Scientists have found a peculiar structure that hunters and gatherers have built using 60 mammoths that have dated back in the Ice Age. Currently, no one knows why.
This was dated at least 25,000 years ago and is named "Bonehenge"
Researchers have discovered and excavated this "mammoth house" in Russia. They have attempted to try and understand it but have been pretty much clueless as to why the ancient people have built this structure back in the Ice Age.
This is not the first time a structure like this have been found in Russia, though it is the biggest and oldest one they have seen so far, measuring in 41 feet across. There are more than 70 bone structures laid out, including 51 lower jaws and 64 mammoth skulls. Other animal remains have been discovered as well, including arctic fox, red fox, wolves, bears, reindeers, and horses.
According to Dr. Alexander Pryor, who led the study in the University of Exeter, "These finds shed new light on the purpose of these mysterious sites, archaeology is showing us more about how our ancestors survived in this desperately cold and hostile environment at the climax of the last ice age. Most other places at similar latitudes in Europe had been abandoned by this time, but these groups had managed to adapt to find food, shelter, and water."
They are believed to be constructed to serve as houses
Based on past discoveries, scientists have believed that these structures were made by Paleolithic people back in the Ice Age to serve as their houses. These massive mammoth houses were used against harsh winters, where it was likely to have reached negative four degrees Fahrenheit.
Pryor has also stated that mammoth bones are pretty heavy, and building this circular structure represents a huge amount of time and energy would have taken them to finish it.
New techniques were used
The first mammoth house was discovered at Kostenki 40 years ago, and the scientists have used new techniques and strategies to try and explore and examine the site. They used flotation to separate the material from soil using some water and sieves in the process.
Flotation has also helped the researchers and archaeologists find some sort of evidence that leads to a possible food source for the hunters and gatherers at the site, all aside from the mammoths. Charred wood was also found, and that was the first evidence that humans back then burned wood fires in this mammoth structure.
The last ice age that swept the entire northern Europe was dated back between 18,000 to 75,000 years ago.
Though the intensity of this was more severe around 18,000 to 23,000 years ago where summers were short and cool and winters were long and cold.
It is believed that the communities abandoned and left the region due to a lack of resources.
