mammoth bones in Austrian wine cellar
OeAI archaeologist Hannah Parow-Souchon (right) explains the location of the mammoth bones to the Langenlois City Councillor for Culture, Sonja Fragner (centre), and wine cellar owner Andreas Pernestorfer (left).
(Image credit: OeAW-OeAI / Thomas Einwögerer)

Experts described the discovery of Stone Age mammoth bones in an Austrian wine cellar as ‘an archaeological sensation’.

Winemaker Andreas Pernerstorfer was renovating his wine cellar in Gobelsburg, in the Krems district, when he came across the mammoth bones.

It said the last comparable discovery in Austria was 150 years ago, also in the Krems district.

mammoth bones wine cellar

Archaeologists Thomas Einwögerer and Hannah Parow-Souchon preparing the bones for recovery. Photo
(Image credit: Yannik Merkl)

Stone artefacts and charcoal at the wine cellar site suggest the mammoth bones are between 30,000 and 40,000 years old, according to archaeologists Thomas Einwögerer and Hannah Parow-Souchon, of OeAI.

‘Such a dense bone layer of mammoths is rare,’ said Parow-Souchon, who is leading the excavation work. ‘It’s the first time we’ve been able to investigate something like this in Austria using modern methods.’

So far, bones from three different mammoths have been found in the wine cellar.

mammoth bones wine cellar

“Mikado with ribs”, by OeAI archaeologist Marc Händel when uncovering the bones. Photo
(Image credit: OeAW-OeAI / Hannah Parow-Souchon)

It isn’t known how the animals died. Archaeologists speculated that humans may have chased the mammoths and set a trap for them on the spot where the wine cellar lies today.

‘We know that humans hunted mammoths, but we still know very little about how they did it,’ said Parow-Souchon, a researcher with OeAW. 

After being examined by researchers, the bones will be sent to the Natural History Museum in Vienna for restoration work.

Excavation work in the wine cellar was funded by the Federal Monuments Office and the province of Lower Austria.

Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.