While renovating his wine cellar, Andreas Pernerstorfer made an astonishing discovery—bones of ancient mammoths from the Stone Age. Recalling the moment he realized the significance of the find, Pernerstorfer told BBC, "I thought it was just a piece of wood left by my grandfather. But then I dug it out a bit and remembered that in the past my grandfather said he had found teeth. And then I immediately thought it was a mammoth."
Representative Image Source: A family of mammoths is displayed at Summers Place Auctions on September 12, 2017 in Billingshurst, England. (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images)
The discovery took place in the small village of Gobelsburg, northeastern Austria. After spotting the ancient fossils, Pernerstorfer reported them to the Federal Monuments Office, per CNN. However, he was advised to contact the Austrian Archaeological Institute (OeAI) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖeAW) because they specialize in Stone Age artifacts, according to Parow-Souchon, a researcher at the academy.
Representative Image Source: British paleontologist Shirley Coryndon and amateur geologist John Hesketh excavate the fossilized bones of a steppe mammoth discovered in Aveley, Essex, UK. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Upon learning about the find, Parow-Souchon and her team arrived at the cellar to excavate and investigate. They uncovered "at least 300 bones" densely packed in a site measuring 12 square meters (129 square feet). The archaeologists believe these bones belong to three separate mammoths and have uncovered nearly all their bones. "We think we have mostly the complete animals. They’re not in anatomical connection, but we probably do have all parts," said Souchon. The rare discovery was called an "archaeological sensation."
Representative Image Source: Pexels I Photo by Boris Hamer
The first excavation report revealed that the bones are as old as 30,000 to 40,000 years, making it the most significant find in over a century. According to the Austrian Archaeological Institute, a similar find occurred 150 years ago in the neighboring district of Krems. Back then, archaeologists discovered a rich trove of remnants that included bones, flint artifacts, decorative fossils, and traces of charcoal.
Representative Image Source: Paleontologist digs up a fossilized mammoth skeleton from the Ice Age. The skeleton is 50-70% complete with 6-7 foot long tusks and is estimated to be 400,000 to 1.8 million years old. (Ted Soqui/Corbis via Getty Images)
The previous finding has largely been lost to modern technology, making this the first time modern methods were used to do the research. "It's the first time we've been able to investigate something like this in Austria using modern methods," said Parow-Souchon. The ÖeAW team has left no stone unturned to properly excavate the site as they have been using 3D mapping technology to record the site.
Representative Image Source: Pexels I Photo by Boris Hamer
The research team hopes the discovery will reveal how the animals died. If they're correct about the cause of death, it will shed light on how human hunters managed to hunt such large prey. However, scientists are still debating how these mammoth bones made their way to this spot with one solid theory suggesting that the site could be where people set a trap for them. The mystery surrounding them is yet to be uncovered. Parow-Souchon described the dense bone layer of mammoths as "rare." She added, "We know that humans hunted mammoths, but we still know very little about how they did it."
Researchers are currently examining the findings from the site. The excavating team is expected to return to the site in August to continue the digging. After the researchers complete examining the bones, they will be handed over to the Natural History Museum Vienna.
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President Donald J. Trump and photo of a forest.
Public united and adamantly opposes Trump’s plan to roll back the Roadless Rule
There doesn't seem to be much agreement happening in the U.S. right now. Differing moral belief systems, economic disparity, and political divide have made a country with so many positives sometimes feel a little lost. Everyone desperately seeks a niche, a connection, or a strong sense of community to which they can feel a "part of," rather than just "apart."
But there seems to be one thing that the country strongly unites over, and that's the "Roadless Rule." With the Trump Administration attempting to roll back conservation policies that protect U.S. National Forests, Americans are saying in harmony an emphatic "No." A nonpartisan conservation and advocacy organization, the Center for Western Priorities, reviewed a comment analysis on the subject. After receiving 223,862 submissions, a staggering 99 percent are opposed to the president's plan of repeal.
What is the 'Roadless Rule' policy implemented in 2001?
The Roadless Rule has a direct impact on nearly 60 million acres of national forests and grasslands. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the rule prohibits road construction and timber harvests. Enacted in 2001, it is a conservation rule that protects some of the least developed portions of our forests. It's considered to be one of the most important conservation wins in U.S. history.
America's national forests and grasslands are diverse ecosystems, timeless landscapes, and living treasures. They sustain the country with clean water and the wood products necessary to build our communities. The National Parks protected under their umbrella offer incredible recreational retreats and outdoor adventure.
Why does the administration want to roll it back?
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins told the Department of Agriculture in a 2025 press release, “We are one step closer to common sense management of our national forest lands. Today marks a critical step forward in President Trump’s commitment to restoring local decision-making to federal land managers to empower them to do what’s necessary to protect America’s forests and communities from devastating destruction from fires." Rollins continued, “This administration is dedicated to removing burdensome, outdated, one-size-fits-all regulations that not only put people and livelihoods at risk but also stifle economic growth in rural America. It is vital that we properly manage our federal lands to create healthy, resilient, and productive forests for generations to come. We look forward to hearing directly from the people and communities we serve as we work together to implement productive and commonsense policy for forest land management.”
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz explained the Roadless Rule frustrated land management and acts as a challenging barrier to action. It prohibits road construction needed to navigate wildfire suppression and properly maintain the forest. Schultz said, “The forests we know today are not the same as the forests of 2001. They are dangerously overstocked and increasingly threatened by drought, mortality, insect-borne disease, and wildfire. It’s time to return land management decisions where they belong – with local Forest Service experts who best understand their forests and communities."
Why are people adamantly opposed to the proposed rollback?
A 2025 article in Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization, expressed its concern over the protection of national forests covering 36 states and Puerto Rico. A rescinded rule allows increased logging, extractive development, and oil and gas drilling in previously undisturbed backcountry. Here is what some community leaders had to say about it:
President Gloria Burns, Ketchikan Indian Community, said, "You cannot separate us from the land. We depend on Congress to update the outdated and predatory, antiquated laws that allow other countries and outside sources to extract our resource wealth. This is an attack on Tribes and our people who depend on the land to eat. The federal government must act and provide us the safeguards we need or leave our home roadless. We are not willing to risk the destruction of our homelands when no effort has been made to ensure our future is the one our ancestors envisioned for us. Without our lungs (the Tongass) we cannot breathe life into our future generations.”
Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, stated, "Roadbuilding damaged salmon streams in the past — with 240 miles of salmon habitat still blocked by failed road culverts. The Roadless Rule protects our fishing economy and more than 10,000 jobs provided by commercial fishing in Southeast Alaska.”
The Sierra Club's Forest Campaign Manager Alex Craven seemed quite upset, saying, "The Forest Service followed sound science, economic common sense, and overwhelming public support when they adopted such an important and visionary policy more than 20 years ago. Donald Trump is making it crystal clear he is willing to pollute our clean air and drinking water, destroy prized habitat for species, and even increase the risk of devastating wildfires, if it means padding the bottom lines of timber and mining companies.”
The 2025 recession proposal would apply to nearly 45 million acres of the national forests. With so many people writing in opposition to the consensus, the public has determined they don't want it to happen.
Tongass National Forest is at the center of the Trump administration's intention to roll back the 2001 Roadless Rule. You can watch an Alaska Nature Documentary about the wild salmon of Tongass National Forrest here:
- YouTube www.youtube.com
The simple truth is we elect our public officials to make decisions. The hope is they do this for all of our well-being, although often it seems they do not. Even though we don't have much power to control what government officials do, voicing our opinions strongly enough often forces them to alter their present course of action. With a unanimous public voice saying, "No!" maybe this time they will course correct as the public wishes.