Construction workers building an extension to Oregon State University's football stadium uncovered some large bones believed to belong to a very large animal from prehistoric times — namely a mammoth.
On Monday, the crew digging in the north end zone in Reser Stadium in Corvallis discovered several large bones believed to be 10,000 years old.
Fortunately, the university has its own in-house expert who examined the find and discovered — unhappily for OSU fans — it wasn't some giant beaver.
"There are quite a few bones and dozens of pieces," said Loren Davis, the university's associate professor of archeology.
The startling find was witnessed by members of OSU football team as excavation workers huddled around the unearthed bones sticking out of the dirt.
The project is part of the stadium’s expansion and renovation project before the start of the 2016 football season. It’s unclear if the archaeological find will delay construction.
"Some of the bones are not in very good shape, but some are actually quite well preserved," said Davis. "There don’t appear to be any signs of human bones or artifacts at the site. Further testing will be needed to determine the bones’ exact age."
According to the professor, the bones included the remains of mammoth, bison as well as some kind of camel or possibly a horse.
Davis said his students will work their way through the pile to find any additional bones.
"It’ll be a great learning experience for them, to learn how to identify extinct animal bones," he added. "It’s really an amazing find."
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