Archaeologists discover ‘4,000-year-old’ aurochs bone

Archaeologists have discovered a ‘4,000-year-old’ aurochs bone on a Buckinghamshire construction site.

The amazing find came at the Slate Meadows development of 150 new homes at Stratford Drive in Bourne End.

Developer Croudace has now paused all work on the site – which was set to be launched in early 2024 – until September.

Local councillors announced the discovery of the aurochs bone following archaeological work in late January.

Aurochs are an extinct cattle species related to the modern-day cow, which is thought to have died out around 400 years ago.

Diggers also unearthed flint on the site, according to Penny Drayton and Stuart Wilson, councillors for the Wooburns, Bourne End and Hedsor.

In a joint statement, they said: “The archaeological works that have been done so far have revealed flint, collected in particular areas, which could mean the area was once an ancient settlement site.

“Furthermore, a preserved bone of an aurochs has also been found, potentially indicating a settlement which may date back somewhere around 4,000 years.”

Councillors added that the ‘exciting’ finds would not stop the development in the long-term, despite excavation works expected to take several months.

They also said: “We welcomed the agreement to our suggestion that we involve the local school and community more as the archaeological works progress and they try to piece together the fascinating history of a previous existence there.

“We thank the site manager, Mark, for updating us today with this information to be shared with the community.”

Buckinghamshire Council said it was unable to comment on live excavations in order to maintain the security and preservation of archaeological sites, but that more information would be made available publicly once the work at Slate Meadows was complete.

People are discouraged from attending the site to ensure that nothing is disturbed so the experts can do their work to retrieve the findings.
Croudace has been approached for comment.

The final access, appearance, landscaping and layout of the Slate Meadows development was approved last year.

The developer promises that the 150 new homes will include one, two, three and four-bedroom homes.

The site comprises an undeveloped parcel of land between two housing estates, with the River Wye running through the site to the south and open countryside to the north.

Slate Meadow was a former Wooburn reserve site, one of five to be controversially released for development by the former Wycombe District Council in 2014.