Million year old mammoth remains discovered 02/05/2007 00:00

2 May 2007

TARRAGONA – Archaelogists have discovered the remains of a mammoth which could more be more than a million years old. 

Investigators from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleanthology and Social Evolution (IPHES) discovered 'Mammuthus meridionalis' at La Boella, near the city of Tarragona in Catalonia, north east Spain.

They said the find was “of great importance because there are very few examples”.

Together with some tusks from the mammoth, the researches found what are believed to be two of its molar teeth.

Also, nearby they found some traces of human remains and some Roman ceramics.

Josep Vallverdú, head of the excavation, said the discovery of the mammoth and human remains were important in helping to establish the movement of humans from Europe from Africa over 1.5 million years ago. 

He said the latest find shared the same level of importance as two other earlier discoveries about ten years ago.

They all helped to suggested that Europe had a human population way earlier than had previously been thought.

It was thought the earliest human settlements were 500,000 years ago.

'Mamuthus meridionalis' was an elephant which measured 4.5 metres high and weighed up to 12 tonnes – double that of today’s elephants.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news