Office of the State Archaeologist, IowaArchaeologists unearth the mastodon skull from a creek in southern Iowa.
Earlier this month, archaeologists excavating a creek in southern Iowa unearthed the skull of a mastodon, a massive tusked mammal that roamed North America between 3.5 million and 10,500 years ago.
This discovery is the first of its kind in the state of Iowa. Now, researchers are hoping to glean more information about the prehistoric animal and its relationship with humans thousands of years ago.
Archaeologists Explore A Creek In Southern Iowa
Office of the State Archaeologist, IowaThe excavation site in Wayne County, Iowa, about 80 miles south of Des Moines.
In 2022, a Wayne County, Iowa resident contacted state archaeologists to report what appeared to be a long bone sticking out of a creek bed on private property. When researchers from the University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) arrived to investigate, they were amazed to discover that the bone was actually the femur of a mastodon.
The mastodon was an impressive creature, measuring some 10 feet tall and weighing as much as six tons. Similar to mammoths in build, mastodons roamed North America beginning 3.5 million years ago. They went extinct some 10,500 years ago, likely as a result of human hunting and a changing climate.
In the fall of 2023, archaeologists also uncovered a broken tusk at the site. Believing it might still be connected to the skull, the team began applying for grants to conduct a full excavation. In August 2024, the OSA researchers returned to the site. It took them just 12 days to unearth the remains of an astonishingly well-preserved mastodon skull, along with several other bones that likely belong to the same animal.
“University of Iowa archaeologists have uncovered the first-ever well-preserved mastodon skull scientifically excavated from the state of Iowa,” archaeologists announced in a press release.
Radiocarbon dating revealed the skull to be 13,600 years old, meaning it lived during a time when the ice age was coming to an end.
Office of the State Archaeologist, IowaThe 13,600-year-old mastodon skull.
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Archaeologists Look For Proof Of Human Interaction
The mastodon bones date to a time in which humans occupied the area and hunted these prehistoric creatures.
“The last glaciation probably still had the northern part of Iowa under ice,” State Archeologist John Doershuk told Iowa Public Radio. “But the southern part was ice-free at the time and was starting to vegetate. Animals like mastodons were coming in to browse and human hunters would have also found that a hospitable place.”
Now, researchers hope to uncover evidence that humans interacted with the newly discovered mastodon.
Office of the State Archaeologist, IowaArchaeologists walk the creek where they discovered the mastodon skull.
During the excavation, the team uncovered several stone tools in the creek.
“While dated a few thousand years after the mastodon skull, these finds are promising, indicating human existence in the creek drainage — which had never been recorded until now,” the press release read.
Researchers plan to analyze the mastodon skull for any signs of human interaction, such as cut marks made by hunters and butchers. They also hope to find additional artifacts nearby that might offer additional clues into this creature’s relationship with humans.
Once the research team has finished its study, the mastodon bones will head to the Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon, Iowa, where they will go on display.
After reading about the mastodon skull, dive into the story of Purussaurus, the 41-foot prehistoric crocodile. Then, read about 11 of the world’s most fascinating prehistoric animals.