It has been brought to The Sentinel’s attention that some of the information presented during our interviews with the mastodon dig participants was misleading and/or incorrect. The owner of the site has requested that corrections be published.

This updated information has been provide by Scott Donaldson, who has worked with Dr. Nigel Brush on previous archaeological activities and was closely involved in the 2014 excavation of the mastodon site as well as subsequent conservation and analysis of the recovered tusk and bone material. It was implied that Dr. Brush was a professor of geology doing some archaeology.

Dr. Brush has a PhD in Archaeology from UCLA and has over 30 years directing excavations and analyzing of prehistoric Native American sites in Holmes, Coshocton, and Knox counties, as well as the Martins Creek mastodon excavation in Holmes County.

He will shortly be publishing a scientific paper discussing and analyzing the discoveries and resulting conclusions relative to the 2014 dig activity, which included 12 days of excavation over a three-month period, and drew on the experience and analytical support of experts from several universities and museums in the United States and Canada,

While Dr. Gramly emphasized potential tool making and evidence to support it, Dr. Brush’s work not only recognized the presence of flint tool cut marks on one of the bones. But also the significance of site geology relative to dating the site and developing an understanding what happened to the animal and its remains after death — why the bones were found where they were in the condition they were in.

The Sentinel regrets any misrepresentation of the facts.

Staff Report