How to watch Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard on BBC One

By Paul McGuinness

Published: Tuesday, 30 November 2021 at 12:00 am

Join Sir David Attenborough and Professor Ben Garrod on Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard, a new one-hour documentary that follows the story of Britain’s biggest mammoth discovery for almost 20 years.

When is Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard on TV?

The brand-new documentary, Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard, is coming to BBC One at the end of December.

It will then also be available to stream on the BBC iPlayer.

What is Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard about?

"Excavations
Excavations at the West Country site have unearthed some remarkable treasures. ©DigVentures

When two amateur fossil hunters uncovered an extraordinary cache of mammoth remains in the West Country in 2017, they began a journey of discovery that offered up a whole host of questions. Why were the mammoths here and how did they die? Could the Neanderthals have killed these Ice Age giants?

"In
In the programme, David Attenborough and Ben Garrod attempt to solve a prehistoric puzzle. © Julian Schwanitz/Windfall Films/BBC

Sir David Attenborough joins biologist Professor Ben Garrod and a team of archaeologists and palaeontologists as they carefully excavate this prehistoric crime scene – Britain’s biggest mammoth discovery in almost 20 years. The team searches for clues to unravel this Ice Age mystery.

"Excavations
Excavations at the site have been a painstaking operation. © DigVentures

Mammoth bones found in the UK often date to tens of thousands of years ago, but the bones here are hundreds of thousands of years old. As the team finds more stone tools lying nearby, they realise this could be a once-in-a-generation discovery offering a unique window into a period of prehistory we know very little about. It could unlock new clues into how our Neanderthal relatives lived in the harsh conditions of Ice Age Britain, and even how they died.

Who is presenting Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard?

As the title suggests, the programme will be presented by the legendary Sir David Attenborough.

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This discovery is the biggest mammoth find for almost two decades. © Julian Schwanitz/Windfall Films/BBC

He joins Ben Garrod, Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Science Engagement at the University of East Anglia. Ben has featured in a number of programmes for the BBC, including alongside David Attenborough in Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur, and as presenter of Secrets of Skin and Baby Chimp Rescue. He is the author of a number of books, and a regular contributor to BBC Wildlife magazine.

Professor Ben Garrod is an evolutionary biologist, science communicator and author, as well as a presenter on BBC TV and radio. 

Learn more about mammoths: 

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You can read Ben Garrod’s exclusive feature all about Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard in the January issue of BBC Wildlife, on sale 16th December.

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Attenborough & the Mammoth Graveyard in the January issue of BBC Wildlife magazine

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