Bones of mammoths butchered for their ivory tusks 25,000 years ago unearthed by archaeologists
Bones of mammoths butchered for their ivory tusks 25,000 years ago were unearthed by archaeologists in Austria. Remains of five mammoths were found by archaeologists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences said Thursday in a news statement.
Researchers found mammoth bones in two areas, in Langmannersdorf an der Perschling, Lower Austria, located between St. Pölten and Tulln. Both zones, discovered about 50 feet apart, were densely packed with bones.
In one area, researchers found evidence that the mammoths were butchered with stone tools. The bones were left in several layers.
Remains of three mammoths were discovered in the second area, their tusks dismembered and complete. The discovery of the tusks indicated that the area was used for ivory processing, researchers said. The ivory from the tusks likely would have been turned into spearheads, researchers said.
The find leads to a greater understanding of how humans and mammoths lived in the valley before the peak of the last Ice Age, according to senior researcher Marc Händel. The discoveries suggest humans living during this time period had a thorough understanding of mammoth habits and used this knowledge specifically for their hunting expeditions.
"The new discoveries provide valuable insights into the hunting and lifestyles of people of this period," Händel said in the news release.
Humans hunted mammoths 25,000 to 40,000 years ago, but researchers have very little knowledge of how they brought down the enormous beasts. Millions of mammoths roamed the earth before an onslaught of Ice Ages and human interactions led to their extinction about 10,000 years ago.
Mammoth remains have been uncovered in the United States, with researchers unearthing more than 20 bones in North Dakota last year after miners found a 7-foot-tusk.
