Gravel Pit Discoveries Reveal Ice Age Artifacts in Manitoba

Curious finds by quarry workers in gravel pits near Grunthal, Manitoba, have unveiled significant artifacts dating back to the Ice Age. These discoveries provide insight into prehistoric conditions in southeast Manitoba, a region rich in geological history. According to Dr. Joe Moysiuk, curator of palaeontology and geology at the Manitoba Museum, the artifacts were likely deposited during a period that followed the extinction of the dinosaurs but occurred long before the arrival of humans.

A new exhibit at the Manitoba Museum, which opened on December 1, showcases these findings through a mural that illustrates what life was like during the Ice Age in the region. “A lot of the fossil evidence that went into creating this mural was found close to Grunthal, so it’s kind of a nice local story,” Moysiuk remarked.

Once discovered, the artifacts were handed over to the Manitoba Museum, where scientists began the process of studying and dating them. Moysiuk noted, “We’ve amassed a bit of a collection from the area. There are many different bones from animals, mostly mammals.” Among the notable finds are remains of mammoths, extinct species of bison, and a jawbone from a giant beaver, which is believed to have been the size of a black bear.

In addition to these significant mammal remains, researchers have also identified evidence of muskox, a species that still exists today but is not native to southeast Manitoba. The deep sediment layers containing the bones have revealed fossilized pine wood and pollen from various plants and trees, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the region’s ancient ecosystem. “It’s a really interesting assemblage of fossils and one of the most diverse in the province,” Moysiuk added.

The age of the Grunthal findings is currently estimated to be around 40,000 years, though ongoing research aims to refine this timeline. While previous discoveries in Morden have yielded bones dating back approximately 85 million years, the dating of the Grunthal artifacts relies on two primary methods. One of these is carbon dating, which is limited in its accuracy for materials older than 40,000 to 50,000 years due to the decay of carbon-14.

Moysiuk explained the challenges associated with carbon dating: “The trouble with carbon dating is that it relies on carbon-14, which decays radioactively. Unfortunately, the speed at which it decays means that there’s basically none left after about 40,000 to 50,000 years.” To enhance the dating accuracy, colleagues at the Manitoba Geological Survey are employing a method known as optical dating, which can provide more reliable information about the age of the materials.

The Ice Age period saw extensive ice sheets covering southeast Manitoba, sometimes reaching depths of over two kilometres. “Over the course of hundreds of thousands of years, the ice sheets moved back and forth across the province,” Moysiuk explained. This dynamic movement raised questions about whether the Grunthal findings represent species indigenous to the area or if they were transported there by glacial activity.

Despite this uncertainty, researchers agree that the landscape around Grunthal would have resembled a boreal forest, teeming with a variety of flora and fauna. The mural commissioned for the Manitoba Museum has been created by Julius Csotonyi, a Manitoba native and scientific illustrator whose work is displayed in museums worldwide. Visitors can find the Grunthal artifact mural in the Earth History gallery, located behind the iconic giant ground sloth replica.

As the Manitoba Museum continues to expand its exhibits, Moysiuk anticipates that displays featuring the actual Grunthal findings will eventually be showcased alongside the mural, allowing the public to engage more deeply with this fascinating glimpse into the Ice Age.