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Giant Vertebra Found in Swedish Lake
The find spot hasn't been near the sea since the end of the latest ice age.
Dr. Martin Rundkvist is a Swedish archaeologist, journal editor, public speaker, skeptic, atheist, lefty liberal, bookworm, and father of two.
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Category: Archaeology • Biology
Posted on: July 20, 2008 5:29 PM, by Martin R
A man in northern Sweden recently found a giant vertebra in a lake at 210 meters above sea level. A preliminary statement from the National Museum of Natural History suggests that it may belong to a whale. The find spot hasn't been near the sea since the end of the latest ice age. I'm looking forward to a radiocarbon date.
Via Aftonbladet.
Update 18 September '09: Verdict: recent sperm whale.
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Comments
Obviously somebody threw it in there.
Posted by: E.Morano | July 21, 2008 12:01 AM
Yea. Either the whole skeleton is there, or the bone was thrown in at a later date, e.g. by a Shaman.
Posted by: Lassi Hippeläinen | July 21, 2008 12:34 AM
No wonder the Djurhamn Sword has a few dings on it! Battling that dragon would probably put a few dings into the landscape. I suppose the brave hero (or fiendish thief, dunno which) is lucky his sword was broken in two.
Posted by: blf | July 21, 2008 1:40 AM
Cue comments about Storsjöodjuret (the Swedish version of "Nessie" of Loch Ness) in 3 ... 2... 1 ...
Posted by: Thinker | July 21, 2008 4:39 AM
Damn! Looks like it's finally gone extinct after all!
Posted by: Martin R | July 21, 2008 5:05 AM
Damn! That is BIG! Hey! Has anyone seen Grendel recently?
Posted by: J-Dog | July 21, 2008 8:16 AM
What if that isn't a vertebra? What if it is a STAPES!?!
Posted by: PsyberDave | July 21, 2008 2:26 PM
I'm thinking it might be a red blood cell?
Posted by: Martin R | July 21, 2008 4:37 PM
Looks like a giant can-opener to me :) Or the hat of some bizarre society (loyal order of the narwhal, local 101).
Actually, 210m above sea level - that thing makes Free Willy look like a piker ("jump over a kid, will you! Watch me!" Maybe it's the incredible walking whale? Cecil the sea serpent?
Martin - will you post an update if they find more or identify it? This is cool.
Posted by: Badger3k | July 23, 2008 2:48 PM
Very interesting. Most probably the bone was brought there. Also, is the location away from the Baltic sea or the Gulf of Bothnia? Was the area flooded by seawater before the rebound, that followed the melt, started?
Thanks. Looking forward to an update, if that is possible.
Posted by: Thomas Xomeritis | July 26, 2008 1:15 AM