New bones excavated from the Stainton gravel beds.

 

The image above shows my latest find just above the trowel

The yellow glove marks the spot i started digging into the hard packed gravels, the new find is over 2 metres into the gravels.

The pic above shows the new find sitting above what i believe is the compressed remains of part of a preserved tree.

The gravels are visible above and below the preserved wood.

The pic above shows the fossil bone almost dug out with the blue- gray layer above.

These pics show the rib piece i have yet to identify it but it looks to have belonged to Ungulate

Bone excavated from deposit above Stainton gravel beds.

These were found today over 2 metres into the river gravels

 Two of the bones join perfectly to the earlier proximal radius finds pictured below.

 Note the fractures, i believe the bones would have broken as the river gravels became more compact.

All images and information was immediately sent to Tees Archaeology and the fact that this is a large cervid radius and ulna found in this condition in ancient river gravels seems of little interest.

These bones were found over 2 metres into the tightly packed river gravels, i am now in no doubt that most of the other bones ive found in this areas deep cutting becks, were originally buried in these gravels before the becks cut through releasing them. I also now believe the beck causes the black staining and the bones that have spent the most time in the becks natural recent sediments, ie fresh organic waste are more likely to have the black coating.

I have at the present time no way of knowing how long it took the beck to cut through the  ancient river gravel layer so can't say how long this process takes. But bones found with the orange staining and concretions still attached have obviously been released from the river gravels more recently.

Bones excavated from the Stainton gravel beds gravels

These pics show the bones after being cleaned.

Two yet unknown radius pieces and humerus.

The orange grains covering the bones are the remains of what they were buried in.

 

 I believe this is how most of my bone finds started out after being washed from the river gravels.

This was a very lucky find as i am only able to dig small parts of these gravel beds, were the beck has had thousands of years to flush the gravels!

Unknown jaw still completely covered in the fine gravels and sediments from these ancient river gravels, Tees Archaeology have been sent these images and given the relevant information as has the Dorman museum Middlesbrough with so far little interest from tees archaeology and none from Dorman museum Middlesbrough.

Bovine carcuss only 2 weeks after death!

This bovine carcass has only been exposed to the elements and life that feeds off it for 2 weeks.

I think its plain to see bone does not last to long left exposed, even without the presence of larger scavengers

Ive added this post so viewers can understand why i am so adamant the undamaged fossil bone on this site must have been buried almost immediately.

Staintons unknown geology

The excavation above measures about 1.5 by 2 metres.

This image shows two separate unknown clay deposits, I have recently visited the site with Andy cooper a local geologist who has informed me he believes the deposit is probably alluvial i am waiting for his full report on the sites, and will post any new information as i get it.

There is also a separate seems of red clay running through the blue deposit..

.  There is an identical deposit a kilometre away at Maltby beck, about the same depth in relation to the surrounding land as the exposed layers at Stainton beck.

The blue layer is at least 3 metres deep and sits on top of an older deposit, . The beck is currently cutting through the older red deposit,  and looks to have been doing so for a very long time

Bovine lumbar vertebrae

 Bovine lumbar vertebrae measuring 270 mm widest.

135 highest measurement

95mm front to back max length

Bovine atlas vertebrae

 This bovine atlas vertebrae measures 180mm widest and 100mm highest.

 Weighing 325 grams

 If other information is accurate this is a very big atlas for the bovine species

The hole that  the spinal cord would have been or the  ( foramen) measures 50mm top to bottom 50mm across.

Ancient sediments and Stainton gravel beds.

The lower red clay is at least 2 metres thick with no large rock present only sporadic blue clay with Carboniferous trace fossils

Note this is not boulder clay !

The layer of red clay below the gravels is very tightly packed and has the odd large rounded and un rounded  rock lodged at its meeting with the gravel layer containing Jurassic fossils mostly Gryphaea.

The image above shows how what i think is alluvium had shrouded these older layers.

 Outcrops of blue clay containing Carboniferous plant fossils found in the red lower clay.

View showing the rough depth to the surrounding land, but it does rise rapidly after the depth shown!

This pic shows how this bit of bank has actually already lost a lot of the soil and alluvium? that used to shroud the layers ime now exposing.

                    More can be viewed regarding the Stainton gravel beds by clicking the link below
                                                        
                                                                  The Stainton gravel beds