National Museum Cardiff launches campaign to name 3D printed mammoth

The National Museum Cardiff has called on the public to come up with a name for its new 3D printed mammoth.

The three-metre-tall ancient creature which stands in the main hall of the museum has been a popular hit with visitors since it went on display in March.

Now the prehistoric resident needs a name to really fit into the Museum Wales family.

The “Name Our Mammoth” campaign was launched on Saturday (July 19) to coincide with the start of the school summer holidays.

It will run until the St Fagans Food Festival in September.

The initiative invites families, schools and museum visitors to submit name
suggestions for the mammoth.

The prehistoric creature has been described as a ‘child of the 80s’ having been spotted by a dog walker in September 1986 on a farm in Condover, Shropshire.

Prehistoric

After being recovered by a team of scientists and local volunteers it was worked out that the bones were between 14,000 and 14,500 years old, making them the last recorded mammoths in Britain and some of the last recorded in Europe.

Due to its size experts say it would have been a male adult mammoth.

Mared Maggs, Head of National Museum Cardiff, said: “Having seen the mammoth take residency in our Main Hall since March and thousands of people coming through our doors to see the amazing creature, we feel that it’s only fair everyone gets the opportunity to suggest a name for our newest resident.

‘So if you haven’t been down to see it yet then come and visit us and get the
inspiration because who knows, your entry might be the winning one.”

Throughout the museum’s Summer of Fun there will be several mammoth themed events including family paint along, talks, and an augmented reality experience which takes visitors on a journey back to the Ice Age.

Entries

The Name Our Mammoth campaign is accessible for anyone across the world to enter.

Names can be submitted either by visiting us at National Museum Cardiff or going to our website: Name the Mammoth.

The opportunity to submit your name will close at the conclusion of the St Fagans Food Festival on 14 September.

After that, a panel will whittle down all the entries to a few names which will then go back out to the public to vote on a favourite.