Customs officers stop smuggling of mammoth teeth over 305 thousand years old

Kyiv customs officers stopped an attempt to illegally export mammoth teeth, which became extinct more than several hundred thousand years ago. They tried to export these paleontological specimens to the United States under the guise of “creative artistic blanks” worth $10. This was reported by the State Customs Service, according to UNN.

Customs officers found 6 heavy decorative plates of unknown origin in one of the parcels during customs control of international mail. The parcel was sent from Poltava region to the United States. Customs officers sent the items for examination,

Experts from the National Museum of Natural History confirmed that these are the molars of two different mammoths that lived during the Pleistocene period, from 305 to 130 thousand years ago. One of the mammoths was probably 15 years old, the other 50.

The teeth were cut into three parts and covered with resin, which caused the loss of natural cementum and roots.

Experts emphasized that these samples are important for studying the species diversity of mammoths in Ukraine of that period.

The find is rare and has high cultural, scientific, museum, and educational value.

The cultural property was seized, and its fate will be determined by the relevant authorities.

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