Palaeolithic 500000–10000 BCE Most of region was covered with ice for much of this era. As some flint hand-axes have been found, there may well have been some inhabitants in the area during the intermittently warmer periods. There is no evidence of sustained activity.  Mesolithic 10000–4000 BCE As flints, including narrow blades and microliths (stone flakes 1–3 cm in size …