The skull of a 13,600-year-old mastodon was uncovered in Iowa, state officials announced Aug. 14.
Images shared by Iowa’s Office of the State Archaeologist show the well-preserved skull within a creek bed in Wayne County. The team uncovered the remains in the middle of an almost two-week dig, which revealed several mastodon bones. The skull is what really caught people’s attention and it’s easy to see why.
This is the “first-ever well-preserved mastodon (primarily the skull) that has been excavated in Iowa,” according to a post from the team.
The next stage of the investigation looks into whether there are any cut marks on the bones. Such a discovery would suggest human intervention, possibly leading to the death of the beast. (RELATED: Joe Rogan And Taylor Sheridan Bro Out On How Big Archaeology Is Hiding Our History, And It Spells Doom)
“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.” state archaeologist John Doershuk said in a statement shared by the research team. “There’s also potential evidence on the bones themselves — there could be identifiable cut marks.”
DARMSTADT, GERMANY – OCTOBER 17: Workers disassemble the skeleton of Peale’s Mastodon at the Hessian Landesmuseum before sending it to the USA on October 17, 2019 in Darmstadt, Germany. The skeleton was excavated by Charles Willson Peale in the Hudson River Valley in 1801. It quickly drew the attention of scientists in both America and Europe. It was significant that American President Thomas Jefferson considered the excavations a national affair. Alexander von Humbold visited it on his trip to America. For American patriots it also became a symbol of their new nation’s vitality. The skeleton, following the bankruptcy of the Philadelphia museum where it was displayed, was sold to European collectors, and eventually made its way to the Darmstadt museum. It is returning to the USA for the first time and will be exhibited on loan at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in early 2020. (Photo by Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)
The largest mastodon tusk on record, discovered on the banks of the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh by contractor John Clouse, May 1909. The tusk is nine feet four inches from end to end, and weights 297 pounds. (Photo by Paul Thompson/FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Mastodons roamed the North American continent from around 2.6 million years ago to around the time of the Younger Dryas and mass climatological fluctuations, some 11,700 years ago, according to Britannica. They species has been found all over the planet, making one of the most common ancient animals to be discovered by archaeologists. (RELATED: Archaeologists Find Ancient Secrets Hidden Beneath Wyoming)
Once the bones are fully investigated and dated by researchers at the University of Iowa, they’ll be part of a new exhibit at the Prairie Trails Museum, the post notes.
