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How a phone call 40 years ago changed Ice Age history
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- In 1986, quarry workers near Condover, Shropshire, uncovered the remains of five mammoths, including the most complete adult mammoth skeleton ever found in Britain, dated to about 14,000 years old.
- The discovery challenged previous beliefs by proving that mammoths survived in Britain thousands of years later than scientists had thought.
- Eve Roberts, a local resident, played a crucial role by noticing the unusually large bones and contacting the Shropshire Museum Service, which led to the proper scientific excavation of the site.
- The mammoth remains were found in excellent condition, with the adult identified as a male around 30-32 years old, and the juveniles believed to have died at different times after being trapped near a kettle hole formed by retreating ice.
- The find attracted significant public interest, including media coverage by the BBC, and many of the bones are now housed at Ludlow Library and Museum Collection Centre and Shrewsbury Museum.
