The Great Ice Age

Scientists believe that the world is 4.6 billion years old -and during that time approximately 11 different ice ages have occurred. The last one to occur was around 11,000 years ago and was called the "Great Ice Age". During this most recent ice age, over a third of the world's surface was covered in ice. Due to the cold weather at these times, it only snowed, never rained, which aided the freezing of the earth's surface.When temperatures began to rise, the glaciers started along valleys and rivers because they now sat on water from the melted ice. The ice continuously melted and froze,shaping the landscape we have today.

Then 10,000 years ago , temperatures dramatically increased and all the ice began to melt. As the ice melted away the once frozen rivers and valleys became fast flowing water features dragging along all the rocks and soil in its path. the only ice remaining was high up in the mountains ( higher altitude = colder temperature). The glaciers that exist today are from the last ice age.

Many animals that existed during the time of the ice age are extinct today. They couldn't adapt to the climate change. These are animals such as the cave bear, the woolly rhino and the woolly mammoth.We know of their existence because the people that lived during their time painted pictures of the animals on the cave walls that they lived in. We have also found the bones of these animals and scientists have carefully preserved them in places for the public places such as museums.

Hunter's knives have left holes in the animal's remains due the hunters killing them for their their meat and fur. In those days the role of men was to hunt and the women and children prepared the food and made the clothing for the family. No part of the hunted animal went to waste. The bones were used for weapons, tools and needles. The large stomach was used to carry water. The skin of the animal was used for shelter, blankets and clothes.