Artefacts

This fragment of a mammoth’s left femur measures over 60 cm long and weighs over 8kg.

Weighing over 5kg, this right ulna would have belonged to an adult mammoth measuring approximately 4m tall at the shoulder. Found in 2021, preliminary analysis suggests this find may show evidence of butchery or animal gnawing, providing vital clues to understanding how mammoths and Neanderthals interacted in this landscape. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings.

This rib fragment comes from the collection of Sally and Nev Hollingworth, found in 2017. Intitally, there was a hypothesis that this fragment showed evidence of possible cut marks and butchery from stone tools. Further analysis determined that the scratches on the bone surface were more likely caused by post-depositional activities, and not the result of Neanderthal-mammoth interaction.

A mammoth’s tooth can easily be bigger than a human head! Beyond their impressive size, mammoth teeth are a great way to learn more about these Ice Age giants: mammoths grew up to six sets of teeth during their lifetime. As the plates wore down due to their herbivorous diet, they would be replaced by a new set. By analysing the size, shape, and number of tooth plates, we can tell which species of mammoth it belonged to, and even how old the individual was when it died. This tooth belonged to an adult mammoth. This image shows the grinding surface at the top, with the root of the tooth at the bottom of the image.

Mammoth teeth are made from several amalgamated vertical plates, creating a broad, ridged grinding surface which is excellent for crushing plants. This is a single plate from a juvenile mammoth tooth.

Mammoth ivory was a useful material for ancient people who used it for making everything from pendants to musical instruments, but it’s also a useful material for archaeologists too: tusks can be used to estimate the age of a mammoth, just like you can count the rings of a tree. Both male and female Steppe mammoths had tusks: males’ were slightly thicker with a more spiral shape, while females were thinner with only a slight curve. This fragment of mammoth tusk, measuring approximately 20cm long, has been identified as belonging to a juvenile.

A Palaeolithic handaxe likely made by a Neanderthal. This particular stone tool technology is called Acheulean, which typically dates to around 550,000-300,000 years ago in Britain. The discovery of this handaxe at a 200,000 year old site has archaeologists wondering where this very traditional tool came from. Could it be the result of a long-standing residual Neanderthal group still living in the area using old technology?

A palaeolithic handaxe found by fossil collector Mark O’dell. This handaxe was not found as part of the Cerney Wick excavation, but was collected from a nearby field. The heavy abrasions and staining on this handaxe suggests it is much older than the handaxe found in conjunction with the excavation. Furthermore, its degraded state may indicate that it has encountered significant post-depositional movement, perhaps in water and gravel. Given the lack of secure provenience for this tool, it does not give much insight into the excavation itself, but does indeed add to the wider picture of the palaeolithic landscape in this area.

It’s big brother, the handaxe, might be more visually impressive, but this humble flint scraping tool that fits perfectly between a thumb and a forefinger is even more evidence that there was human activity at the site. Measuring approximately 4cm long by 3cm wide, a small tool like this would probably have been used for scraping hides which could then be used for clothing or shelter. This one would have been made by Neanderthals in the Early Middle Palaeolithic period, and lends weight to the idea that the tools weren’t here by chance – this was a place that Neanderthals came regularly.