Mastodon Bones: Images of an Early Hunt

Mastodon

The Manis mastodon with projectile weapon. — (Image credit: Center for the Study of the First Americans, Texas A&M)

The Manis mastodon was found with an embedded point of bone in its rib, suggested that an early hunter had speared the animal 13,800 years ago.

Damaged Rib

Manis Mammoth wound from early projectile point. — (Image credit: Center for the Study of the First Americans, Texas A&M)

The embedded point is at the top left of the mammoth rib.

Bone in Bone

Manis Mammoth would from early projectile point. — (Image credit: Center for the Study of the First Americans, Texas A&M)

High-tech CT scans show the point embedded in the mammoth's rib bone.

Projectile Point

Manis Mammoth wound from early projectile point. — (Image credit: Center for the Study of the First Americans, Texas A&M)

The projectile point was made of the bone of another mastodon. Here is a top view of the rib with embedded point.

Reconstruction

Manis Mammoth wound from early projectile point. — (Image credit: Center for the Study of the First Americans, Texas A&M)

A three-dimensional reconstruction of the entry site on the bone. The projectile point can be seen penetrating the bone surface.

Ancient Damage

Manis Mammoth wound from early projectile point. — (Image credit: Center for the Study of the First Americans, Texas A&M)

This close-up view shows the projectile point entry area on the mammoth rib. The Manis mammoth was old and likely close to death when human hunters took it down.

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.