Sale of a complete skeleton of a male mammoth, a skull of a juvenile stegodon and another of a dunkleosteus: an exceptional testimony to history

Catawiki, an online sales platform for rare items, will soon be selling exceptional archaeological treasures. Out of 50 lots which constitute the sale, 3 lots stand out thanks to their excellent quality of conservation. In addition to a full skeleton of a woolly male mammoth, a skull of juvenile stegodon and that of a dunkleosteus will be available during this unique sale. These pieces are extremely rare and bear witness to a distant past suddenly made affordable. The sale of these exceptional finds will take place over 9 days, from December 20 to 29, 2019, on the Catawiki site.

An exclusive to seize

Stegodons are very similar to mammoths, with their tusks and their imposing size. This extinct genus of elephantiforms trodden the Earth almost 12 million years ago. They weighed and measured twice the largest species of African elephant that can be found today. A stegodon trigonocephalus skull with teeth has been miraculously found in Indonesia. It is a juvenile stegodon as rare as it is spectacular. The mastodon was between 12 and 14 years old when he died. It is estimated that the animal lived no less than a million years ago.

These very specific pieces are extremely difficult to find, and especially with such a good quality of conservation. Discovering a juvenile stegodon skull is a miracle since pieces of young species are even rarer. Indeed, they are more fragile and tend to disappear more easily in comparison with parts of already adult species. For this specimen, the skull is completely original, except for the tusks which generally fall at the time of the animal's death. In addition, the zygomatic bones have also been restored.

This completely exceptional piece is sold with its certificate of authenticity. The 25-kg skull is kept in a solid wooden box and hoisted onto a metal base. Its value is estimated between 44,000 and 49,000 euros. The photo below shows the skull of the Stegodon on sale and its dimensions. Worthy of being exhibited in museums, this skull is a perfect testimony to the past.

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A spectacular fish

The ancient exceptional species are not exclusively those that have set foot on the ground, but also those that have swum in the oceans. In this regard, on Moroccan soil was found the skull of an armored fish with almost perfect conservation. Indeed, the specimen is 80% complete, only a few minimal restorations have been made. The skull belongs to a Dunkleosteus Marsaisi. This animal is none other than one of the greatest predators of its time, and even of history. It is believed that the body structure of this species was made up of cartilage. Indeed, no complete or partial body has been found to date. Only skulls have managed to resist until today to be discovered by humans. Indeed, the armored skull of the animal was covered with particularly thick bony plates. This imposing species was a formidable predator. With a jaw twice as powerful as the great white shark, it had a lot of prey in the heart of the ocean. This species lived during the Devonian, that is, between 358.9 and 419.2 million years ago. This piece is therefore a real treasure of the past so distant on a human scale.

The skull of the Dunkleosteus Marsaisi LEHMAN 1954 measures 120 cm and weighs 25 kg. It is therefore an imposing piece. And for good reason: the largest species of this fish could measure up to 6 meters long and weighed almost a ton. Since it was found in Morocco, it is sold with an official export certificate from the Ministry of Culture. Its initial value is estimated between 48,000 and 54,000 euros. Here is the part for sale mounted below:

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In this photo, the elements in green are those that have been restored. They represent a tiny part of the specimen compared to the total size of the room.

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Catawiki

Once assembled, the mammoth will be approximately 5.15 meters long, 3.30 meters high and 1.45 meters wide. It is therefore a true representation of the species, life size. After assembly, the real size of this specimen will be proven, allowing to precisely visualize a species that remains unknown.

While the large mammoths disappeared almost 10,000 years ago, scientists made a fascinating discovery in 1993. In northeast Siberia, a dwarf form of woolly mammoth managed to survive and died out there “only” 4,000 years ago.

What characterizes this find is above all the quality of the bones, which are all original. The skeleton of the male mammoth consists of 185 bones and different parts. Their restoration will in no case exceed 10%. Especially since all of these bones are of the same conservation and an identical color. Indeed, they were all found in the same area.

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Only the animal's tusks are not original. On the other hand, they are exact casts of the defenses of the "Jarkov mammoth", another skeleton of this found species that looks very similar to it. Assembling such a skeleton requires considerable work. The very fragile parts are handled with extreme care. The construction process can also take up to 6 months. Even on such a size, the assembly remains a meticulous and precise work which requires a very particular attention of the team.

Also nicknamed "Sir Mammoth", Dick Mol is an enthusiast who works in several museums, within the research department. It is a reference in the field of paleontology. His work has allowed him to be recognized internationally. He has already worked on other skeleton excavations, notably that of the "Jarkov mammoth" and on the recovery of the "Yukagir mammoth". With Dick Mol as operation supervisor, the result will live up to all expectations for this project.

For the moment, the skeleton offered for sale is stored at North Sea Fossils, in the Netherlands.

From prehistoric times to today, mammoths have always had a close relationship with men. Many peoples were intimately linked to mammoths, because they drew from these mastodons all the resources to survive. Like the Amerindians with the bison or Lapps with the reindeer, the prehistoric man maintained with the mammoths a bond as essential as fascinating. Thousands of years ago, men were already inspired by them in their art and in their spirituality.

Buy the mammoth skeleton

Acquiring such a testimony of the distant past brings us to reflection. Several things must be taken into account so that the acquisition is carried out in the best conditions. Indeed, the buyer must take all shipping costs under his responsibility. On the other hand, the final price must include the professional team, responsible for the construction at the buyer. Such an assembly requires time, even for a fully invested team.

Its non-final estimate, of course, amounts to € 200,000. In addition, an operating license will be required for any sale of the mammoth outside the European Union. The buyer also has the final say on the assembly of the skeleton. The team will adapt to the result desired by it.

The mammoth that Catawiki sells today looks like another skeleton delivered in 2012 to the Historyland Museum in Hellevoetsluis, the Netherlands. In this case, Jarkov's mammoth tusks were also used for the reconstruction.

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The first attached image first shows the completed Historyland mammoth, which illustrates what the articulated skeleton will look like. The second image shows the non-articulated bones and tusks of the male mammoth. The following image illustrates the process of building and assembling the skeleton.

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This article is written by Catawiki. The editorial staff of Le Figaro does not participate in its production.