Upper Paleolithic Hunters Likely Butchered Woolly Mammoth in Bavaria

Researchers analyzing a woolly mammoth discovered near Taimering, close to Regensburg, have identified cut marks on several ribs that indicate Upper Paleolithic humans processed the carcass. The find includes a 2.5‑metre tusk and more than 70 bone fragments, all dated to 27,000–25,000 years ago. Osteological analysis shows the animal died near the site and was not transported long distances, while the distinctive incisions point to deliberate disassembly, possibly using the ribs as a cutting board. The study, led by palaeontologists Gertrud Rößner (SNSB) and Christoph Mayr (FAU), was published in the *Journal of Archaeological Science*.

The research contributes rare evidence of mammoth hunting and butchering practices in Central Europe, where such complete skeletal finds are scarce. Pollen analysis further reconstructs the surrounding tundra‑steppe environment of the last glacial maximum.