13,600-year-old mastodon skull discovered in Iowa creek

The University of Iowa's Office of the State Archaeologist has successfully excavated a well-preserved mastodon skull in Wayne County, Iowa. This significant discovery marks the first of its kind in the state. The excavation, which lasted 12 days, took place in 2022 along the banks of a creek. The mastodon bones, estimated to be around 13,600 years old, were unearthed with the assistance of local volunteers and funding from the Wayne County Foundation.

The mastodon remains will undergo conservation and analysis by the University of Iowa, including examinations for any evidence of human activity, such as cut marks. Once the analysis is complete, the skull and other bones will be displayed at the Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon as part of a new exhibit. The American mastodon, known scientifically as Mammut americanum, went extinct approximately 13,000 years ago, with researchers attributing its extinction to factors such as human hunting and climate change.