(ORDO NEWS) — US scientists using microcomputed tomography examined the rib of an American mastodon (Mammut americanum) found during excavations in northwestern Washington state.
Inside it, the researchers found stuck fragments of an object from another bone, for which they built three-dimensional models, and then printed them on a 3D printer.
Judging by the morphology of these elements, the object was originally a man-made tip about 13.9 thousand years ago.
The mammoth rib comes from the locality of Manis, where the remains of one male American mastodon were found.
On the bones of this animal, scientists noticed traces left by a person, although there were no stone tools nearby.
At the same time, in the course of past studies, it was reported that the rib may contain a foreign object, but this interpretation was disputed.
In new work led by Michael Waters of Texas A&M University, the 34.5 x 16.9 x 5.8 millimeter reconstructed object concluded that it was indeed a fragment of a mastodon bone tip created by several centuries before the spread of the Clovis archaeological culture.
Moreover, the fired projectile did not lead to a quick death of the animal, since traces of healing are visible on the rib. Maybe,
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