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Extraordinary Ice Age Neanderthal Finds at Norfolk Quarry

Unique Site of 50,000 Year Old Mammoths and Tools Reveals Secrets of a Little Known Era

An English Heritage supported excavation at a quarry in Norfolk has revealed 50,000 year old flint tools and mammoth remains from what could prove to be the best-preserved open-air Neanderthal butchery site ever discovered in Britain. The finds are set to provide crucial and extremely rare information about a little understood period of mankind's history during the last Ice Age.

Using money for the first time from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF), the twelve week rescue excavation by Norfolk Archaeology Unit at the May Gurney quarry in Norfolk is nearing completion. The Ł29.5 million ALSF fund administered by English Heritage, English Nature and the Countryside Agency was recently set up to run over two years for projects such as this in areas affected by aggregate extraction.

The excavation is the most complete ever to be undertaken using modern archaeological methods on such a site from the Middle Palaeolithic era and holds out the enticing prospect of answering some of the puzzles surrounding our enigmatic and often derided cousins, Homo neanderthalensis, and their harsh environment on the edge of the habitable world.

Eight skilfully-worked handaxes, plus enormous teeth, two meter long tusks and parts of the skeletons from three, or possibly four, mammoths, teeth from a woolly rhino and a raindeer antler are among the Ice Age remains which first came to light during gravel extraction at the quarry earlier this year. The site is thought to have once been a series of ponds used as a watering place by both Neanderthals and animals.

David Miles, Chief Archaeologist at English Heritage, said: "It is extremely rare to find any evidence of Neanderthals and even rarer to find it in association with mammoth remains. We may have discovered a butchery site or, what would be even more exciting, first evidence in Britain of a Neanderthal hunting site which would tell us much about their organisational and social abilities. For the first time we may also be able to date the presence of Middle Palaeolithic hominids conclusively in Britain. It is a discovery of such international importance that English Heritage has awarded it our first grant from the ALSF. "

More than 129 artefacts of worked flint, many of them pieces knocked from a flint core during tool-making, have been discovered, some in close proximity to the animal remains and showing signs that they have been used to cut or scrape something. The flints will now undergo detailed microwear analysis of the residues left on their edges to determine what they were used for. Examination of organic material such as molluscs, insects and plant remains, taken from the site has also revealed an extraordinary detailed picture of the environment.

Dr Bill Boismier, Archaeology Manager of the Norfolk Archaeology Unit, and leader of the excavation team, regards it as the most important dig he has ever worked on, said: "The presence of carcass beetles lend weight to the theory that the mammoths, one of which was a juvenile, died naturally and that afterwards the carcasses were partially eaten by hyenas and other carnivores such as lions. The Neanderthals may have then scavenged any meat and hide left on the carcasses. However, given the size of a mammoth and the quantity of meat on it, it is equally possible that one or more of the mammoths at the site could have been killed and butchered by Neanderthals without leaving cutmarks on the bones. We have also found a spiral fracture on what is possibly a deer bone, opened by a Neanderthal to extract the marrow."

Dr Mark White, a Palaeolithic archaeologist from Durham University who is a member of the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain project (AHOB), has examined the artefacts. He said: "A number of the finely fashioned flint handaxes appear to be of an elongated D shaped type called bout coupJ which was unique to Britain between 59 and 40,000 years ago. Their association with the animal remains is very suggestive and it is valid to speculate that the Neanderthals, had gone to this watering place because they knew they would find prey to kill."

Ian Findlater, Managing Director of May Gurney who operates the quarry, said: "We are delighted with the creative co-operation of all parties - English Heritage, Norfolk Archaeology Unit, Forest Enterprise and May Gurney - which will ensure these remarkable finds are recorded and conserved for the future. As soon as parts of the mammoth tusk appeared we knew it was something special and immediately contacted the Norfolk Archaeology Unit. We look forward to the results of the further analysis and hopefully the eventual display of these finds to the public. It is also encouraging to see the Aggregate Levy being used for constructive, educational and environmentally worthwhile projects".

Professor Chris Stringer, of the Natural History Museum, is Director of AHOB, whose members are collaborating on the study of the finds. He said: "All artefacts and animal remains have been removed from the site, but the scientific investigations will continue for some time. As well as the tools, the animal remains will be subjected to detailed analysis and more environmental information will be extracted from the soil samples to build up a picture in unparalleled detail of Ice Age Norfolk and its Neanderthal inhabitants. We may be in for even more sensational revelations yet."

Scientists have still to pinpoint the exact date of the site. It is likely to date from sometime between 40 and 50/60,000 years ago but sophisticated tests will be employed for greater accuracy. These involve using a radiocarbon dating technique called Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (ordinary radiocarbon dating techniques only work up to about 40,000 years ago) and Optically-Stimulated Luminescence which can date minerals which have been exposed to light. This technique was used to date the White Horse at Uffington.