New Evidence for Human Butchery of an American Mastodon from Central Ohio, USA

A growing body of archaeological data now points to the likely exploitation of American Mastodon (Mammut americanum) by late Pleistocene hunters in North America. The recent discovery of a partial mastodon skeleton at the Cedar Fork site in Morrow County, Ohio provides additional evidence in the form of at least one possibly cut marked bone. The skeletal remains are those of a large male and were disturbed post-mortem by animal scavenging and more recent geological processes including debris flows. Initial visual examination of a fragment of a mandibular condyle revealed eight wide grooves that appear to have been made by human agents. Detailed light optical and SEM examinations of the grooves indicate that at least five exhibit the characteristics of slice marks made by one or more flaked stone tools. The absence of crushed bone in the grooves suggests that none were the result of incising or chopping on dry bone but were made while the bone was relatively fresh. The recovery of two possible flaked stone tools in apparent association with the mastodon remains provides additional support for a conclusion of human butchery.