A 6,000-Year-Old Salt Production House Found in UK

Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient stone age-era salt production house in the UK. Experts are estimating that it's older than Stonehenge. The salt production house is estimated to be from the Beolithic period from around 3800 BCE. This discovery is major when it comes to historical significance. 

It's not only the oldest facility found in Britain, it's also the oldest one found in all of Western Europe. Prior to this discovery the oldest salt production facility dated back to 1400 BCE. 

This discovery tells historians that civilization settled on the island earlier than previously thought. It pushes salt-making back nearly 2,400 years, and it was a very valuable commodity.

Salt was critical for stone age developments because it allowed people to store and preserve meat. This salt production house was so effective that experts say it's something you'd expect to find in the Iron Age.