Researchers found footprints left by ancient humans 800,000 years ago in Britain.
The discovery was made during low tide; rough waters had removed the sand and revealed the estuarine muds below, a British Museum news release reported.
In one spot "elongated hollows were cut into the compacted silts," the researchers analyzed the surface using photogrammetry which creates a 3D image by "stitching together" smaller ones.
The footprints washed away within but the images allowed the researchers to continue analyzing them. They found the footprints depicted the heels, arches and toes of both adults and children.
The team found the early humans' heights ranged from about 2-foot-11 to 5-foot-6; they were believed to have been moving south. The footprints varied in length from about five inches to 10 which also indicates they were made by people of different ages.
The ancient people were believed to have been Homo antecessor, also known as the "pioneer man." Bones of these human species have been found at the Atapuerca site in northern Spain.
"A recent origin for these features from human or animal activity can be excluded as the exposed sediments are compacted, have low moisture content and are therefore too firm to preserve recent imprints. Given the similarity of the hollows observed in Area A to Holocene footprint surfaces, the most likely explanation is that the majority of hollows can be interpreted as ancient footprints," the news release reported.
There were about 12 footprints were able to be outlined clearly and measured for length and width. The team was not able to analyze the depth of the prints because they were filled with water or sand.
Researchers believe the "slippage and erosion" of the footprints suggest the footprints were made by five people.
"This is an extraordinarily rare discovery," Nick Ashton of the British Museum told the Guardian. "The Happisburgh site continues to rewrite our understanding of the early human occupation of Britain and indeed of Europe."
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