15,000-year-old mammoth bone found in Kazakhstan riverbank
Rare fossil discovery near Esil River could unlock secrets of Ice Age life and human history in Central Asia
ASTANA, Kazakhstan (MNTV) — A villager fishing near the banks of the Esil River in northern Kazakhstan stumbled upon a massive fossil this month: a mammoth bone more than one meter long, believed to date back roughly 15,000 years.
The find has triggered fresh excitement among archaeologists, who say it could be part of a larger skeleton buried beneath the soil.
The bone was discovered near Baiterek village in the Kyzylzhar district, protruding from the riverbank. Local resident reports suggest it was carefully removed before being examined by scientists at M. Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University.
Professor Anatoly Pleshakov, who studied the specimen, confirmed it belonged to a large mammoth that once roamed the region during the Upper Paleolithic era.
“This mammoth could have stood up to five meters tall and weighed as much as 20 tonnes,” Pleshakov said. He added that while bones are occasionally found along the Esil River, specimens of this size remain rare. “The real breakthrough would be discovering tools from that era alongside the remains — that would be a true sensation.”
The region has a history of Ice Age discoveries. In 1960, the skeleton of a mammoth nicknamed the “Yasnovsky elephant” was unearthed near Yasnovka, and archaeologists have also recovered remains of ancient bison and woolly rhinoceroses.
Although glaciers never covered northern Kazakhstan, the cold and humid climate created conditions for lush vegetation that supported herds of large mammals.
Archaeologists now plan to conduct full-scale excavations at the Baiterek site beginning next year, in hopes of uncovering more remains or even evidence of human activity. The newly found bone will be transferred to the regional museum of history and local lore for preservation and study.
Experts say the discovery adds to a growing wave of global archaeological breakthroughs shedding light on Ice Age ecosystems and early human settlements. For Kazakhstan, the find highlights the country’s potential as a frontier for paleontological research that bridges natural history with the story of human civilization.
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