8 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

40.000-Year-Old Mammoth Bones Discovered in a Wine Cellar in Austria

A winemaker has discovered mammoth bones up to 30,000 to 40,000 years old in a wine cellar in Lower Austria.  It is the most important find of its kind in more than 100 years.

While renovating the wine cellar in Gobelsburg, a local winemaker in the Krems region of Lower Austria found around 300 mammoth bones, the likes of which haven’t been spotted in a century. Archaeologists now confirm that the cellar and surrounding area can be classified as “a significant bone site,” containing the remains of at least three mammoths after he reported the find in mid-May!

Andreas Pernerstorfer reported the discoveries to the Federal Monuments Office as soon as he discovered them. The Austrian Archaeological Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) was then tasked with conducting additional research on Pernerstorfer’s discovery.

Bones from three different mammoths

Since mid-May, archaeologists from the ÖAW have uncovered several layers of mammoth bones. The stone artifacts and charcoal finds discovered there indicate that the finds are between 30,000 and 40,000 years old, according to archaeologist Thomas Einwögerer and his colleague Hannah Parow-Souchon. They assume an “important bone site” that contains remains of at least three different mammoths.

Photo: © ÖAW-ÖAI/H. Parow-Souchon

“Such a dense mammoth bone layer is rare,” says Hannah Parow-Souchon, who leads the excavation. “It’s the first time that we’ve been able to investigate something like this in Austria using modern means.”



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



The last time comparable finds were made in Austria was 150 years ago, also in the district of Krems. At that time, a thick bone layer as well as cultural layers with flint artifacts, decorative fossils, and charcoal were discovered in an adjacent cellar in Gobelsburg.

“We think we have mostly the complete animals. They’re not in anatomical connection but we do probably have all parts,” Hannah Parow-Souchon said, adding that the recovered haul includes some rare finds, including a lingual (tongue) bone.”

Hannah-Parow-Souchon (right) explains the locations of the mammoth bones to the Langenlois City Councillor for Culture, Sonja Fragner and the owner of the wine cellar, Andreas Pernestorfer (Left). Photo: Einwogerer /OeAW-OeAI
Hannah-Parow-Souchon (right) explains the locations of the mammoth bones to the Langenlois City Councillor for Culture, Sonja Fragner and the owner of the wine cellar, Andreas Pernestorfer (Left). Photo: Einwogerer /OeAW-OeAI

The find in Gobelsburg certainly raises many exciting questions, such as how Stone Age people were able to hunt these huge animals. “We know that humans hunted mammoths, but we still know very little about how they did it,” says OeAW researcher Parow-Souchon. Bones from three different mammoths were found: The place where they were found could be the place where the animals died. Humans could have chased them there and set a trap for them.

The find is currently being examined by the researchers and will subsequently be handed over to the Natural History Museum Vienna, where the bones will be restored. The excavations were funded by the Federal Monuments Office and the province of Lower Austria.

Austrian Academy of Sciences

Cover Photo: © ÖAW-ÖAI/H. Parow-Souchon

Related Articles

Fingerprints Found on Orkney Pottery Belong to Young Men

14 June 2021

14 June 2021

Details of the two young guys whose fingerprints were discovered on a fragment of a clay pot dating back over...

Archaeologists unearth a portrait of a king carved into stone in a 4,300-year-old Chinese Pyramid

9 August 2022

9 August 2022

A team of archaeologists say they have found what could be the portrait of a king carved into stone at...

Roman Mosaic found during rescue excavation in southeast Türkiye

13 December 2023

13 December 2023

Archaeologists discovered mosaics believed to be from the Roman era during a rescue excavation undertaken in a rural expanse in...

Sheikh Sultan Opened ‘Tales from the East’ Exhibition

28 April 2021

28 April 2021

The opening of the ‘Tales from the East’ exhibition organized by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) was held with the...

Japan-Persia Ancient Ties

20 June 2021

20 June 2021

Japanese and Persian ancient ties go back to the 7th century. Silk Road connected Japan with countries and regions far...

Pompeii Reopening Antiquarium

6 February 2021

6 February 2021

The Antiquarium, a permanent museum within the Pompeii Archaeological pact, reopens. Opened in 1873, the Antiquarium was bombed during World...

Archaeologists Uncover Double-Headed Ritual Hearths in Anatolia’s Tadım Mound

17 August 2025

17 August 2025

Governor Numan Hatipoğlu announced on his official X account that archaeologists at Tadım Castle and Mound (Tadım Höyük) have uncovered...

Poseidon’s Trident Discovered in Lake İznik

4 May 2025

4 May 2025

The depths of Lake İznik have yielded a discovery of profound significance, instantly captivating historians and archaeologists. The recent recovery...

Archaeologists Reveal Earliest Suburbs of Glasgow Beneath Gallowgate

4 October 2025

4 October 2025

Archaeologists in Glasgow, Scotland, have uncovered rare traces of the city’s earliest medieval suburbs during excavations in the Gallowgate district,...

First of Its Kind: 1,400-year-old Silla Crown Adorned with Jewel Beetle Wings Unearthed in South Korea

24 May 2025

24 May 2025

In a dazzling discovery blending nature and royalty, archaeologists in South Korea have unearthed a 1,400-year-old crown adorned with jewel...

Thousands of Ancient Tombs Discovered in Xian

23 February 2021

23 February 2021

According to the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Institute, more than 4,600 ancient cultural remains were discovered during the expansion project of...

2,600-Year-Old Scythian Noble Warrior’s Tomb Unearthed in Siberia: Rare Battle Axe, Bronze Mirror, and More

24 August 2025

24 August 2025

Burial includes ornate belt, ram-headed buckle, bronze mirror, and horse harness elements, revealing the elite status of the Scythian Noble...

Roman-era Mixers and Millstones Made with Geology in Mind

22 September 2021

22 September 2021

A study on stone tools from an outpost of the Roman Empire has found that for ancient bakers and millers,...

Luxurious Ancient Roman Home With Magnificent Mosaic Wall uncovered between the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill

14 December 2023

14 December 2023

Archaeologists have uncovered a luxurious Roman home between Rome’s Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, boasting an “unparalleled” mosaic featuring...

3500-year-old grape seed remains found in western Anatolia

12 September 2023

12 September 2023

Archaeologists at the Aşağıseyit Höyük (Aşağıseyit Mound) site in western Anatolia’s Denizli have uncovered a 3,500-year-old grape seed. Aşağıseyi Höyük...