More than 13,000 years ago, a mastodon died in what would become Wayne County, Iowa. Thanks to a keen-eyed land owner, a local museum, the University of Iowa and the Office of the State Archaeologist, the remains of that mastodon have been unearthed.
Host Charity Nebbe talks with state archaeologist John Doershuk about how this mastodon was discovered and the grassroots efforts to have it excavated in August 2024.
We also learn of the years of work that the Office of the State Archaeologist and the University of Iowa has on their hands to get the mastodon cleaned, stabilized and preserved, before it is eventually housed at the Prairie Trails Museum of Wayne County.
Guests:
- John Doershuk, state archaeologist and director, Office of the State Archaeologist
- Brenda DeVore, director, Prairie Trails Museum of Wayne County
- Tiffany Adrain, paleontology repository collections manager and instructor, University of Iowa
- Maya Monk, senior, undergraduate research fellow, University of Iowa