[@MrGetItDone7]

Dan could you do a video on the history and progression of ancient peoples sailing and their most impressive voyages? I can’t wrap my head around how time after time people were able to reach new lands. Also it’s incredible they even considered it an option to go into the unknown of water

[@DanDavisHistory]

Yes the subject has been requested by patreon supporters and is on the video list. I agree it's an amazing subject.

[@MrGetItDone7]

@@DanDavisHistory I’ll be on the lookout for it thanks!

[@HeavyD6600]

Great video, thanks!

[@lizzy66125]

thoroughly enjoyed this video,also the references you use.please can you do more on the Neolithic era ?thank you so much for making these excellent videos.❤

[@benndanny12]

Hi Dan, I really enjoyed the video. It enormously clarified a lot of things for me. I just wanted to mention I read an article, a few month ago, that Mesolithic people seem to have formed a powerful elite at New Grange. Prestigious burial sites had individuals with Mesolithic DNA and there was also evidence they were inter breeding to a significant extent -like the Egyptian Pharos. Thanks again.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thanks Hugo. They weren't Mesolithic people, they were Neolithic people with Mesolithic ancestry. They certainly were inbreeding. There certainly seems to have been an elite rulership with significant Mesolithic ancestry who were possibly inbreeding in order to maintain their sacred Mesolithic bloodline and - perhaps - retain the black hair and blue eyes of their Mesolithic ancestors that marked them out as special.

[@benndanny12]

@@DanDavisHistory There's so much we don't know or understand about these times. Do you think it would be possible to interpret the Irish legends to see if this can shed light on their beliefs and culture?

[@DanDavisHistory]

Plenty of amateurs are sure. Academic anthropologists / folklorists etc are generally wary of committing to such things but I think it's quite likely. Even in the study we are discussing now they point out that one of the barrows was known in historical times as "The Hill of Sin" or "The Hill of Incest". So - amazingly - there is no doubt the memory / knowledge / legend certainly survived in some form for thousands of years.

[@benndanny12]

@@DanDavisHistory I read a paper by a Finnish academic, a couple of years ago, that investigated folk law in Portugal which were associated with dolmens. The presiding theme was a cow, a harp, a woman and a pot of gold. Other stories were associated with seasonal sheep movements as dictated by the night sky. There is a guy called Goran Pavlovic (Old Europe) who puts interesting interpretations on Ancient European folk law in Ireland and Serbia and has recently turned his attention to glazed images on pottery in Greece and the Middle East. Almost all of it relates to the seasons and planting times of different crops as indicated by the mating seasons of domestic and wild animals. Nikolai Tolstoy writes about British folk law. Some of his interpretations of the early saints are very interesting but other things are a bit doubtful on further analysis. I think it's possible but very hard.

[@KnightsWithoutATable]

Thanks for putting this video out. I have been looking at this time period for inspiration for making a RPG setting that would involve different eras and how the monuments like Stonehenge and the complex in the Orkney Islands would tie into the religions, cultures, cosmology, and even more fantastical elements, like older peoples tied to the land and traveling between the ages and locations by use of magic.

[@timthorne381]

Fantastic thank you. It is clear you have done extensive research, but distill this to the main conclusions. Thereby creating a great in-depth account of the events in an acessable formate. Impressed that you underplay the research you must have spent days doing. Thank you.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it. Yes it was quite a lot of work - the real trick with a complex subject is indeed making it as simple as is possible.

[@bobthebomb1596]

Very interesting video, thanks.

[@kclark3188]

Thanks for the reference and images of Time Team. Have watched them all several times over.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Me too.

[@cathjj840]

For those who don't know the Time Team series, besides being so interesting from a historical and archeological standpoint they have two other characteristics that hook their watchers: seeing the participants' rich, interpersonal interaction among the disparate professionals and others: with real camaradery, humor and respectfully dealing with disagreements; and as therapy for hurting souls. As for the latter, it was astonishing to read the number of comments mentioning the good these shows did for people's psychological well-being!! Sometimes it was only as a sleep aid (not from getting bored but from feeling calmed down enough to fall asleep), but for others they were a serious help in dealing with trauma. They're all available on YT.

[@tct84]

One of the more interesting aspects was your thought experiment on what might have been. I’ve never thought about them reaching the heights of the Minoans if left to their own devices, very thought provoking take.

[@j.rebekah8605]

Excellent video!

[@claudiosaltara7003]

Despite my caustic comments, I like you videos. The photography is excellent and your delivery is clear and the expose’ of this ancient and obscure period is magisterial.