A discovery worthy of the best archaeologist. Scout, a young labrador retriever puppy from Whidbey Island, Washington, found an ancient woolly mammoth tooth
A discovery worthy of the best archaeologist. Scout, a young labrador retriever puppy from Whidbey Island, Washington, has found an ancient woolly mammoth tooth.
While digging in the backyard, he came across a rather peculiar "bone". Kirk Lacewell, who lives with him, was not surprised as the dog goes in search of treasure.
But this time he found a real ancient find.
"I noticed he had something in his mouth", he said Lacewell.
The man thought that it was a piece of wood or a rock, objects usually of no interest to the dog. But the next day the puppy brought him another strange object, similar to a rock.
Intrigued, the man washed and dried it well and immediately realized that it was a bone, even if partially worn.
At that point he decided to send the photos of the find to the paleontologists of the Burke Museum of the University of Washington, who had no doubts: it was a 13.000-year-old woolly mammoth tooth.
These animals lived up to 5 thousand years ago. Characterized by long tusks and thick fur, they were 2,8-3,5m tall, roughly the size of an African elephant.
Since the Isle of Whidbey is believed to have once hosted a population of mammoths during the last Ice Age, finds of this type are not particularly unusual. In September 2016, a 10-year-old girl found a mammoth tooth while walking along Whidbey Beach with her father.
This time, however, it is thanks to Scout, a curious puppy who improvised himself as an archaeologist.
READ also:
- Monty, the 'archaeologist' dog who discovered artifacts dating back to the Bronze Age
Francesca Mancuso
cover photo
