When an Austrian man set out to renovate his wine cellar, he stumbled upon more than just vintage bottles.
A Treasure Trove Beneath the Cellar
Beneath the cellar floor, a thick layer of mammoth bones was discovered. Since mid-May 2024, archaeologists from the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW) have been excavating the site.
The institute announced the findings in a press release, according to Videnskab.dk.
Hannah Parow-Souchon, the excavation leader, revealed to CNN that the team has unearthed "at least 300 bones."
Ancient Clues: Bones, Stone Tools, and Charcoal
Accompanying the bones were stone artifacts and charcoal, suggesting that these remains are between 30,000 and 40,000 years old.
"Such a dense bone layer of mammoths is rare. This is the first time we have been able to study something like this in Austria using modern methods," Parow-Souchon stated.
Insights into Stone Age Hunting
The excavation revealed bones from at least three separate mammoths. These findings, along with the stone artifacts, may offer new insights into prehistoric hunting practices.
"We know that humans hunted mammoths, but we still know very little about how they did it," Parow-Souchon explained in the OEAW press release, as reported by Dagens.dk.
This remarkable discovery not only sheds light on the prehistoric era but also opens up new avenues for understanding our ancestors' hunting strategies and survival techniques.
