Renovating the wine cellar, shocked by 300 giant monster bones

(NLĐO) - The horrifying skeletons found beneath the floor of a wine cellar in Austria belong to monstrous creatures that lived approximately 40,000 years ago and are now extinct.

According to Ancient Origins, Andreas Pernerstorfer, a winemaker in the Austrian town of Gobelsburg, was renovating his wine cellar when he discovered numerous oversized monster bones during the excavation process.

He promptly reported this to the Austrian Federal Office for Heritage. The excavation and research were then transferred to the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW).

Scientists are retrieving a portion of the beast's bones from the sediment layer - Photo: OeAW

Since mid-May, archaeologists from OeAW have been meticulously excavating layers of bones at the site.

Preliminary analysis suggests that these monstrous bones are actually mammoth bones.

In total, approximately 300 bones were collected, belonging to at least 3 individuals and encompassing different mammoth species.

Some other bone fragments are still half-buried in the sediment - Photo: OeAW

Researchers Thomas Einwögerer and Hannah Parow-Souchon stated that the stone and charcoal artifacts found in the bone-containing sediment suggest that the site is indeed ancient, dating back to approximately 30,000 to 40,000 years ago.

"Such a dense layer of mammoth bones is extremely rare. This is the first time we've been able to investigate a case like this in Austria using modern methods," the researchers said.

Among these bones were also rare parts not found in other mammoth skeletons, for example, bones from the tongue.

This discovery raises intriguing questions about the interaction between Stone Age humans and these giant beasts.

The cluster of scattered bone fragments belonging to various mammoth species suggests that this was a gathering and processing point for "trophies" of Stone Age humans who hunted these beasts.

Coexisting with Stone Age humans, mammoths served as an important resource, with their bones and tusks used to create tools, artwork, and various artifacts, as well as a source of food.

A study published in 2023 revealed that not only we – Homo sapiens – but also the ancient Neanderthals hunted mammoths as early as 125,000 years ago.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/cai-tao-ham-ruou-soc-vi-300-khuc-xuong-quai-thu-khong-lo-19624052609543514.htm