Discovered a mammoth cemetery more than 210,000 years old

Paleontologists have found five fossilized mammoth skeletons from the last ice age in southwestern England.

A large number of mammoth bone and ivory fragments have been found in England.

Excavation work was completed last month at a quarry in the town of Swindon, county Wiltshire, more than 110km west of London. Chronological analysis shows that the herd of elephants died 210,000 - 220,000 years ago, when Neanderthals still inhabited what is now England.

In addition to the five mammoth skeletons, including one juvenile, two adults and two juveniles, the team also found many stone tools, such as hand axes and scrapers (used to clean animal skins).

"Finding mammoth bones is always extraordinary. This discovery is made more special because the bones are not only old but well preserved and are located near Neanderthal stone tools," Lisa Westcott said. Wilkins, co-founder of the archaeological organization DigVentures, shared.

Neanderthal stone ax unearthed near mammoth fossil.

According to Wilkins, early mammoths could have grown up to 4m tall, but the two adult specimens found in Swindon were significantly smaller. Their reduced body size is an indication that they were affected by cold weather especially during the last ice age.

Going forward, the team wants to find out why so many mammoths died in the same place and whether the Neanderthals hunted wild animals or just picked up their carcasses.

"Through findings like these, we can better understand life in England more than 200,000 years ago," said Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, a British historic preservation agency. about the importance of research.