A Summer of Mammoths – Part Two – Digging it!

A Summer of Mammoths – Part Two – Digging it!

#Tuskforce team of volunteers  

So freshly back from our grand Italian mammoth tour, and whilst battling with post-holiday laundry it was all out preparing for another adventure of mammoth proportions - the #TuskForce palaeontology dig, at the site found by Sally and Nev Hollingworth that featured on the BBC documentary – David Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard.

Two Sally's Sally Hollingworth and me. 

The dig was at the Hills Services quarry site in the Cotswolds who supported the endeavour in a myriad of ways. It spanned three weeks. It was completely funded by donations and completed by volunteers - over 180, from world expert palaeontologists, geologists, students, post-grads, fossil collectors, museum staff, entomologists and one slightly mammoth mad kids’ writer and illustrator. 

With Nev Hollingworth

It was an enormous endeavour, a labour of love of the aforementioned Sally and Nev Hollingworth, who organised the whole thing with tremendous care. They created a festival feel (many of the volunteers camped onsite), by providing evening entertainment - everything from educational talks to bingo nights, and ensuring and there were all essential provisions like - fresh water, toilets, assess to shower facilities, food, and most important a phone charging point! The Hollingsworth’s passion and bubbling enthusiasm was infectious and fostered a family feel across the #tuskforce team.

#Tuskforce team members including Andy and Vanessa who fed everyone!

 

I felt incredibly humbled to attend and initially felt a mammoth does of imposter syndrome (not being in any way knowledgeable in palaeontology) but was made to feel incredibly welcome and a valued part of the team. This was made clear by the fact that my mammoth illustrations were everywhere - the bins, the first aid station, the phone charging point, food tent and even the toilets! But also on people, I was delighted that one of my mammoths was chosen to adorn one of the official dig t-shirts, where part of the money from each sale went to boost the dig fund.

 

I spent 3 days at the dig on each of the first two weeks and 6 days on the final week. Being fair weathered and having dodgy hips, I stayed at air B&B’s rather than camping, but close enough to be the for the daily morning briefing. On the whole the weather was kind, a few wet days, a few sweltering. The dig was hum of shared adventure and passions and the exchange of knowledge. It yielded a wealth of new discoveries, both in the Jurassic and Pleistocene zones. Including a new addition to the proboscidean species of the site, a tooth from one of the largest mammals ever to walk the earth, a Stright Tusked Elephant, which was identified by visiting expert Professor Adrian Lister from the London Natural History Museum.

 

I really had an amazing time. I was let down a little by the limitations of my body, (dodgy hips, EDS, POTS) but when I couldn’t participate in the more physically demanding tasks like digging, I tried to make myself useful. This was assisting in the less glamorous but essential jobs, like assisting the awesome Andy Lee with the water run to get fresh water every day. Trips to the supermarket, helping prep meals, even sorting out the portaloos. 

sneaky coffee with the lovely Andy Lee 

But I also drew specimens, on site (with a very crude art kit consisting of crayons and felt tips), photographing and videoing the dig, and conservation tasks and talking to other volunteers, learning about the diverse journeys to being involved at the dig.

Drawing a mammoth tooth on site.

 

It was a real privilege to have had such an amazing experience, and I extend a massive mammoth thank you to all of the #TuskForce team for making me so welcome, to Hills for supporting the scientific endeavours on their land, and to Sally and Nev Hollingworth for their dedication and generosity in arranging the dig. I am so happy to have been a small part of it!

With a mammoth rib.