Alva, Oklahoma – On Friday, archeologists found the partial skull of a prehistoric Columbian Mammoth in northwest Oklahoma. The discovery was made public through the release of a photo showing the mammoth skull as it was being uncovered in Alva, by the Oklahoma Archeological Survey’s (OAS).
Apparently, the OAS was called upon the site after the mammoth skull was discovered in a sand pit 150 miles from Oklahoma City. The photos revealed on Friday show the skull of the prehistoric animal as well as two tusk fragments in the sand. The tusk fragments were found next to the mammoth’s skull on a river channel sandbar, according to Oklahoma Archeological Survey’s archeologist Lee Bement.
The second image, however, shows the skull in detail with a tooth in place; archeologists had already removed another tooth for research purposes when the photo was taken. There was no trace or sign that could link the fossils to any society or ancient culture, said officials at the excavation site.
The first person to encounter the remains of the Columbian mammoth near Alva was an employee from Woods County, said OAS archeologist Lee Bement on a press released Monday afternoon. The findings could represent a noteworthy discovery in order for researchers to better understand this creature and how it became extinct. Archeologists from the OAS are still trying to determine the exact age of the fossil found in Oklahoma.
According to Bement, the remains found in a sand pit northwest of Oklahoma City belong to a Columbian mammoth from the Pleistocene era. The hefty animal was familiar to the Plains region during that era, yet this mammoth became extinct about 11,000 years ago.
Interestingly enough for the OAS’ archeologist Lee Bement, this Columbian Mammoth fossil could have lived in the same era as the earliest humans, which could help prove that humans did hunt mammoths. Fascinating idea, however, it is only an assumption based on the age spawn of the fossil discovered in Alva, Oklahoma on Friday.
For now, the remains of the Columbian Mammoth will visit the Oklahoma State University where it will be analyzed to further understand the period this animal lived in. The notion of humans hunting for mammoths, however, remains to be confirmed after the precise age of the fossil is determined.
Source: KJRH