Woolly mammoth discovered in Devon

The remains of a woolly mammoth and a number of other ice age remains have been discovered during development of a new town located near Plymouth. The remains were found in a cave and include a mammoth, a woolly rhinoceros, a wolf and a hyena, all of which are thought to date back to around 30,000 – 60,000 years ago.

Archaeologists working on the development have said that the find was of “national significance.” The remains were discovered in a cave during excavation in an area of old lime kilns and Sherford Quarry, while infrastructure work was being undertaken for the new development. So far, the team have uncovered the partial remains of a woolly mammoth and a woolly rhinoceros, along with an almost complete skeleton of a wolf. The partial remains of a hyena, horse, reindeer, mountain hare and red fox have also been found. The remains are now undergoing academic analysis and are expected to form part of an exhibition at The Box museum in Plymouth.

The developers have said that the underground area where the remains were found would be conserved and no construction would take place on top of it and that the entrance would be sealed as it is not safe for the public to safely access the area.