"Reclining" on its side: restorers from Leningrad Oblast are assembling a mammoth skeleton made up of 400 bones discovered in Yamal.

Nearly three months have passed since the remains of the Yamal mammoth Tadibe arrived at the International Restoration Center. Specialists have access to 400 bones, almost all of which are in excellent condition, with some even containing fragments of soft tissues and fur, which is a significant rarity.

To present this ancient giant to the world, the best team of experts has taken on the task, led by the country's leading restorer in the field of natural history artifacts, Yuri Starikov. Notably, he previously worked with the baby mammoth Lyuba, the most significant find in the entire 300-year history of mammoth studies.

Photo: International Restoration Center

As of today, the experts have completed the dissection and conservation of the mammoth's fur, which involves seven stages.

- First, the specialists treated the fur with water mixed with an accelerator, antiseptic, and surfactant, then removed excess moisture from the previous solution and cleaned it of flesh and fat, - explained the cultural institution. - Next, the fur underwent acid-salt treatment, tanning, drying, and finally greasing. This means they infused it with various fats that prevent hardening.

0

Photo: International Restoration Center

According to a visual assessment of the sizes and proportions of the bones, the skeleton belongs to a male mammoth, and the condition of the epiphyses and dental system indicates that he was 15-20 years old at the time of death.

When Tadibe is ready to be shown to the public, he will be sent back to Yamal, to the museum and exhibition complex named after I.S. Shemanovsky, where he has been kept for several years.

By the way, the exhibit will be presented to visitors in an unusual position: the mammoth will lie on its left side. This orientation is due to the fact that its left limb could not be found.

1

Photo: International Restoration Center

We remind you that the mammoth skeleton was discovered in 2020 by a family of reindeer herders near the shores of Lake Pechevalavato. The head, ribs, fragments of feet, meat, and fur have rested at the bottom of the water body since prehistoric times, until, for unknown reasons, they ended up in shallow waters. According to scientists, the mammoth's carcass fell from a coastal cliff and was washed away by the lake's waters.

2

Photo: Scientific Center for Arctic Studies, Salekhard

Previously, "Komsomolskaya Pravda - Yamal" reported that specialists from the history and archaeology sector of the Scientific Center for Arctic Studies discovered remains of a settlement in the Priuralsky district that existed at least in the 10th-12th centuries AD. These findings hold special significance as they allow conclusions to be drawn about the cultural and historical processes, as well as the economic and household features of the ancient population.