Near Liverpool, Formby Beach preserves prehistoric footprints pressed into mud and covered by sand, with some dating back around 9,000 years (~7000 BC). Each high tide washes the sand away, revealing hardened impressions of animals (including aurochs), deer, wading birds, adults, and children. The landscape was once a muddy shoreline and saltmarsh, and with luck you can spot prints within 20 minutes of searching. 👣
Formby Beach preserves prehistoric footprints of humans and animals in mud
WalesGeneral
Key facts
- Prehistoric footprints preserved in mud (not rock) on a beach near Liverpool
- Footprints were made in mud and covered by sand; tides wash the sand away to expose the hardened footprint impressions
- Footprints of aurochs, deer, and wading birds have been found, as well as adult and children's human footprints
- The landscape was once a river delta rather than the present shoreline
- Footprints can sometimes be located within 20 minutes of searching the beach
Site mentioned
Sources
Neolithic track sites from Formby Point, England: New data ...sciencedirect.com
by ALA Wiseman · 2022 · Cited by 7 — The footprints were of a poorer preservation quality than those from Blundell Path, and exhibit some over-trampling by modern humans owing to the beds location ...
(PDF) The Prehistoric Footprints at Formbyacademia.edu
PhD Thesis Title: An 8000-year record of prehistoric footprints in a dynamic coastal landscape, Formby Point UK. The profusion of footprints seen in the inter- ...
The Formby Footprintsformby-footprints.co.uk
For 3000 years, animals, birds and people left their tracks along the muddy shoreline. Some were baked hard by the sun, each tide covering them ...
9000-year-old human footprints found on Formby Beach!bbc.co.uk
Hundreds of human footprints have been found on Formby Beach, near Liverpool. Scientists think the oldest ones date back around 9000 years!
What can we learn from ancient footprints found on a ...openaccessgovernment.org
The research on the ancient footprints in Formby reveals that the modern shoreline was a real hub of human and animal activity in the first few ...
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