Ancient elephant found at site in Kahramanmaraş

KAHRAMANMARAŞ – Anadolu Agency

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A farmer living in the southern Turkish province of Kahramanmaraş’s Türkoğlu district has found a number of pieces thought to be the fossil of an ancient elephant. 

Nihat Polat was plowing the field with tractor when he found the pieces, prompting him to contact local museum officials. The officials who made an examination in the field said the remains could be of a fossil and took them for further examination. 

An official from the Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality, Fatih Yanardağ, said the remains were very similar to the mammoth fossil displayed at the City Museum.

“The fossil in the museum was unearthed some 40 years ago. The analysis by officials will reveal the origin of the fossil. These remains show us that this region settled back in ancient times,” Yanardağ added. 

Meanwhile, an ancient elephant skeleton, which was found by a relative of Polat in the same region back in 1975, dates back to 3,500 years ago and is on display in a different room at the museum. Special lighting, sound and visual effects are used for the skeleton.

Mersin University Geology Engineering academic Professor Nurdan İnan said the remains discovered by Polat could be from the elephas family, one of two surviving elephant families.