Bontnewydd Palaeolithic site facts for kids
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Pontnewydd
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cave entry
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 Location in Wales
Location in the United Kingdom
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| Location | near St Asaph |
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| Region | Denbighshire, Wales |
| Coordinates | 53°13′37″N 3°28′34″W / 53.22694°N 3.47611°W |
| History | |
| Periods | Paleolithic |
| Associated with | Neanderthals |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1978 |
| Archaeologists | Stephen Aldhouse Green |
The Bontnewydd palaeolithic site (also called Pontnewydd) is a very old archaeological site in Wales. It is near St Asaph in Denbighshire. This special place is one of only three sites in Britain where fossils of ancient humans have been found. It's the only one with fossils of a classic Neanderthal. The site is close to the River Elwy, near a small village called Bontnewydd.
Contents
Discovering Ancient Life at Bontnewydd
Bontnewydd is an important archaeological site. It helps us learn about humans who lived a very long time ago. The word "palaeolithic" means "Old Stone Age." This was a time when early humans used simple stone tools.
Archaeologists started digging at Bontnewydd in 1978. A team from the University of Wales led the work. Dr. Stephen Aldhouse Green was in charge of the excavations.
Neanderthal Discoveries
During the digs, scientists found amazing things. They discovered teeth and part of a jawbone. These belonged to a Neanderthal boy. Scientists think the boy was about eleven years old.
These fossils are incredibly old. They date back about 230,000 years! In total, seventeen teeth were found. These teeth came from at least five different Neanderthal people.
What the Teeth Tell Us
The teeth found at Bontnewydd are very special. They show something called taurodontism. This means the teeth had enlarged pulp cavities. They also had short roots. This feature is common in Neanderthals. It helped scientists identify the fossils as Neanderthal.
Ancient Animals of Bontnewydd
Bontnewydd is not just important for human fossils. It also tells us about ancient animals. Scientists found bones from animals that lived in a "Mammoth steppe" environment. This was a cold, grassy landscape.
Animals like reindeer and woolly rhinoceros lived here. These animal remains are also very old. They date back between 41,000 and 28,000 years ago.
One of the oldest records of the wolf (Canis lupus) in Britain was found here. This shows that wolves were present in the area about 243,000 years ago.
