Palaeolithic Dog

Home to the iconic Cheddar Man, the oldest complete human skeleton ever found in Britain, Gough's Cave has now revealed yet another remarkable chapter of its past.

A newly identified 14,300 year old dog jawbone adds to the site’s extraordinary archaeological significance, continuing to inform and expand our knowledge of the lives of our ancient ancestors.

The jawbone was discovered in Gough's Cave and later given to the Natural History Museum by the 5th Marquess of Bath in 1928.

Interest in the caves goes back to the 19th century, when they were first opened up as visitor attractions. During this time, a number of ancient objects were uncovered, with some put on display in the caves, and others taken away by collectors.

In 1987, the Natural History Museum began a new excavation of Ice Age sediment at the entrance to the cave. As part of this work, the Longleat Estate loaned Cheddar Man and other important finds to the museum for ongoing research and care.

Every new discovery helps us better understand what life was like here thousands of years ago and there’s still more to uncover.