A controversial new Somerset museum which claims to have evidence showing that our ancestors were cannibals opens this month.

The Cheddar Man and the Cannibals museum is located in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, and the exhibits are based around Cheddar Man, the oldest complete skeleton in the country, which was discovered in the area in 1903, by the Gough family.

Cheddar Man is believed to have been a cannibal, and his skeleton dates back 9,000 years to the Stone Age.

The oldest human remains on show at the museum however, are cannibalised bones dating back 12,500 years.

The new attraction also offers visitors lessons in Stone Age survival skills and a cave art wall where they can try their hands at being prehistoric painters.

Other exhibits include a giant rotating human skull with butchery marks, a 3m tall cave bear skeleton, a depiction of the Stone Age ‘Arms Race’ and a timeline showing the Cheddar Man’s burial through to his discovery by the Gough family. A further display uses lighting to transforms a ‘living’ Cheddar Man, into his skeletal remains.

All the artifacts have all been discovered in Cheddar Caves, and span 40,000.

The museum is located inside the former house of Richard Gough, which is opposite Gough's Cave, where the Cheddar Man was discovered.

Museum curator Bob Smart said: “Some of the exhibits may not be for the faint-hearted, they’re a graphic depiction of Stone Age life – including cannibalism. We want people to really get a sensation of what the world was like back then – wherever possible they can touch and feel the objects.

“Our aim is to show people that Cheddar Man is really modern man in a Stone Age environment. We look at advances in technology, art, society and the growth of religion, as well as the controversial topic of cannibalism.”

DNA tests by scientists in his village deduced that the Cheddar Man’s ancestors are still alive.