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During renovation work in his old wine cellar in Gobelsburg near Langenlois in Austria, winegrower Andreas Pernerstorfer came across bone remains. As bone finds in the loess layers of the surrounding area are not uncommon, he informed the Federal Office for the Protection of Monuments. Archaeologists excavated the bones from mid-May and discovered that they were the remains of at least three mammoths, dating back between 30,000 and 40,000 years. As stone artefacts and charcoal remains were also discovered in the area of the excavation, the researchers assume that the animals were rounded up, killed and eaten by humans.
The archaeologists speak of a sensation and the most significant find in over 100 years. Such a dense layer of mammoth bones is rare. It is also the first time that such a find has been analysed in Austria using modern methods. They hope to gain new insights into the hunting methods and lifestyle of Stone Age people.
(al / Source: Austrian Academy of Sciences)