Humans may have returned to Britain far earlier than scientists once believed — not long after the last ice sheet began retreating. New evidence suggests people were already moving into the British Isles around 15,200 years ago, tracking herds of reindeer and horses across a landscape that was suddenly becoming warmer and greener.

People moved back into the British Isles around 15,200 years ago after the last major ice sheet began retreating, according to new research. That timeline is nearly 500 years earlier than earlier estimates suggested.

The return of humans appears to have happened alongside a sharp increase in summer temperatures (open access) in southern Britain. At the time, Britain was still connected to mainland Europe, allowing people and animals to move across the landscape more easily.