In Mattersburg

Sensational find: Boy (8) discovers huge tusk

Henri Pingitzer at the site with his discovery.(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

Tens of thousands of years old find could be from a steppe elephant. The tusk is now being uncovered and recovered. However, there are still questions about the finder's fee. 

An outing on his bike ended with a sensational find for eight-year-old Henri Pingitzer in Mattersburg on Saturday: The boy discovered a tusk about 1.80 meters long. The horn was located at a depth of around four meters. Earth was excavated for a retention basin at the site - the ideal place for the enthusiastic amateur archaeologist to carry out his "research".

Archaeologist informed
He first found stones, Henri explains. Then he saw something sticking out of the ground that resembled petrified wood. On closer inspection, however, he realized that it was a horn. The municipality and the well-known archaeologist Dorothea Talaa were subsequently informed.

Waiting for a report
The exact dating and analysis are still pending. The tusk may have come from a long-extinct steppe elephant or mastodon. "We are still waiting for the paleontological report that can clearly confirm this," says Mayor Claudia Schlager. The find has now been uncovered and is to be recovered, prepared and finally exhibited in Mattersburg.

Will the finder be rewarded?
However, the question of the finder's reward is still open. For Norbert Pingitzer, regional curator of the Initiative Denkmalschutz association, the legal situation is clear: as the finder, his grandson is entitled to half, even if the property belongs to the town. His hand is outstretched to the city, says Pingitzer. However, he can also imagine taking legal action if necessary.

For Henri, however, the joy of having made such an important discovery outweighs everything else. Finds of this kind are rare. "I'm very happy and when it goes on display in Mattersburg, I can always take a look at it," says the amateur archaeologist.