Miners operating heavy-duty drilling equipment in an Altai republic gravel pit unearthed a mammoth tusk buried 10 meters underground, local officials said.
Workers discovered the tusk, which measured two meters in length and up to 25 centimeters in diameter, last week near the village of Maima, but officials only reported the find in a statement on the republic's official website Friday.
"Unfortunately, the discovered tusk was subject to severe damage due to natural factors," the statement read. It was not immediately clear whether gravel drilling had any impact on the tusk, which appeared fragmented in images posted online.
Officials rushed to say that archeologists had excavated the surrounding area prior to its designation as a gravel pit.
The rare find follows several inadvertent archeological discoveries across Russia in the past 10 days. On Saturday, an archivist came across a mammoth tooth near his dacha in the Arkhangelsk region.
In a separate incident, an elderly man dug up a 1.5-meter, 15-kilogram mammoth bone in the Udmurtia republic on Sept. 15 while digging in his vegetable garden with his granddaughter.
Related articles:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.