From Neanderthals To Romans, What Did Ancient People Think When They Found Fossils?

If you’ve ever seen a mammoth skull, you’ll have noticed the gaping nasal cavity that sits front and center, like a giant, singular eye socket. Without knowing what the animal looked like when it was alive, you’d swear that the thing was an enormous one-eyed monster, so it’s hardly surprising that these fossilized pachyderm remains were once interpreted as cyclops skeletons. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

First appearing in Homer’s Odyssey , these man-eating beasts are far from the only mythological creatures that may have been inspired by fossils . At the same time, prehistoric finds that lacked a more obvious explanation were sometimes used to validate pre-existing myths and fables, with enormous bones being misi