An ancient mammoth trap

Archaeologists in Mexico have unearthed pits that early humans dug some 15,000 years ago to trap woolly mammoths, shedding new light on the hunting habits of our prehistoric ancestors. Found in the Mexico City suburb of Tultepec during excavations for a landfill, the two pits are believed to be the first of their kind discovered anywhere in the world, reports The New York Times. Measuring about 6 feet deep and 80 feet in diameter, they contained more than 800 bones from at least 14 mammoths. “There was little evidence before that hunters attacked mammoths—it was thought they frightened them into getting stuck in swamps and then waited for them to die,” says excavation leader Luis Córdoba Barradas. “This is evidence of direct attacks.” Córdoba speculates that the humans hunted in groups of 20 to 30 people, using torches and branches to force the animals into the traps. He says early humans may have tried to increase their odds of a catch by digging a series of pits; further excavations could reveal more traps. ■