In 2015, a team of archaeologists started excavating a structure they found 310 miles south of Moscow, Russia located at a site called Kostenki 11 — and didn’t stop until 2018. Recently, the findings of their excavation were published in the Antiquity journal, which detailed a huge structure which is not only impressive due to the fact that it’s already 25,000 years old but also because it is made from the bones of more than 60 mammoths. 

Credits: All That’s Interesting

The researchers found out that the mammoth bones date back to the Ice Age, although it is still a mystery how the remains were collected. “It’s not yet clear whether the bones are from mammoths recently hunted and killed by humans or if they were scavenged from carcasses of animals that died of natural causes,” paleontological archaeologist Dr. Alexander Pryor said. 

Credits: All That’s Interesting

According to All That’s Interesting, a site for curious people who want to know more about what they see on the news or read in history books, the structure was made from 51 mammoth jawbones and 64 mammoth skulls which measure about 30 feet by 30 feet. This newfound prehistoric structure may force experts to reassess what we know about this period. The team also found the remains of charred wood and plants on the site.

Credits: All That’s Interesting

“Archaeology is showing us more about how our ancestors survived in this desperately cold and hostile environment at the climax of the last ice age. Most other places at similar latitudes in Europe had been abandoned by this time, but these groups had managed to adapt to find food, shelter, and water,” Pryor said. 

The team also believe that this structure has cultural significance for the people who lived there. “It clearly meant something to them, and there was very likely a ritual element to it, even if the structure ultimately had some sort of practical purpose too,” Pryor added.