13,600-year-old, well-intact mastodon skull discovered, stuns archaeologists

In an unexpected turn of events, a two-week archaeological dig unearthed a remarkably intact mastodon skull in a creek that might carry signs of human life too.

Over twelve days, archaeologists unearthed several mastodon bones. However, the skull, being “the first-ever well-preserved” artifact of its kind, makes it a significant find with potential connections to human history.

“We’re really hoping to find evidence of human interaction with this creature — perhaps the projectile points and knives that were used to kill the animal and do initial butchering,” John Doershuk, director and state archaeologist at the University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) said.

“There’s also potential evidence on the bones themselves — there could be identifiable cut marks.”

Digging into the past like never before

As far as researchers know, the first signs of human life in prehistoric Iowa date back to about 13,600 years ago, which, coincidentally, also corresponds to the period when these ancient predecessors of the elephants and mammoths began to go extinct.

Researchers believe that human hunters and climate change were the root cause of their disappearance. They are eager to investigate how this remarkably intact specimen perished to gain a deeper understanding of the first humans in the area.

The mastodon bones first came to the researchers’ attention after a local resident discovered an unusually long bone in their creek bed. As Iowa Now reported, it turned out to be a mastodon femur, prompting archaeologists to secure funding and resources for an official excavation.

Over 12 days, they recovered numerous bones, including a tusk, culminating in the discovery of the skull – a massive relic of an animal with upward-curving tusks, standing 10 feet tall and weighing six tons. It is considered the “the first ever” of its kind.

Prehistoric America surfaces

The remains were found in a creek bank erosion, as per The Pinnacle Gazette . This location raises intriguing questions about the behavior of both mastodons and humans.

Researchers already know that mastodons inhabited wooded regions, so this groundbreaking artifact from the distant past will shed light on the topography of the region 13,600 years ago, a couple of thousand years before their extinction.

As other remains of this animal, which roamed the Earth between 3.5 and 23 million years ago, continue to surface across North America, as per CBS News , this find holds broader significance among these discoveries in bringing prehistoric life into sharper focus.

The animal bones may even help researchers understand the interactions between humans and these creatures, as they believe humans hunted them. Additionally, new insights will be gained into the global climate that contributed to their extinction, further revealing our planet’s history.