Prehistoric Giants within Reach

The bones of the prehistoric elephants from Erding will be on public display at the Munich Show for the first time this year. The fossils were discovered near Erding in Bavaria, have attracted worldwide attention and are considered a scientific sensation.

The remains of the prehistoric elephants were discovered in spring 2023 near Erding by Peter C. Kapustin, operator of the Prehistoric Museum in Taufkirchen an der Vils, and his sons. The fossils of the genus Deinotherium, including a 70 per cent preserved juvenile, are considered a milestone in palaeontology. The outstanding preservation of the finds provides scientists with new insights into the development and behaviour of these animals, which lived in Bavaria around ten million years ago. Particularly exciting is the hypothesis that the elephants may have deliberately sought out certain places to die, similar to modern-day elephants.
In addition to the elephant fossils, a ‘prehistoric cemetery’ was discovered with the remains of sabre-toothed cats, rhinoceroses and other animals from the prehistoric fauna. These finds open up new possibilities for researchers to reconstruct the animal world and ecological conditions in Bavaria at that time.

At the Munich Show 2024, visitors to Hall A4 will be able to enjoy a specially designed display area, which, in addition to the impressive elephant skeletons, will also present detailed information on the world of these animals and the other finds of Kapustin. Peter
C. Kapustin himself will be on site to provide insights into the excavations and explain the significance of the finds.

Hall A4, Special Show