West Runton elephant

Geobox|Prehistoric
name = West Runton Elephant
category = Fossilized remains


image_caption = Steppe mammoth
official_name = "Mammuthus trogontherii"


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country = United Kingdom
County = Norfolk
Region = East of England
District = North Norfolk
Settlement = West Runton
location = Found at the base of a cliff on West Runton Beach
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geology = Cromerian Stage
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period = 866,000-478,000 years ago
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date = 1995
management = Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service
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visitation = Cromer Museum & Castle Museum, Norwich
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discovery = 1990
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footnotes =The West Runton Elephant is a fossilized skeleton of a steppe mammoth ("Mammuthus trogontherii") found in the cliffs of West Runton in the county of Norfolk, England in 1990. [ [http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/default.asp?Document=400.500.05] Norfolk Museum announcement of the find and brief Description] The find is the largest nearly complete elephant skeleton known, and is the oldest found in the United Kingdom.fact|date=July 2008|Needs inline citations

The unearthing

After a very stormy night on the 13th December 1990 two local residents [ BBC documentary Coast , programme maker Jessica Holm, Interview with Harold and Margaret Hems, who found the first fossil bones] walking along West Runton beach found that a large bone had been partially exposed at the base of the cliffs by the actions of the previous night’s storm. The couple contacted Norfolk Museums Service who soon identified the object as a pelvic bone of a large elephant. After another storm just over a year later, a local fossil hunter discovered more huge bones and it soon became obvious that the site was a major find of importance. In January 1992 Norfolk Archaeological Unit undertook an exploratory excavation at the site. As a result of this a second major 3 month excavation followed in 1995.fact|date=July 2008|Needs inline citations

The excavation

The 1995 excavation of the site was carried out by the Norfolk Archaeological Unit and funding from the Heritage lottery fund and Anglian Water was gained for the project by the Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service. The meticulous excavations lasted over a period of three months. The Unit recorded every details of the remains of the animals and other fossils in the deposit. A laser theodolite was used to carefully drawn and plotted the position of bones and other finds on maps. Specialists from this country and abroad were called in to collect and study all the pollen, macroflora, microfauna and sediments found at the site. The stratigraphy, mineralogy and chemistry of the site was also studied and recorded. During the excavations almost ten Tonnes of soil were delicately removed a trowel-full at a time, to be sieved for the tiny bones of frogs, newts, lizards, snakes and small mammals and birds.fact|date=July 2008|Needs inline citations

Conclusions

The Elephant skeleton found at West Runton is the best example of the species "Mammuthus trogontherii" to be unearthed so far. Previous finds include two partial skeletons found in Germany and Russia both of which were only about 10 to 15% complete. The West Runton specimen is 85% complete. From these remains it has been deduced that the Elephant stood some convert|4|m|ft at the shoulder and would have weighed in at convert|10|t|ST. This twice the weight of the modern equivalent, namely the African Elephant. The elephant was male.fact|date=July 2008|Needs inline citations

From the study of the pollen and the discovery of other amphibians, snails and small mammals from the site it was discovered that environment consisting of bodies of slow moving fresh water, near to the sea, with a good amount of vegetation and moist woodland present. The climate was classically Pleistocene, almost identical to the climate today.fact|date=July 2008|Needs inline citations

Preservation

All the bones of the elephant were carefully wrapped in tissue paper and foil before being encased in plaster of Paris, and supported by large splints to protect them. A special cradle was constructed to support the well preserved skull and huge tusks. The skull and tusk were lifted out from the bed by crane on the last day of the dig before the hole was filled back in. All the bones and the tusks were put on pallets and taken from the site by lorry to the conservation Laboratory at Gressenhall.fact|date=July 2008|Needs inline citations

At Gressenhall all the carefully prepared protective paper, foil and plaster was removed from the bones. The concreted soil and sediment was removed with brushes, small dental tools, pins, scalpels and fine jets of high-pressure air containing slightly abrasive powder. All this work was done under a microscope, even on the biggest of the bones, to ensure that no damage was done to the surfaces of the bones. During this process it was discovered that the carcass of the elephant had been scavenged by spotted hyenas due to the teeth marks found on the bones and also Hyena droppings were identified. Some interesting pathology also revealed that the elephant had a diseased and deformed right knee which was likely to be the cause of this relatively young animal’s demise.fact|date=July 2008|Needs inline citations

After the cleaning and repairing process was completed the material was cataloged. All the smaller bones were then carefully placed in specially-cut nests in archival foam and then placed in special archive trays or boxes which will last for many decades, as these containers are designed not contain any harmful chemicals. For the larger bones permanent rigid jackets were created for them to lie in. within these jackets a soft archival foam layer was formed closest to the bone, with a rigid resin jacket supporting it from beneath. The heaviest of the bones are stored on there own trolleys for ease of movement. All the bones are stored in environmentally controlled special building were heaters and dehumidifiers work to keep the environment of the store at just the right temperature and the humidity exactly rightfact|date=July 2008|Needs inline citations

Exhibits

Due to the weight and size of the remains of the Elephant only a few selected bones are on display in Norwich Castle Museum and Cromer Museum

References