Ancient Bone May Confirm War Elephants Crossed Alps

Archaeologists Found Proof of 2,200-Year-Old War Elephants in Spain

Spain isn’t the first place you think of when you think of elephants. So, when researchers pulled a 10-centimeter elephant carpal bone from an Iron Age dig site at Colina de los Quemados, they figured it probably wasn’t someone’s pet. More likely, they were looking at one of history’s most famous war machines. In a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, a team led by University of Córdoba archaeologist Rafael Martínez…

Archaeologists discover remains of ancient weapon that spread 'terror and confusion' among Roman army

Archaeologists have discovered remains of an ancient weapon that spread “terror and confusion” among the Roman army.In Southern Spain, an elephant foot bone has been found, which may be evidence that the mammal stomped through ancient Europe.Hannibal, the Carthaginian general, embarked on one of history’s most daring military campaigns in 218 BC, is thought to have had a herd of elephants among his arsenal.The legendary elephants became synonymo…

Ancient Bone May Confirm War Elephants Crossed Alps

Could a small chunk of bone rewrite one of history’s most legendary war stories? Archaeologists in southern Spain think it just might.While digging near Córdoba, researchers uncovered a 10-centimetre elephant foot bone. It was an extraordinary find in Europe, where elephant remains are almost unheard of.Why is this so exciting?Because it could finally offer physical proof of the war elephants famously used by Hannibal. The brilliant Carthaginian…

Bone Could Be First Evidence of Hannibal’s Legendary War Elephants

The one fact that everybody knows about Hannibal is that he used elephants in his war against the Romans 2,200 years ago. Now, archaeologists may have found the first direct evidence of these famous beasts.

The bone that could be evidence of the mythical passage of Hannibal’s war elephant through Europe

An elephant foot bone found by archaeologists excavating in southern Spain could be evidence that a troop of elephants war devastated ancient Europe. “Beyond ivory, the discovery of elephant remains in European archaeological contexts is exceptionally rare,” states the team of scientists in an article published in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. Often considered one […]

Ancient elephant bone found in Spain may be first physical evidence of Hannibal’s war elephants

Archaeologists working in southern Spain have uncovered an elephant bone that could provide the first tangible evidence of the legendary war elephants used by Hannibal during his campaign against Rome. The discovery was made at the Iron Age site of Colina de los Quemados, near Córdoba, where a cube-shaped elephant foot bone measuring around 10 centimetres was found beneath a collapsed wall. Carbon dating suggests the remains date to the time of …