Record-low water levels have exposed the bones of a large mammoth in the riverbed near the village of Ryahovo in Bulgaria. Experts believe it is a woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius).

Record heat and drought are crippling

Durch den historisch niedrigen Wasserstand sind im Flussbett beim bulgarischen Dorf Ryahovo Knochen eines großen Mammuts aufgetaucht. Experten gehen von einem Wollhaarmammut (Mammuthus primigenius) au...

Learn how specialists are recovering fragile woolly mammoth bones and investigating whether the Danube carried them to Ryahovo.

Durch den historisch niedrigen Wasserstand sind im Flussbett beim bulgarischen Dorf Ryahovo Knochen eines großen Mammuts aufgetaucht. Experten gehen von einem Wollhaarmammut (Mammuthus primigenius) au...

Persistently low water levels on the Danube, already disrupting river transport and putting additional pressure on energy production across southeastern Europe, have led to an unexpected scientific discovery in Bulgaria. A set of Ice Age mammoth remains has been uncovered on the riverbank near the village of Ryahovo, offering researchers a rare opportunity to study the prehistoric fauna that once inhabited the Danube plain. The discovery was made after residents of Ryahovo, in the Ruse region near the Romanian border, noticed unusually large bones exposed by the receding river. They alerted local authorities, who sent specialists from the Eco Museum with Aquarium in Ruse to examine the site. Museum experts quickly identified the find as mammoth remains. “So far we have identified a lower jaw, two tusks and possibly a rib. Once they arrive at the museum, we will be able to examine them properly and determine which mammoth species they belong to,” said Prof. Nikolay Nenov, director of the Regional Museum of History in Ruse. The remains have now been transported to the museum, where they will undergo cleaning, conservation and scientific examination. A prehistoric landscape beneath the Danube Researchers believe the bones most likely belong to a single mammoth rather than an entire herd, although the final conclusion will depend on further analysis. The discovery site differs from many previous finds along the Danube, where isolated bones were typically recovered during dredging operations and transported by river currents. In this case, the concentration of skeletal elements in one location suggests the animal may have died where it was found. Prof. Nenov said the area was probably a marsh thousands of years ago, when the mammoth lived, rather than part of the present-day river. During the Pleistocene, or Ice Age, northern Bulgaria formed part of a vast landscape of open steppe and wetlands that provided ideal conditions for large herbivorous mammals. The region is known to have been inhabited by several species of proboscideans, including three different mammoth species. Scientists now hope to determine exactly which species the newly discovered remains belong to. More bones may still lie underground Field work has revealed additional skeletal elements beyond those initially identified. According to Krasimir Kirov, curator of the museum’s Nature Department, researchers have documented a lower jaw, tusks, a shoulder blade, ribs and several other bone fragments. A significant part of the skeleton may still remain buried beneath the sediments. The working hypothesis is that the remains belong to a woolly mammoth ( Mammuthus primigenius ), although this will only be confirmed after detailed laboratory analysis. “The animal was impressive in size, reaching nearly five metres in height and weighing more than seven or eight tonnes,” Kirov said. Dating the remains will require specialised analyses carried out together with experts from Bulgaria’s National Museum of Natural History. Based on the presumed species, the mammoth may have lived sometime between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago, although woolly mammoths first appeared hundreds of thousands of years earlier. Museum specialists later suggested that the animal was probably a young woolly mammoth, judging by the wear pattern on its molar teeth. Kirov said the lower jaw displays an unusual pattern of tooth wear that is rarely described in scientific literature. A race against deterioration The bones are considered fragile because they remained submerged in water for thousands of years. Once exposed to air, deterioration begins rapidly, making careful excavation and immediate conservation essential. Their dark colour may also provide clues about the environment in which the animal died. According to Kirov, very dark brown or black fossil bones often indicate prolonged burial in swampy conditions, where mud and organic sediments affect their colour over time. For now, however, this remains only a working hypothesis. The museum plans to conserve the remains before putting them on public display, provided their condition allows it. For the full conservation process, specialists expect to seek assistance from the Palaeontological Museum in Asenovgrad. The Danube continues to reveal its past The Ryahovo area has produced numerous archaeological and palaeontological discoveries over the years. Local mayor Hristina Ivanova said residents have previously found animal remains, pottery and other artefacts, highlighting the historical importance of the area. The region is also known for fossilised trees dating back several million years. Kirov said fragments of fossilised palms and other swamp vegetation are occasionally discovered, sometimes without people recognising what they have found. He recalled one case in which a company involved in dredging had unknowingly used a fossilised tree as a doorstop before it was identified and added to the museum’s collection. Researchers believe the newly discovered mammoth may not be the last prehistoric animal to emerge from the riverbank. According to Kirov, the site near Ryahovo may represent what is effectively a prehistoric “cemetery” for mammoths and other large mammals whose remains accumulated over thousands of years. If the Danube’s water level continues to fall during the summer, museum teams plan to return to the site to search for additional fossils that may still lie hidden beneath the exposed sediments. Romania shuts nuclear reactor as Danube runs dangerously low Sources: BGNES, BTA Caption: Museum experts recover the mammoth remains uncovered on the bank of the Danube near the Bulgarian village of Ryahovo after exceptionally low water levels exposed the prehistoric bones. Facebook/Regional Museum of History – Ruse.

Europe's record temperatures this summer has led to several relics from the past re-emerging from the continent's major rivers.

Bulgaristan’daki Ryahovo köyünde, nehir seviyesinin tarihî dipte olmasıyla, yatağında büyük bir mamutun kemikleri ortaya çıktı. Uzmanlar bunların yünlü mamuta (Mammuthus primigenius) ait olduğunu düşünüyor.

Bulgarie: le niveau d'eau au plus bas fait surgir du lit du fleuve des os d'un mammouth laineux près de Ryahovo (Mammuthus primigenius)

Learn how specialists are recovering fragile woolly mammoth bones and investigating whether the Danube carried them to Ryahovo.

Rekordně nízká hladina Dunaje v severním Bulharsku přinesla na konci července nečekaný archeologický a paleontologický objev. Z vyschlého říčního dna se u obce Ryahovo vynořily pozůstatky mamuta, kter...

A seca que reduziu o nível do rio Danúbio revelou um conjunto de ossos atribuído a um mamute-lanoso perto da vila de Ryahovo, na Bulgária. Especialistas agora tentam descobrir se o animal morreu no local ou se seus restos foram carregados pela correnteza.

La sequía extrema en el río Danubio reveló restos de un mamut y decenas de barcos hundidos por la Alemania nazi durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. En la localidad de Ryahovo, especialistas identificaron huesos de un mamut sepultado hace miles de años, mientras que en el puerto serbio de Prahovo emergieron cascos de embarcaciones alemanas hundidas en 1944 para frenar al Ejército Rojo. Estos naufragios representan un riesgo ambiental y una interrupción del tráfico fluvial, generando pérdidas económicas de 5,75 millones de dólares anuales. Aunque se iniciaron labores de retiro de barcos en 2024, el proceso es lento y peligroso debido a la presencia de explosivos. El director del Museo de Historia Regional destacó que estos hallazgos son cruciales para la ciencia y el conocimiento histórico.

Debido a los niveles de agua en mínimos históricos, en el lecho del río han aparecido restos de un gran mamut cerca de Ryahovo, en Bulgaria. Los expertos creen que es un mamut lanudo (Mammuthus primig...

Debido a los niveles de agua en mínimos históricos, en el lecho del río han aparecido restos de un gran mamut cerca de Ryahovo, en Bulgaria. Los expertos creen que es un mamut lanudo (Mammuthus primig...

El Danubio baja a mínimos históricos y deja al descubierto en Bulgaria los restos de un enorme mamut, una escena insólita de la era glacial.

El río Danubio, que atraviesa diez países, está experimentando niveles de agua históricamente bajos debido a las olas de calor. En la zona de Ryahovo, Bulgaria, se han descubierto restos de un mamut lanudo (Mammuthus primigenius), cuyos huesos han sido expuestos por la reducción del caudal del río. Los investigadores del Museo Regional de Historia de Ruse identificaron una mandíbula, colmillos, escápula y otros fragmentos óseos, aunque gran parte del esqueleto sigue enterrado. El mamut, que vivió hace entre 500.000 y 800.000 años, pesaba más de siete toneladas y podría haber sido arrastrado por el río hasta ese punto. Los restos se retirarán con cuidado para evitar su deterioro y se exhibirán en el museo de Ruse. Este hallazgo forma parte de un fenómeno más amplio en el que el Danubio ha dejado al descubierto rocas, arena y antiguos pecios, incluyendo barcos de guerra alemanes de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. La sequía también ha afectado a la central nuclear de Paks en Hungría, que fue obligada a parar debido al nivel del agua insuficiente para su refrigeración.

Durch den historisch niedrigen Wasserstand sind im Flussbett beim bulgarischen Dorf Ryahovo Knochen eines großen Mammuts aufgetaucht. Experten gehen von einem Wollhaarmammut (Mammuthus primigenius) aus.