Quarry workers uncover large bones fragments — and find ancient mammoth in Kyrgyzstan
Workers at a quarry in Kyrgyzstan stumbled upon several large bones and found the final resting place of an ancient mammoth. Photos show what’s left of the extinct animal.
The cream-colored bones reemerged from the sandy gravel of central Asia during quarrying work, the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan said in a June 4 news release. Workers in Ak-Suu district alerted the quarry owner, who contacted officials
Archaeologists identified the bones as the tusk and lower jawbone of a mammoth, officials said.
The ministry shared photos of the bones in a June 4 Facebook post. One photo shows the large tusk fragments packed into a container.
The mammoth tusk and jawbone were found about 500 feet apart and buried about 10 feet down, officials said.
Archaeologists excavated the area and found another mammoth bone, identified as the lower part of a skull. Photos show the damaged skull.
The mammoth bones will be cleaned, preserved and given to a museum, officials said.
Archaeologists said they hope more discoveries will come from the quarry in the future.
Ak-Suu district is a region in eastern Kyrgyzstan bordering China to the south and Kazakhstan to the north. Situated in central Asia, Kyrgyzstan also borders Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Google Translate and Yandex Translate were used to translate the news release and Facebook post from the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan.
This story was originally published June 7, 2024 at 6:58 AM with the headline "Quarry workers uncover large bones fragments — and find ancient mammoth in Kyrgyzstan."
