Neanderthal tools, mammoths and new species at Cotswolds dig
The site - which would once have been a river - has ice age remains from about 214,000 years ago but also fossils from about 160 million years ago.While the site has yielded yet more mammoths, archaeologist Kieran Mason has been the one looking at the human side of it - namely, the flint tools discovered.He explained that before the site was excavated, it had been questionable whether Neanderthals were living in the area at the time, but he said: "It's clear evidence of Neanderthal. Modern human flint knapping is very different to Neanderthal techniques." "The fact we're getting these artefacts in the same layer that we're finding these bones that have been carbon dated is telling us there were people around, we just need to find a skeleton next."
Bones of other types of elephant aside from mammoth have been found too.Some bones, such as those of big ice age horses, show the gnaw marks of hyenas. Sally and Neville Hollingworth are the people who kicked if all off. They first noticed the significance of the area about eight years ago, when they spotted a mammoth bone sticking out of the ground when the owners, Hills Quarry Products, had just begun to dig a trench.Since then, the company has had teams back a few times to gather finds."We have bison, rhino, the giant horse, a possible wolf vertebrae, evidence of hyena," said Ms Hollingworth.There is a lot more than just digging on site - bones and fossils have to be cleaned and preserved at the conservation tent, where the larger things that had to be carefully lifted, like the 7ft tusk and skull, are also covered in plaster to keep them safe.
One hundred and sixty million years ago, the Cotswolds would have been underwater. The area of the dig site examining fossils is full of ammonites, but to the trained or enthusiast's eye, there is a lot more in the rock.Palaeontologist Richard Forrest is an expert in Jurassic marine reptiles and told the BBC the site had been "incredible" and they had been able to expand their knowledge of the area hugely. That includes a possible 12 new species of invertebrate the team may have found as they comb through the finds.
The sea monsters Mr Forrest researches are somewhat more fierce than the ammonites - they have also found a baby Plesiosaur.It would have been about 2m (about 6.6ft) long just as a juvenile.He described it as a "snake threaded through a turtle. They effectively flew underwater, with two sets of flippers. No animal ever has hit that formula."They had very long necks too - the rock has parts of the bones sticking out, but Mr Forrest will need to do careful work to get it out."I use what's called an air pen - like a miniature drill. They work at a minute level. I'll do a lot of this under a microscope."
The dig has been a good opportunity for students and volunteers too - Mr Hollingworth explained that about 20 universities had had people involved, including internationally."We've been really lucky that we've a great big group of very enthusiastic volunteers and researchers," he added - the numbers are what have made the dig so huge.
Volunteers have also come in from all backgrounds, a few being geologists. Eric Downey is one of them - he is now office-based in his usual work, but jumped at the chance to "get his hands dirty"."This is the cream of the cream. This is one of the best places in the UK to come and dig. Everyone here is a volunteer. It just shows the passion," he said."No-one has touched this thing since it was deposited thousand or millions of years ago. You are the first person to see this in modern times."Many volunteers have been camping beside the dig in the area nicknamed Mammothville for the three-week dig.
Mr and Ms Hollingworth, so passionate they have their own high-vis jackets with "Mammoth King" and "Mammoth Queen" printed, explained the site would soon become a silt pond and returned back to nature."Everything here will be locked away back into it's very own time capsule," said Mr Hollingworth.For them, as the people who kicked it all off, there is more to it than finds."This has been an incredible journey. This site has held so many fabulous memories. It's not just about the dig here. It's passing on that legacy for the future," added Ms Hollingworth.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Teenager who researched medical cannabis to study at Oxford
A teenager whose interest in medical cannabis has highlighted gaps in scientific research has secured a spot at one of the UK's top universities. Ariana Howells, 17, achieved three A*s and one A in A-level biology, chemistry, maths, and English literature, plus 97% in her Extended Project Qualification, and will now take her place at Oxford University's St Hilda College to study biochemistry. Ariana, from Barry in Wales, carried out research examining the extent THC, a component of cannabis, can 'negatively affect sleep architecture' as part of her studies. The project highlighted the drug's promise, as well as gaps in existing research. 'There were only seven studies worth citing,' Ariana, a scholarship student at Cardiff Sixth Form College, said. 'I expected clearer answers, but what I found was a real need for more in-depth, unbiased research. This is something I want to keep exploring at university and beyond.' Ariana's interest in medical cannabis is personal as well as academic. Her mother lives with Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel condition with no cure, and medical cannabis has played a crucial role in improving her quality of life. Her parents run a medical cannabis clinic in Wales – Cannabis Clinic Cardiff – where the teenager has spent the last two years helping with admin and learning about the evolving science behind the plant-based treatment. She said: 'Seeing my mum's condition and the way cannabis helped her and the patients who visit our clinic really opened my eyes to its medical potential. 'My dad is also a senior psychiatrist, so I've grown up in a household where science and care come together.' Outside of school, Ariana earned gold in the Biology Olympiad, reached the semi-finals in the International Biology Bowl, and is also a competitive ice skater, having competed in the juvenile British championships in 2020 for synchronised ice skating. Now preparing for Oxford, Ariana plans to channel her energy into drug development and mental health research – with a special interest in how medical cannabis could one day transform care. 'There's still stigma and strong media opinions,' she said. 'But science is about asking difficult questions and being open to where the evidence leads.' Welsh Education Secretary Lynne Neagle extended her congratulations to students picking up their results on Thursday. She said: 'Every learner opening their results today has earned the right to feel immense pride in what they've accomplished, and these achievements demonstrate remarkable determination. 'As you look towards your future, whether that involves starting an apprenticeship, entering employment, or beginning studies at university, I wish you 'pob lwc'.'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Thousands more pupils awarded highest A-level grades but fewer are taking exams – as UK's most popular subject revealed
THOUSANDS more teenagers have bagged the highest A-level grades this year — but slightly fewer sat the exams. Fresh figures show 83,334 papers were awarded the coveted A* - a rise of 0.1 percentage points on last summer — even though total entries dipped by 0.5 per cent to 882,509 4 4 4 4 The proportion of A*–A grades climbed to 28.3 per cent, meaning almost one in three results hit the top band, defying predictions of little change. UCAS data also reveals more school-leavers have secured places at university, with 439,180 acceptances so far — up 3.1 per cent on last year. For the first time in seven years, boys have outperformed girls at the very top, with 9.9 per cent of male entries earning an A* compared to 9.1 per cent of female entries — a gap of 0.8 percentage points. Girls still matched them overall when A* and A grades were combined, but the shift marks a return to the pre-pandemic pattern before teacher-assessed grades flipped the tables. Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator of Ofqual, England's exams regulator, said the standard of work required to achieve grades has 'held constant' since 2023. He said any changes were because a 'smaller, smarter cohort' of students had sat their A-level exams this year compared to previous years. Sir Ian said: 'Students this year have got the grades they deserve, and their grade will hold its value over time because it represents a stable standard of achievement.' Maths held firm as the nation's favourite subject with 112,138 entries - up 4. 4 per cent in a year and more than 21 per cent higher than a decade ago. But there is a clear gender divide, with boys significantly more likely to choose the subject than girls. Psychology remained in second place with 75,943 entries, while biology stayed third on 71,400, though both saw small drops. Physics has surged in popularity, jumping from ninth to sixth after attracting an extra 1,843 students. Economics saw the fastest growth among the top ten subjects, up 5.5 per cent, while chemistry and business studies also gained ground. By contrast, French and German continued their long decline, with French entries down 9.1 per cent and German down 8.5 per cent, while English literature fell 4.4 per cent. London led the regional league table with 32.1 per cent of entries at A*–A, compared to just 22.9 per cent the North East. Jill Duffy, chairwoman of JCQ board of directors and chief executive of the OCR exam board, said: 'Regional inequalities are getting worse, not better. 'The gap at top grades (A*-A) has grown again. " London is once again the top performing region and is now 9.2 percentage points ahead of the North East.' She added: 'These regional inequalities need more attention.' Alongside A-levels, more than 250,000 vocational and technical qualifications were awarded, with business management the top choice. T Levels, the Government's flagship technical qualification, had a record 11,909 students receive results, up 61.4 per cent in a year, with over nine in ten passing or better. Exam chiefs hailed the 'hard work and determination' of students, many of whom began their GCSE years during the pandemic. The grades will now send tens of thousands of teenagers into universities, apprenticeships, or straight into the workforce — the next big step after years of study. By MARTINA BET, Political Correspondent THIS year's A-level results confirm a trend that has been building for several years but is now gathering pace. Teenagers are turning away from traditional arts and languages and flocking to STEM and business-based subjects, as the cost-of-living crisis and jobs market realities bear down on their choices. Maths has been the UK's most popular A-level for over a decade, but its growth is accelerating, with entries now topping 112,000. Physics has leapt from ninth to sixth place in just twelve months, while economics — the fastest-growing of the top ten — has jumped 5.5 per cent in a year. These subjects feed directly into higher-paying careers in engineering, finance, and technology, all areas the Government is desperate to bolster to close skills gaps and boost productivity. By contrast, French and German have been in long-term decline, but this year's 9.1 per cent and 8.5 per cent drops are among their sharpest falls yet. English literature, down 4.4 per cent, continues a steady slide that has been evident since before the pandemic. Ministers may talk of levelling up opportunity, but the subject data shows a narrowing of the curriculum as students and their families make harder-edged, pragmatic decisions about their futures. And regional divides are widening too. London's top-grade rate is more than nine percentage points higher than the North East's — a gap that has grown year on year. Without targeted intervention, those disparities risk hardening into entrenched economic and social divides.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
ADHD medication reduces risk of suicide and criminal behaviour, study finds
Medication prescribed to people with ADHD not only helps them focus but it also reduces the risk of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, transport accidents and criminality, a study has found. It's estimated 2.6 million people in the UK live with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which affects around 5 per cent of children and 2.5 per cent of adults worldwide. But in the UK, just over half are prescribed medication for it. Researchers compared the impacts of medicating ADHD on those who have been recently diagnosed. Using data from Swedish national registers between 2007 and 2020 researchers at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, were able to examine the effects of ADHD drug treatment in 148,581 individuals aged between six and 64-years-old over two years. Just over half (57 per cent) of participants had started drug treatment for ADHD, with methylphenidate – a type of stimulant – being the most commonly prescribed (88.4 per cent). However, the other people who were also newly diagnosed did not receive medication. The study, published by the BMJ, assessed how often those with ADHD had suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, accidental injuries, transport accidents, and criminality, over two years after their diagnosis. After accounting for factors including age, sex, education level, psychiatric diagnoses and medical history, ADHD medication was associated with a 17 per cent reduction for suicidal behaviour, 15 per cent for substance misuse, 12 per cent for transport accidents, and 13 per cent for criminality. However, the reduction was not statistically significant for a first-time accidental injury. But amongst people with recurrent events, the rate reductions associated with ADHD medication were seen for all five outcomes: a 15 per cent reduction for suicidal attempts, 25 per cent for substance misuse, 4 per cent for accidental injuries, 16 per cent for transport accidents, and 25 per cent for criminality. Samuele Cortese Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Southampton and study author, highlighted that people need to be educated on the long-term risks of ADHD. 'Commonly people think ADHD is over diagnosed but there are still many people who have ADHD that are not diagnosed, and many are exposed to these risks,' he said. 'Side effects of medication can include reduced appetite and difficulty falling asleep, but they usually get better over time or they can be managed.' Struggling to pay attention, having high energy levels and being impulsive are common symptoms of ADHD. Stimulants can work by increasing activity in the brain, particularly in areas that help control attention and behaviour, according to the NHS. Study authors say that by reducing impulsivity, it may also lower criminality by curbing aggressive behaviour, and enhance attention, which might decrease the risk of transport accidents by minimising distractions. 'These results provide evidence on the effects of ADHD drug treatment on important health related and social outcomes that should inform clinical practice and the debate on the drug treatment of ADHD,' study authors conclude.
