Archaeologists discover remains of 5 mammoths in Austria, dating back 25,000 years
The site, located northeast of St. Pölten, is believed to have been a hunting ground used by ancient humans 25,000 years ago.
Researchers found two main areas around 15 meters apart, each containing layers of bones, stone tools, and waste from tool-making. One area had remains of three mammoths, including tusks, but few large bones, indicating that ivory was likely processed on-site. Bones of dismembered mammoths and stone tools in excavation area 2. Courtesy: ÖAW-ÖAI/Marc Händel
The second area lacked ivory but showed large bones and vertebrae from at least two more mammoths. Both sites had no rib bones, suggesting that the hunters sorted and used different parts of the mammoths separately.
Evidence of fire pits and small pits in the area also showed that hunters stayed there for some time, processing meat and making tools. These signs point to the presence of Upper Paleolithic people, the group of humans living during the late Ice Age.
Marc Händel, from the Austrian Archaeological Institute (ÖAI), explained that mammoth herds roamed the Perschling Valley as a grazing and transit route. He added that ancient hunters likely used this area to trap and butcher the animals.
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