Mass Mammoth 'Grave' Discovered in Siberia

Mass Grave of Woolly Mammoths – Siberia

Mass grave of woolly mammoths was discovered in Siberia with about 550 bones from extinct creatures which have been recovered from this remote site. It is the fifth such necropolis to be found close to the 2,268 mile long Ob River in the Khaty-Mansi Autonomous Region. The latest mammoth cemetery is said to contain the remains of around 11 woolly beasts but more is likely to be revealed on further excavations.

Experts had also found the bones of extinct woolly prehistoric deer and rhinoceroses at the site and it is presumed that the bones date back between 10,000 and 30,000 years though detailed analysis would be carried out in order to verify their age as well as to establish why they seemed to die all together.

The head of the paleontological department of the KhantypMansiysk Museum of Nature and Man, Anton Rezvy informed that he had taken part in the expedition and the presence of this site had been reported long back but till now they could not specify its precise location. He further added that when they arrived they were lucky to locate the site swiftly and part of it had been washed away by the river with the bones lying on a flat surface of the riverbank.

Several Years - Bones Taken as Souvenirs

The bones amounting to 500 were collected, one from the woolly rhinoceros, three of reindeer and the remaining of the mammoth. It is said that for several years, the people had taken the bones as souvenirs resulting in no trace of any tusk, teeth and large bones.

 The most amazing thing was that the bones were found at a place from where they had been washed away by the river and a large scale excavation can be done there. Reports of the discovery in The Siberian Times, states that `One theory is that the mammoths suffered a mineral deficiency and were desperately seeking calcium at sites of the salt licks’ while another states that they had been trapped by ancient hunters.

Sergey Leshchinsky, palaeontologist, seems to be convinced that osteoporosis was the main cause of the death of the woolly mammoth on discovering thousands of ancient bones at several sites damaged by the disease.

Creatures Weakened Due to Lack of Calcium/Vital Minerals

His theory on the lack of key minerals in food for the mammoths over 10,000 years back has been supported by his latest discovery on two summer expedition to the `salt lick’. He revealed during his recent expedition, a necropolis which included instances of woolly rhinoceros and extinct species of ancient bison and horse.

 The Siberian Times reported that the site was similar to an ancient animal health spa though several had perished there. It could probably be due to the conditions which had made them seek mineral infusion or perhaps they got stuck in the clay or due to attacks by predators at the site.

The theory of Dr Leshchinsky is that all the creatures had been weakened due to lack of calcium as well as other vital minerals which owing to the climatic changes were not obtained in their food. According to the academic, from Tomsk State University states that the collection of paleontological remains at the site could be explained by the fact that there were salt licks which local animals tend to prefer.