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Arctic island woolly mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butchering

By 0 and 0 and 0
03 January 2020

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The extinct mammoth remains were dated by radiocarbon analysis to 21,000 years of age by the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo. Picture: Albert Protopopov

The Kotelny island woolly mammoth was killed by humans some 21,000 years ago, say scientists. 

Dr Albert Protopopov shared new pictures of the remains found at a location which was then part of the vast Beringia Land Bridge connecting what is now Siberia and North America.

'The traces on the bones show that the mammoth was killed and butchered by ancient people,' he said.

'I believe no other mammoth previously found in the world had such clear signs of being hunted by humans.'

'We found cuts all over its ribs, there were traces of spear strikes with chips left from the darts.'

Arctic island mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butchering


Arctic island mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butchering


Arctic island mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butcheringArctic island mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butchering


Arctic island mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butchering


Arctic island mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butchering
A woolly mammoth at the Mammoth museum in Yakutsk, a trace of a broken a broken spear tip stuck inside mammoth's shoulder blade, the site where the mammoth was found. Pictures: Albert Protopopov


Detailed analysis will be undertaken on the remains this year; genetic molecular research is planned by Swedish researchers and mitochondrial DNA study will be conducted by American experts.

The extinct mammoth remains were dated by radiocarbon analysis to 21,000 years of age by the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo.

Dr Protopopov believes that the hunters who killed the mammoth may have been part of the human migration from nowdays Siberia to America.

‘Recent DNA research suggests that the split in the populations - and therefore the settlement - happened from around 25,000 years ago. 

‘We think that Kotelny island mammoth fits this period. 

‘This is one of the most interesting things in the discovery of this mammoth, as it will add more information to our knowledge of how people gradually moved towards America.' 

Arctic island mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butchering


Arctic island mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butchering


Arctic island mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butchering


Arctic island mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butchering


Arctic island mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butchering
A woolly mammoth in a permafrost cave outside Yakutsk, traces of woolly mammoth ivory chips left by hunting 21000 years ago, Yakut scientists that discovered the mammoth. Pictures: Albert Protopopov


Earlier it was revealed that a computer scan proved a broken spear tip was inside the shoulder blade of the mammoth.

Further analysis of material on the remains - known as Pavlov’s mammoth after its finder Innokenty Pavlov - shows 'the skull and the tusks were chopped' with a stone tool, said Dr Protopopov,  head of the department for the study of mammoth fauna of the Yakutian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

'We also washed the bones and found numerous traces of butchering on them.'

Ancient men ‘cut all the meat, severed the mammoth's trunk, removed the brain and pulled out bone marrow from all the limbs', he said. 

Bones of the Pavlov mammoth. Picture: Albert Protopopov

Arctic island mammoth shows strongest evidence yet of human slaughter and butchering

Comments (8)

Our high tech world is our point of reference and it is amazing to get a glimpse, from time to time, of times when our ancestors survived against all odds in places we barely understand. Our globe is changing and we will adapt. For good or bad, we have left the marks of our human history everywhere and now, through our technology we can journey back to explore the history we have lost. Thanks for the explorers, scientists and those who seek the truth of our past which gives us confidence for the future.
Bob Boop, United States
25/05/2020 20:59
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I simply cannot fathom the stresses of living this sort of a lifestyle. The only thing that might come close would be Eskimo societies, but the sheer toughness and endurance required to repeatedly and successfully hunt and kill elephants, on open ground, with stone-age tech, as the status quo for survival, is another magnitude of sheer willpower greater than anything the human race has seen in 2,000 years. I constantly hear the young people round about in the act of cursing humanity for its aggressiveness toward animals and towards one another, but that's just weak reasoning. We're a proven product of our environment, as this wonderfully researched article intimates. I simply can't get enough of reading about our roots!
Taj, UK
17/03/2020 07:19
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It was a good article.
Chicken, Turkey
11/02/2020 04:24
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Excellent article, great journalism
Eric Vanner, Belgium
07/02/2020 10:50
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Ditto Les Frank. The Siberian Times is true journalism with it's moral and ethical code of conduct still intact...

A journalist's role in society is to inform the general public of all news and features giving objective and factual information; the Siberian times does this perfectly.

Their ptching of stories and narrative texts are based on reality and facts, in being interesting, informative and fun to read, accompanied with excellent graphic images.

Today, unfortunately so much journalism is politically, religiously biased and based on exaggerated, manipulative hype and fake news in order to sell...
Anonymous, Switzerland
27/01/2020 00:42
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Always enjoy articles from Siberian Times because of the numerous photos and location details included-!
Thank you
Les Frank, USA
16/01/2020 04:39
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不令支——白令吉亚
姚剑申, 巨鹿/中国
05/01/2020 08:20
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非常有意思,古代中国东北有一个民族叫“不令支”,发音跟“白令吉亚”真是巧合哟!
It's very interesting. There was a nationality in the northeast of ancient China called "Bulingzhi". It's a coincidence of the pronunciation of "Beringia"(though I know its etymology)!
言与神同在,言即是神!The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
姚剑申, 巨鹿/中国
05/01/2020 08:20
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