Serbia Unearths Million-Year-Old Mammoth

Archeologists say that the skeleton of a mammoth discovered in eastern Serbia near the town of Kostolac is one million years old.

The discovery of the bones were made close to the Imperial Mausoleum of the Viminacium Archeological Park, 27 meters below the surface in the Drmno coal mine.

The bones were identified as coming from the species Mammuthus-meridionalis, the park's director, Miomir Korac, told local media. Korac suspects that the skeleton is from one of the oldest mammoth species found in Europe.

Mammuthus-meridionalis is historically considered one of the first species of mammoths, similar in appearance to modern-day Asian elephants, differentiated by their larger tusks. This was a creature adapted to colder climates but by no means equipped to survive extreme icy conditions, experts said. It is also suspected to be the ancestor of a later, more evolved species similar to the woolly mammoth.

"We were actually very close to the spot when the machinery hit the mammoth remains and we reacted immediately," Korac told reporters. "We managed to stop them, and we are lucky to now have almost the entire mammoth. The skull and tusks were somewhat damaged," he said.

"What is very interesting is that the poor creature met his death and remained in a layer of some sort of gravel, which means that it is practically preserved, and not even tectonic movements have managed to move or dislocate it. We found it the way it died," Korac was quoted as saying.

"I can  tell that it was over four meters tall, and some five, six meters long, weighing over ten tonnes."

Previously mammoth remains were uncovered near Kikinda, in northern Serbia, the bones of which are only half the age of those discovered in Kostolac. Archeologists believe that these animals migrated to eastern Serbia from northern Africa.

This rare find is a major archaeological discovery as the skeleton was complete and perfectly preserved for study purposes.

"Discoveries of these species of mammoth are very rare. That fact alone speaks about its value," explained Korac.

Plans for the mammoth bones include restoration and eventual exhibition at the local Archeological Park in Viminacium, which was also the site of an ancient Roman town.