Finding of remains of prehistoric animal in Kyrgyzstan very valuable: archaeologist

The new archaeological finding of the remains of a prehistoric animal in northeastern Kyrgyzstan earlier this month is very valuable and important for the country, a leading Kyrgyz archaeologist told Xinhua on Friday.

"Before, we had found only fragments, some bones of such animals and that's all. And this time we found the whole skull with two tusks and teeth (5 kilograms each)," said Kadicha Tashbayeva, head of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan.

Villagers found the remains on a cliff above the Jergalan River in the Issyk-Kul region on March 10. Scientists believe the remains may be the fossil of a mammoth or mastodon.

Tashbayeva, who headed the excavation, said even now many people do not believe that such animals could have ever lived in the territory of Kyrgyzstan.

"Maybe they moved in search of food during glacial period and died here," she said.

It was unique that the remains were found almost on the surface, she said, adding such findings usually lay 30 meters deep.

Another member of the excavation team, Aizek Bakirov, told a press conference in Bishkek on Thursday that the remains could presumably be dated backed to 10,000-45,000 years ago.

The remains are very well preserved and research will be started soon, Bakirov added.

Remains of such animals were last found in 1966 near Boom Gorge, and were then sent to Moscow for research, said Tashbayeva. Endi