The archaeological collection of the local history museum in Spassk-Dalny houses fragments of mammoth tusks.
The peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East endowed this animal with magical powers. However, among the local peoples of Primorye, no legends about them have been preserved.
A petroglyph of a mammoth, the closest to the city where the museum is located, was discovered on stones in Sikachi-Alyan, on the right bank of the Amur River in Khabarovsk Krai.
These animals were widespread in this area. Radiocarbon dating has shown that the age of the earliest mammoth finds in Primorsky Krai is about 40 thousand years. They were discovered in a cave named after the Geographical Society, in the valley of the Partizanskaya River. 45 bones were found there, which could belong to at least three individuals.
Another find was discovered on the Prikhankai lowland near the village of Khorol during the laying of the main canal. Its age is about 15.5 thousand years.
Mammoth finds in Primorye are few. The preservation of mammoth bones in this region is poor. The material that researchers find often has many damages, is frequently fragmented, and quickly crumbles. This is due to the predominance of acidic soils and a relatively warm monsoon climate.
A thorough study of the structure of mammoth bodies of different ages has allowed scientists to assert that the tusk was a mammoth tooth. It is now known for certain that it is a modified incisor.
The mammoths that lived on the territory of Primorsky Krai were small in size compared to representatives of other regions. Researchers suggest that this could have been a characteristic of the southern population.
Animals that lived alongside mammoths in the same conditions are officially called the mammoth fauna, which includes approximately 80 species. Some of them became extinct, like mammoths, while others still exist today.
The main extinct representatives of the “mammoth fauna” in Primorsky Krai include the wooly rhinoceros, wild horse, ancient bison, and cave lion.
Animals that still exist in nature include the red deer, wolf, wolverine, fox, and others.
Specific to the territory of Primorsky Krai are the
tiger, leopard, raccoon dog, sika deer, and others.
