The remains of the mammoth were found in Austria. (Photo courtesy of ÖAW-ÖAI/Marc Händel)
Scientists in Austria have discovered the remains of five giant woolly mammoths that are 25,000 years old. The animals appear to have been hunted and killed by ancient humans.
The mammoths were found during excavations at the Langmannersdorf site, located about 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Vienna; the bones and tusks were collected in two separate areas about 49 feet (15 meters) apart, the researchers said.
In one area, the research team found mammoth bones belonging to several individuals located close together, many of which bore marks and scars from human tools – indicating they had been butchered – as well as stone tools found nearby.
In the second area, the team excavated the remains of at least three individual mammoths. Here, fragmented and complete remains of huge mammoth tusks were found, grouped together separately from the bones, indicating that Paleolithic humans likely processed the mammoth tusks. The archaeologists speculated that the tusk could have been used to create spear points.
“The fact that we found not just individual bones, but intensively used sites where several animals were being processed, exceeded our expectations,” said Marc Handel, an archaeologist at the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), in a statement. Previous research has shown that ancient people used mammoth tusks to create tools such as rope-making tools, jewelry, accessories, as well as spears and arrowheads for hunting.
Woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) were large, elephant-like mammals that stood about 11 feet (3.5 meters) tall and had huge, curved tusks. They lived in North America, Europe, and Asia during the last ice age, which ended about 11,700 years ago.
Archaeologists find mammoth bones.
These giant animals were an important resource for Paleolithic hunter-gatherers, providing food, bones for tools and shelter, and skins for warmth. Most died out around 10,000 years ago, likely due to climate change and human hunting, but small populations survived on isolated islands until about 4,000 years ago.
First excavations at the Langmanners site
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