ENVIRONMENTAL STEWRDSHIP
A mammoth discovery at Clifton
A mammoth tusk discovered at our Clifton quarry is now on display at a Worcester museum.
The tusk was spotted by one of our plant drivers at the site, who upon realising the importance of what he had uncovered, reported it immediately to the quarry management. We immediately suspended operations in the vicinity of the tusk. Staff from Worcestershire County Council’s Archive and Archaeology Service, who we work with on a regular basis, were called out to investigate the discovery.
Nick Atkins, Estates Manager for the area, said: “We’re extremely excited that such a significant discovery has been made at our site and are very keen to see what else we can find out about it. It’s fantastic to discover something like this which is so well preserved and will help us and the specialists find out more about the creature and its history.”
An initial specialist assessment of the find confirms it to be the remains of a tusk from a Mammuthus primigenius, or Woolly Mammoth. Such animals once roamed the Worcestershire countryside around 50,000 years ago alongside our Neanderthal ancestors during a period of the human past called the Palaeolithic. The size of the tusk suggests that it was from a young male animal, which could have grown up to eleven feet height at the shoulder and weighed up to six tonnes.
Senior Archaeological Project Manager Robin Jackson said: “Thanks to the very prompt and responsible actions of the quarry staff we’ve been able to recover this very interesting find from Worcestershire’s distant past. Discoveries of mega fauna (or giant animal) bones in Worcestershire are rare and therefore this find is an important one which will hopefully inspire people to learn more about Palaeolithic Worcestershire.”
The tusk has been slowly dried out and conserved by a specialist conservator Nigel Larkin. It will be on temporary display at Worcester City Museum and Art Gallery.
Deborah Fox, Curator of Archaeology and Natural History at the museum, said: “We’re delighted to be able to display this wonderful specimen and would like to pay tribute to Tarmac for their swift action and care of this important discovery, and to Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service’s professionalism and expertise. It’s been many decades since a specimen like this came into the City Museum and we’re very pleased to have it here.”