October
13
/ 2025
During a remarkably warm period 400,000 years ago, early humans living near what is now Rome regularly butchered massive straight-tusked elephants, using both their meat and bones as vital resources for survival. Researchers have uncovered compelling evidence at the Casal Lumbroso archaeological site in northwest Rome showing that ancient hominins not only consumed elephant flesh but also ingeniously transformed the enormous bones into tools, according to a study published in PLOS One. The discovery provides a fascinating window into the Middle Pleistocene world when temperatures were notably warmer than today. Lead researcher Beniamino Mecozzi from Sapienza University of Rome and his team examined over 300 skeletal fragments belonging to a single straight-tusked elephant ( Palaeoloxodon antiquus) alongside more than 500
