This article is for general informational purposes only and does not replace professional archaeological or scientific advice. All information is based on current verified studies and may evolve as new research emerges.
Imagine walking across the plains of Ice Age America and coming face to face with a towering mammoth. That’s exactly what ancient Americans did – and as a new study reveals, they didn’t just admire these massive creatures from afar. They hunted them and ate them too.
Scientists analyzing 13,000-year-old remains from the famous Anzick site in Montana found something remarkable. Chemical traces in the bones of an infant belonging to the Clovis culture, one of the earliest known human groups in North America, showed that their diet relied heavily on mammoth meat. According to researchers, up to 40 per cent of the protein consumed by the community came from mammoths alone.
What’s especially striking is that this discovery offers the clearest proof yet that mammoths were not just occasional meals but a consistent food source. Experts from the University of Alaska Fairbanks note that the Clovis people were highly skilled hunters who used finely crafted stone spear points to take down animals weighing up to six tonnes.
Hunting mammoths wasn’t only about survival. A single kill could provide enough food, fat, and materials to sustain small groups for weeks. Their bones and hides were likely used for tools, shelter, and clothing, showing a deep understanding of resource use long before farming existed.
This revelation reshapes what scientists thought about early human life in the Americas. Instead of being simple foragers, these communities were organised hunters capable of tackling some of the largest animals to ever roam the continent.
