They were one of the biggest animal species of all time, and now the remains of at least 15 mammoths have been found in Mexico.
Researchers from the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH) have discovered a huge mammoth trap in San Antonio Xahuento dating back around 15,000 years.
The trap measures around 1.7 metres deep and 25 metres wide, according to the researchers.
Amazingly, a total of 824 bones have been discovered inside it, including eight skulls, five jaws, 10 vertebrae, 179 ribs, 11 scapulae and five humerus.
The researchers believe that the ribs were used by hunters to cut meat, while the ulna was possibly used to remove the fat from the skin.
The mammoths’ organs were also consumed, including the brain which could weigh up to a whopping 12kg!
While this finding is no doubt an amazing one, the researchers believe that there could be several further traps in the area.
Salvador Pulido, director of Archaeological Rescue at INAH said that this excavation was just ‘the tip of the iceberg.’
He added: “Here we had the opportunity to have profiles of tens of meters, that's why we warned that we were literally in prehistoric traps.
“We could argue that in other archaeological salvages we have been in a similar context, but the limits of the excavations only let us see horizontal strata. ”
The team now plans to use georadars to survey the surrounding area, to see if there are any other mammoth graves nearby.
