A museum curator in Elk City made a significant discovery when she found a mammoth tooth and bones in a pile of rocks at the Farm and Ranch Museum. The curator, Anna Wray, was meeting with Dr. Miriam Belmaker, an archaeologist and director of the Museum Science and Management program at the University of Tulsa, to discuss connecting small museums in Oklahoma.
The Discovery
During their meeting, Wray took Belmaker to the Farm and Ranch Museum, where Belmaker noticed three bones belonging to a mammoth in a pile of rocks. As they moved some rocks out of the way, they found a mammoth tooth. Belmaker was able to easily identify it as a mammoth tooth based on its shape, size, weight, and enamel patterns.
According to Wray, Belmaker believes the tooth belonged to a young mammoth because of its size and being less worn. Wray also found an exhibition label saying the tooth was found in Roger Mills County. She is working to find the person who donated the mammoth tooth to determine exactly where it was discovered.
Mammoth remains have been found at multiple archaeological sites in western Oklahoma, including the Domebo Canyon archaeological site in Caddo County and another site near Alva.
The mammoth tooth and bones will soon be on display at the Old Town Museum in Elk City, along with a large ammonite fossil, creating a small natural history section in the museum.
Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
