5 February 2026 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

Incredible Mayan Inventions and Achievements

31 July 2022

31 July 2022

The Mayans excelled at agriculture, pottery, writing, calendars, and arithmetic, leaving an incredible quantity of spectacular architecture and symbolic artwork...

Using Google Earth and aircraft reconnaissance, archaeologists identify unknown sites and Serbia’s hidden Bronze Age megastructures

17 November 2023

17 November 2023

Using Google Earth and aircraft reconnaissance, archaeologists at University College Dublin identified more than 100 previously unknown sites. Satellite remote...

New Study Reveals Ancient Secrets of the 3,600-year-old Nebra Sky Disc

2 December 2024

2 December 2024

Discovered in 1999 in Germany, the Nebra Sky Disc is the oldest known depiction of the cosmos. A recent examination...

Archaeologists uncovered a second mosaic in Rutland Roman villa in England

29 November 2022

29 November 2022

Archaeologists report they have uncovered a second mosaic at the site of the 2020 mosaic discovery at the Roman villa...

One of the Largest Early Medieval Silver Hoards Ever Found in Sweden Unearthed Near Stockholm

13 October 2025

13 October 2025

In an astonishing find that could reshape our understanding of early medieval Scandinavian wealth, a private individual digging for earthworms...

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...

Archaeologists find rare treasure in Suzdal of Russia

15 August 2021

15 August 2021

The twentieth season of fieldwork brought an unexpected discovery to the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences....

Otto the Great’s Tomb Marble Did Not Come from Italy or Greece, New Research Reveals

19 December 2025

19 December 2025

A major archaeological discovery in Germany is reshaping long-held assumptions about one of Europe’s most iconic imperial monuments. The tomb...

Archaeologists Unearth Cisterns at Izmir’s Ancient “City of Mother Goddess”

2 June 2021

2 June 2021

In the ancient city of Metropolis, in western Turkey, in the province of Izmir, something that played an important role...

Tombs of Queens of Commagene Detected

23 September 2021

23 September 2021

The graves built by Commagene King Mithritades II (36-21 BC) for his mother Isias, his sister Antiokhis, and Antiochis’s daughter...

Samen Underground City Getting Prepared for Public Visits

6 June 2021

6 June 2021

Samen Underground City is a unique structure in Iran and the extent of such a structure has not been observed...

Kashmir’s Forgotten Temple? Shivlings and Ancient Idols Found Beneath Sacred Spring

4 August 2025

4 August 2025

A routine restoration of the Karkoot Nag spring in the Salia area of Aishmuqam, Anantnag district, Jammu & Kashmir, has...

A 1700-year-old Roman water tunnel dug into the mountain was discovered in Adıyaman province in southeastern Türkiye

13 September 2023

13 September 2023

It was revealed that in the Besni district of Adıyaman province, located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, the...

Roman Bath and Magnificent Mosaics Used as Stables by the Villagers For Many Years

3 January 2025

3 January 2025

Archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Herakleia in Muğla’s Milas district in western Türkiye unearthed a striking discovery from...

Archaeologists Uncover a 2,500-Year-Old Monumental Solstice Sanctuary in Spain

24 September 2025

24 September 2025

In the hills near the Andalusian town of Jódar, Spain, archaeologists have uncovered a monumental solstice sanctuary where the sun...