More mammoth fossils have been found in a quarry near Swindon.

A major archaeological effort is underway at the Cerney Wick site where sections of a 200,000-year-old mammoth graveyard were discovered in 2019 and 2021.

The remains of steppe mammoth tusks, a pygmy mammoth tooth, several bison vertebrae, a rib and jawbone, wild horse ribs, and a partially-complete tooth from a cave or brown bear have been unearthed in recent weeks as part of a new phase of paleontological activity, nicknamed ‘Mammoth 2.0’.

Hills Quarry Products is working with experts at Neo Jurassica to carry out this careful excavation, with support from the Archaeological Research Services, leading universities, museums, and specialists.

Neo Jurassica director, James Hogg, said: “It was a true pleasure to meet Mike Hill and the team at Hills.

“If it wasn’t for their support and shared vision of the scientific importance of this site, this multidisciplinary systematic excavation would not have been possible.”

The important historical material is being conserved at the Yorkshire Natural History Museum in Sheffield, which will be accessible to researchers across the UK.

It is hoped that amassing a large collection of mammoth bones will help us to find out more about the size and social structure of their herds and how this compares to modern elephants.

In 2021, the Adver told of how fossil hunters Neville and Sally Hollingworth from Moredon found pre-Ice Age steppe mammoth bones and a neanderthal flint axe in the quarry, which was later featured in a BBC documentary with Sir David Attenborough. 

The TV crew filmed part of Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard on-site - and Sir David even visited the Hollingworths' home for a chat and a cuppa.

Neville said at the time: “Swindon is one of the best places in the country for finding fossils.”

The couple worked with the quarry’s owners at Hills.

Group director Peter Andrew said: “It’s a fantastic site and it just keeps on giving. We are looking forward to next year when we will welcome more teams of experts to carry out the next part of the excavation.”

As the area is not accessible and is normally underwater, the excavation involved de-watering the area using water pumps. After the current investigation ended, the area was restored as a temporary lake.