Three well-preserved elephant skulls dating back 7.7 million years were uncovered recently near the Yamula Dam in Kayseri’s Kocasinan district along the Kızılırmak River, bringing the total found since 2018 to five. One skull retained an intact lower jaw, though its tusks were partly damaged.
“This year we can talk about the year of the elephant. From 2018 until now, we had identified two skulls, but only this year did we find three. In fact, one was preserved with the lower jaw almost intact,” said archeologist Ömer Dağ.
Excavations began in 2018 after a local shepherd reported finds in 2017. The team worked around the dam and focused on elephant fossils, particularly in the Çevril Neighborhood, where finds clustered within 100 to 300 meters. Researchers referred to this area as the elephant region, and the concentration and density offered clues to the area’s paleogeography.
Beyond the skulls, the excavations recovered fossils of prehistoric giraffes, mammoths, rhinoceroses, three-toed horses, hornless sheep, goats, antelopes, turtles, and pigs. This excavation season yielded remains of three-toed horses, rhinoceroses, and saber-toothed tigers from the Carnivora group, adding to the area’s value for understanding the region’s ancient fauna.
“The concentration of elephants in one place indicated their density and allowed us to judge the paleogeography of the findings. Some species searched for food in marshy areas, digging with their lower jaw, while others fed on tree shoots, tearing them down. The different locations of the findings related to the paleogeography of that time,” said archaeologist-specialist Emre Dağ, according to T24.
The preparation of this article relied on a news-analysis system.