Mammoth bones found in man-made pit reveal tantalizing evidence of hunting behavior

Anthropologists in Mexico say they’ve uncovered more than 800 bones from 14 mammoths, in two human-made traps north of Mexico City, which are thought to be 15,000 years old. The pits -- which are 6 feet deep and 25 yards in diameter -- were discovered when the site was excavated to be used as a garbage dump, according to a statement from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History. Researchers think that groups of 20 or 30 prehistoric hunters herded the mammoths with torches and branches, attempting to separate one animal from the group and lead it into a trap.