Excavations in Caesarea reveal 7.7 million-year-old elephant skulls

Three elephant skulls dating backmost to 7.7 cardinal years ago person been discovered successful excavations successful Caesarea, cardinal Turkey.

The excavations, which began successful 2018 pursuing a study by a shepherd successful 2017 adjacent the Yamula Dam, are continuing nether the supervision of the Caesarea Museum Directorate and sponsored by the city.

The skulls were recovered successful the Kochashinan country on the Kizilirmak River. The excavations besides unearthed a assortment of fossils, including remains of prehistoric giraffes, elephants, mammoths, rhinos, goats, antelopes, turtles and pigs.

Archaeologist Omer Dagg told Turkey’s Anadolu News Agency that his squad is excavating astir the dam, and is present focusing chiefly connected elephant fossils.

“We tin telephone this twelvemonth the twelvemonth of the elephant,” Doug said. “Since the excavations began successful 2018, we had recovered 2 skulls. But this year, successful conscionable 1 season, we discovered three,” helium added, noting that portion the tusks were somewhat damaged, 1 skull was recovered with the little jaw intact.

Radiometric investigation dated the excavations astatine Caesarea to astir 7.7 cardinal years ago, with astir of the elephant fossils recovered successful the Sevrille area, present called the “elephant belt”. The archaeologist stressed the value of the excavations due to the fact that of the size and preservation of the megafauna fossils, which person attracted planetary technological attention.

“The attraction of elephants successful immoderate places and the observed density supply accusation astir the paleogeography of the site,” Doug said.