Eideard

French archaeologists have uncovered a rare, near-complete skeleton of a mammoth in the countryside near Paris, alongside tiny fragments of flint tools suggesting the carcass may have been cut into by prehistoric hunters.

The archaeologists say that if that hypothesis is confirmed, their find would be the clearest ever evidence of interaction between mammoths and ancient cavemen in this part of Europe…

Archaeologists came across the giant bones by accident while they were excavating ancient Roman remains in a quarry near the town of Changis-sur-Marne, 30 km east of Paris.

The mammoth, which the archaeologists have named “Helmut”, is thought to be between 100,000 and 200,000 years old and is only the fourth near-complete specimen to be found in France…

Scientists believe Helmut, a woolly mammoth, may have become stuck in mud or drowned…

Mammoth remains are commonest in the frozen climates of Siberia, where around 140 specimens have been found including some of the world’s best-preserved carcasses.

The prehistoric animal disappeared from Western Europe around 10,000 years ago, most likely due to climate change and hunting.

We evolved as omnivores, folks. If digestible, we ate anything we could kill, find as some other critter’s leftovers, or pluck it out of a bog for lunch.

The quest for scarce goods meant we ate anything that wouldn’t kill us.