IT was a time when our ancestors roamed free across Hampshire carrying little more than a stone tool and bow and arrow.

The “once-in-a-generation” discovery of two 6,000-year-old tombs, under farmland near Damerham in the New Forest, is already shedding light on how our forebears survived.

From facing the peril of deadly enemy attacks to the constant threat from wolves and bears, it seems it was a tough existence for those who made the county their home.

The tombs, thought to be among the oldest ever found in the UK, are already helping to reveal how we may have worked the land – more than a thousand years before even Stonehenge was heaved into place.

The archaeologist leading the research said a community of up to 100 is likely to have been roaming around the area.

Dr Helen Wickstead, from Kingston University in London, said Hampshire’s man of 6,000 years ago is likely to have kept on the move, hunting in woodland and using open land to rear cattle.

But much of what lies within the tomb is still a mystery.

She said it was probable they contained both human and animal remains that could offer an insight into a little known period of history.

She said: “Usually in a tomb like this you would find the more important individuals in the community. Quite often there were ceremonial animal burials there as well.

“The people here would have spent a lot of time polishing hard stones and would have used flint found in the area. A lot of time would also have been spent chopping, as the area would have been much more densely wooded.

“Others would have been making pottery and doing basketry.”

As previously reported, the tombs were discovered after staff from English Heritage studied aerial photographs of farmland in the Damerham area and saw signs of buried archaeological sites.

It is still unclear whether excavation will be allowed on the land.

But the discovery has already excited nearby residents, who hope the site will draw history fans to the area.

A meeting is even being staged at the village hall at 7.45pm on Thursday where those interested can find out how to get involved in research.

Later in the summer, a team of volunteers will make a systematic survey of the site, recovering and recording any artefacts that have been brought to the surface by ploughing.

Edward Heron, deputy leader of New Forest District Council and member for Damerham, said: “I knew that the area had been occupied for a great many years and now it seems we are extending that time period by a few thousand years.

“I’m sure a lot of what made Damerham attractive to people back then is still true today.

“I think this is extremely exciting for the area.

“Anything of this variety that may help the rural economy has got to be welcomed.”