Road workers accidentally dig up the remains of a 130,000-yearold woolly Mammoth

Remains of an ancient woolly mammoth believed to be 130,000 years old were dug up by road workers expanding a motorway.

The bones of the mammoth were discovered by Highways England workers at the A14 motorway expansion between Cambridge and Huntingdon.

Some remains of a woolly rhino were also found by the highway crew and the ancient parts are set to undergo a study by specialists to determine their exact age.

A Highways England spokesman said: ‘The remains of a woolly mammoth dating back to the ice age are among the latest remarkable finds from the team working on the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon project.’

The patch of land near Fenstanton where the bones were found is believed to be an ancient river.

Mammoths, which are thought to have weighed up to eight tonnes, became extinct around 8,000BC.

The A14 expansion has led to a number of historic discoveries and excavators have found prehistoric henges, Iron Age settlements and a deserted medieval village.

Some items discovered by workers date back as far as the ice age.

The spokesman continued: ‘Operatives also discovered the remains of a woolly rhino, both at least 130,000 years old, during excavations for construction materials near Fenstanton in what was once an ancient river.’

The spokesman added: ‘They are the latest in a series of fantastic finds from the team building the new road, with other remarkable discoveries including; Prehistoric Henges, Highways England worker holds a Mammoth bone that was found t the A14 motorway expansion between Cambridge and Huntingdon

Iron Age settlements, Roman pottery kilns, three Anglosaxon villages, and a deserted medieval village.’

Palaeontologist Dean Lomax has described the discoveries as ‘exciting’ and ‘quite uncommon’.

He said: ‘Woolly mammoth and woolly rhino were once a common part of the wildlife here in the UK, during the

Ice Age.

‘We know this because their fossils have been found at various fossil sites across the UK.

‘However, recent discoveries like this are quite uncommon and it is exciting that they have been uncovered during road works.

‘It would be interesting to discover whether this is a oneoff discovery or whether more individuals are preserved in the same area.

‘It is also important that these specimens are appropriately cared for and conserved. These types of bone, especially mammoth tusk, can deteriorate quite poorly if left untreated so great care should be taken with these remains.’