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Warning of vandalism to mammoth graveyards in Arctic from unscrupulous bone hunters

By 0 and 0 and 0
25 January 2017

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'The scale of vandalism in the Arctic and damaged caused to its unique monuments is huge.' Picture: Pavel Boyko

At least seven woolly mammoth cemeteries in the Siberian Arctic have been 'ruined' over the past decade, a senior academic and researcher has warned. 

The claim comes at a time of unprecedented interest in the remains of the extinct species, with hunters looking for ivory, bone, but also now ancient carcases preserved in the permafrost as scientists compete to obtain DNA in order to bring the giant animals back to life. 

'The scale of vandalism in the Arctic and damaged caused to its unique monuments - palaeontological, geological and archeological - is huge,' said Vladimir Pitulko, head of the Yano-Indigir expedition, Institute of the History of Material Culture, of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Vladimir Pitulko

Dr. Vladimir Pitulko, head of the Yano-Indigir expedition, Institute of the History of Material Culture, of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Picture: Vladimir Pitulko

'It is not only locals, citizens of Russia, who are participating in this process in northeast Siberia, but people from bordering countries,' he said. 'The financial and environmental damage is compatible to the damage from illegal amber extraction in the Kaliningrad region.'

This vandalism seriously complicates research work in the Siberian Arctic, he said. Illegal diggers are becoming a 'major obstacle and danger' for scientists while sites are being denuded of valuable material. 

In some cases, 'illegal' hunters and diggers use pumps to thaw permafrost which has existed for thousands of years in order to expose remains of ancient mammoths or other species. 

Yana site


Yana site


Yana site


Zhokov island site

Yana RHS site, in northern Yakutia as seen by photograpger Andrey Shubenkin. Archaeological excavations at Zhokhov island site, pictured by Vladimir Pitulko

Such action can erode the shores of rivers. Reports say one archeological site under threat is the Bunge-Toll site, one of the most ancient monuments in the Arctic. 

Some 50,000 years old, it was discovered in 1885 by Russian polar researcher Eduard Toll and and features the remains of Pleistocene bison. Researchers fear Pleistocene fauna and prehistoric artifacts will be lost because of vandalism. 

'Such a threat applies to practically all archeological objects in Arctic Siberia, because most of them are related to mammoth bones remains in one way or another,' said Pitulko.

Under threat, too, are Zhokhov island site in the New Siberian islands, and Yana site, in northern Yakutia. 

Tusks hunt


Tusks hunt


Tusks hunt

'Illegal' hunters and diggers use pumps to thaw permafrost which has existed for thousands of years in order to expose remains of ancient mammoths or other species. Pictures: Moya Planeta

In October, 20 cold and starving mammoth tusk hunters were rescued from remote Bolshoy Lyakhovsky island, part of the New Siberian chain.

Six of the men were airlifted in a critical condition suffering from exposure.

The case highlighted the risks hunters are prepared to take especially late in the Arctic summer, when the permafrost retreats leaving mammoth remains more visible.

20 cold and starving mammoth tusk hunters were rescued from remote Bolshoy Lyakhovsky island, part of the New Siberian chain. Pictures: Rescue Service of Yakutia

Rescue operation


Rescue operation


Rescue operation

Comments (3)

Earl, it's been 5 years, and whatever the hell you're trying to say here still doesn't make any sense.
Marla Disabuses , M
21/02/2022 12:59
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Hey Earl, mind telling us what your big ideas are or giving us a contact to ask you about them? Cheers.
Timo neiman, Aus
25/08/2017 06:27
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I ask --Do you Scientist have collections at home and do you sell some items ? Are these things protected by government ? Is your beef because it was them that got and not you ? Seriously Scientist are not what they are cracked up to be everywhere. Many times it's all about greed. I have discoveries that would rock the world of scientist and you would have to Tie a scientist down to make them look into it or not feed them until they would look. In the ancient Remains area if someone had enough to fill a Museum could you dig up money to buy them Or would you ? What if I had enough information to rock the world about Earth that no one knows ? and information deep into the Universe that NASA or no one is aware ?Even Putin ignores me , USA and all the world ignores me. I tried to Pay $5000. to the Chicago Tribune for 15 minutes of their time to show them and they ignore me . God help us the world is getting selfish , greedy, and just plain stupid.
Earl, Jackson Tn.
06/02/2017 00:10
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