Prehistoric Native American artifacts from 6,000 BC 

were found in a Mississippi alligator's stomach

Morgan Keith

Sat, September 11, 2021,

An alligator is seen on the eighth hole during the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson on October 27, 2017 in Jackson, Mississippi. Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

• The alligator was harvested from Eagle Lake in Mississippi and weighed 750 pounds.

• Geologist James Starnes identified one of the objects found in the stomach as a type of early weapon from approximately 5,000-6,000 BC.

• Scientists believe that there are several reasons alligators eat stones, including as an aid to their digestion.

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On September 2, Red Antler Processing owner Shane Smith was examining the stomach contents of a 750-pound Mississippi alligator that had been brought to his wild game processing and hunting store when he came across two prehistoric artifacts, the Clarion Ledger reported.

When Smith began processing the 13-foot, 5-inch alligator from Eagle Lake, he found an arrowhead-like object and a tear-shaped object, which he shared photos of on Facebook.

Post by Red Antler Processing.

James Starnes, director of surface geology and surface mapping for the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, examined a photograph of the arrowhead-like object and determined it was an atlatl dart point, a type of early weapon from approximately 5,000-6,000 BC, the Clarion Ledger reported.

Starnes also identified the second object as a plummet, a heavy stone made of hematite, from about 1,700 BC, although archaeologists do not know what their use was for, according to the Clarion Ledger.

"Scientists have long thought that, like birds, gators swallow stones to help them digest their tough-to-process meals, or accidentally ingest them in the chaos of consuming a live, thrashing dinner," Science Magazine reported, adding that the strategy may also help the creatures maximize their time underwater.