Well-Preserved Mastodon Skull Found in Iowa

Archaeologists from the University of Iowa have uncovered the first-ever well-preserved mastodon skull scientifically excavated in the state. This remarkable find, dating back approximately 13,600 years, offers a rare glimpse into a time when humans and mastodons coexisted in what is now Iowa.

A Significant Discovery in Wayne County

The discovery began in the fall of 2022, when a local resident of Wayne County stumbled upon an unusually large bone embedded in a creek bed on private property in the southwestern part of the county, reports Iowa University News. This bone turned out to be a mastodon femur, catching the attention of John Doershuk, the director and state archaeologist at the University of Iowa’s Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA).

Intrigued by the find, the OSA team returned to the site in the fall of 2023 and uncovered a broken tusk protruding from the creek bed. This find suggested the possibility that the tusk was still attached to the skull, prompting a formal excavation. With grant funding from the Wayne County Foundation and donations from the Prairie Trails Museum of Corydon, Iowa, the archaeologists launched a 12-day dig in August 2024.

Doershuk points to where the mastodon trunk would have been. (Iowa University)

The Significance of the 13,600-Year-Old Skull

The mastodon skull, along with several additional bones likely from the same animal, was carefully excavated from the site. Radiocarbon dating revealed the skull to be 13,600 years old, a time that coincides with human habitation in the area. This overlap between the mastodon’s existence and human occupation raises the exciting possibility of finding evidence of interaction between humans and this prehistoric creature.

“We’re really hoping to find evidence of human interaction with this creature — perhaps the projectile points and knives that were used to kill the animal and do initial butchering,” Doershuk explained. The discovery of such artifacts could provide crucial insights into the relationship between early humans and the large mammals they hunted.

20 mastodon elements have been found in the creek bed, all believed to be from the same mastodon. (Iowa University)

Evidence of Human Presence

During the excavation, the team also discovered several human-made artifacts, including stone tools. Although these tools were dated a few thousand years after the mastodon’s death, they indicate human activity in the area, which had not been previously documented. The combination of these archaeological finds, along with the bones’ orientation and location, may help piece together a more complete picture of how and why the mastodon came to rest in the creek bed.

Preserving and Analyzing the Mastodon

The OSA, in collaboration with the University of Iowa Paleontology Repository, will analyze and conserve the mastodon skull and other bones. This process will not only help in understanding the mastodon’s biology and life but may also reveal signs of human interaction, such as cut marks on the bones.

Once the analysis is complete, the skull and bones will be displayed in a newly designed exhibit at the Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon, Iowa. This exhibit will offer the public a unique opportunity to see and learn about a creature that roamed the area thousands of years ago, and how early humans might have interacted with these majestic animals.

The discovery of the well-preserved mastodon skull is not just a significant find for Iowa but also adds valuable knowledge to the broader understanding of the Pleistocene epoch and the early human inhabitants of North America. As the investigation continues, archaeologists and paleontologists alike eagerly anticipate what this site may still have to reveal.

Top image: Investigators removing sediment surrounding the mastodon tusk.                 Source: Iowa University

By Gary Manners