WAYNE COUNTY, Iowa — The Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) and local volunteers in Wayne County recently completed a nearly two-week long mastodon excavation.
The OSA was notified about the bones back in 2022 after they were found on a creek bank.
OSA staff and community members met this month to unearth the bones. The excavation was funded through donations and support from the Wayne County Foundation.
Based on radiocarbon dates, the OSA believes the mastodon is approximately 13,600 years old. The mastodon is also the first "well-preserved" mastodon to be excavated in Iowa.
The bones will be analyzed at the University of Iowa. The OSA hopes to look for evidence of human activity on the bones, such as cut marks.
The mastodon will eventually be part of a new exhibit at the Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon.