Mammoth tusk discovery at Dutch Hat Cliff

The Mammoth Tusk Discovery at Dutch Hat Cliff refers to the unearthing of a prehistoric mammoth tusk along Lithuania's Baltic coast in August 2024.^{[1] [2]} Found between Giruliai and Karklė at a geological formation known as Dutchman's Cap (Olando Kepurė in Lithuanian), the tusk is believed to be over 10,000 years old, dating back to the Late Pleistocene.

The tusk, measuring approximately 55 centimetres, was discovered by a passerby named Artūras while hiking along the coastal cliffs. He noticed a wood-like object embedded in clay, which turned out to be a well-preserved section of a mammoth tusk. Specialists from the Museum of Lithuania Minor and the Seaside Regional Park were called in to excavate the find.

The tusk is part of a larger pattern of Ice Age-era remains along Lithuania’s Baltic coast. According to the Seaside Regional Park’s director, over 50 mammoth bone find^[3] have been recorded in the region. The Dutchman's Cap find adds a well-preserved specimen to this record and offers new research opportunities in paleontology and Pleistocene-era climate studies.

After initial documentation, the tusk was transported to the Museum of Lithuania Minor for preservation. It is undergoing conservation treatment and will be publicly exhibited upon completion.

This find contributes to Lithuania’s growing collection of Ice Age fossils, alongside discoveries such as the Vilnius Mammoth. It also underscores the importance of coastal erosion sites for uncovering prehistoric material.

• Late Pleistocene extinctions