40,000-year-old mammoth bones discovered in wine cellar

In Austria, a local winegrower uncovered a trove of mammoth bones estimated to be between 30,000 and 40,000 years old.

40,000-year-old mammoth bones discovered in wine cellarThomas Einwögerer and Hannah Parow-Souchon preparing the bones for recovery Credit: OeAW-OeAI/Yannik Merkl

Andreas Pernerstorfer, while refurbishing his wine cellar in Gobelsburg, Lower Austria, stumbled upon what he initially thought was a piece of wood, reminiscent of a tale his grandfather once shared about finding teeth in the cellar decades ago. However, this turned out to be far more significant as Pernerstorfer uncovered mammoth remains, marking one of the most significant archaeological finds in Austria in over a century.

The discovery, described as an “archaeological sensation” by researchers from the Austrian Archaeological Insтιтute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), has unveiled several layers of mammoth bones, suggesting the presence of at least three individual mammoths.

Hannah Parow-Souchon, the lead archaeologist overseeing the excavation, said, “It’s the first time we’ve been able to investigate something like this in Austria using modern methods.” The bones, stacked atop each other, raise intriguing questions about how Stone Age humans interacted with and potentially hunted these enormous creatures.

40,000-year-old mammoth bones discovered in wine cellarAn archaeologist beside the mammoth bones discovered in Austria. Credit: OeAW-OeAI/H. Parow-Souchon

“We know that humans hunted mammoths, but we still know very little about how they did it,” remarked Parow-Souchon. The proximity of the mammoth bones to stone artifacts suggests the possibility that early humans may have set traps or utilized the natural landscape to capture these mammoths.

Mammoths, ancestors of modern elephants, roamed the Earth during the Pleistocene and early Holocene epochs. They evolved to inhabit various regions across the globe, from Africa to Europe, Asia, and even North America.

40,000-year-old mammoth bones discovered in wine cellarCredit: OeAW-OeAI/Hannah Parow-Souchon40,000-year-old mammoth bones discovered in wine cellarCredit: OeAW-OeAI/Thomas Einwögerer

The mammoth bones excavated from Pernerstorfer’s cellar will undergo further examination before being transferred to the Natural History Museum Vienna for restoration.

The find in Gobelsburg echoes a similar discovery made 150 years ago in the same area, emphasizing the historical significance of the region for paleontological research.

Related Posts

Donkey sacrifice from 4,500 years ago in ancient Gath reveals early Canaan–Egypt trade

Donkey sacrifice from 4,500 years ago in ancient Gath reveals early Canaan–Egypt trade

Archaeologists have unearthed a discovery in central Israel that sheds light on ancient Canaan and Egypt’s cultural and economic relations from about 4,500 years ago. Four complete…

300,000-year-old wooden tools found in China reveal early humans’ plant-based diet and cognitive abilities in East Asia

300,000-year-old wooden tools found in China reveal early humans’ plant-based diet and cognitive abilities in East Asia

An important cache of 35 wooden tools, dated at an estimated 300,000 years ago, has been unearthed at the Gantangqing site in Yunnan Province, southwest China. This…

Lost medieval town of Hamarkaupangen rediscovered in Norway after years of searching

Lost medieval town of Hamarkaupangen rediscovered in Norway after years of searching

After searching and speculating for nearly a decade, archaeologists from the Norwegian Insтιтute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) have confirmed they found the missing medieval town of…

Easter Island was not isolated: new study reveals Rapa Nui’s role in Polynesian culture

Easter Island was not isolated: new study reveals Rapa Nui’s role in Polynesian culture

Easter Island (Rapa Nui) has for decades been characterized as one of Polynesian culture’s most isolated and remote outposts, where the giant moai statues are located and…

Prehistoric arrowhead embedded in human rib reveals ancient violence in the Pyrenees over 4,000 years ago

Prehistoric arrowhead embedded in human rib reveals ancient violence in the Pyrenees over 4,000 years ago

A remarkable case of ancient violence has been discovered in a prehistoric burial site at 1,800 meters above sea level in the Catalan Pyrenees. Flint arrowhead embedded…

Ancient DNA challenges 65,000-year timeline for human arrival in Australia, but experts remain divided

Ancient DNA challenges 65,000-year timeline for human arrival in Australia, but experts remain divided

A new study published in the journal Archaeology in Oceania has reopened a long-standing debate about when people migrated to Australia, suggesting a later arrival that overturns…