Discovering the Mastodon:
Part 7: Peale's "Mammoth"
Although Big Bone Lick was widely regarded as the most promising site to exhume the complete skeleton of the "Mammoth" (American Mastodon) , this achievement would finally occur in the Hudson River valley. Scattered "Mammoth" fossils had been recovered in the area for nearly a century, most notably the 1705 discovery of the "Giant of Claverack" and the excavations by Robert Annan in 1780 (1).
In 1799, workmen digging in a marl pit (2) on John Masten's farm uncovered a massive femur. A frenzy of digging ensued as neighbors descended upon the site and soon a considerable assemblage of bones laid on the floor of Masten's granary. Interest in these unusual bones soon diminished until the next year when local clergy and physicians —alerted of their importance by the American Philosophical Society's appeal (3)— sent news of the discovery to associates New York City and ultimately to Philadelphia and Thomas Jefferson.
Despite being embroiled in the most serious electoral challenge of the new republic (4), Jefferson sent an emissary to procure the bones. However, Masten and the local townspeople balked.
partial skull and jaw
of Peale's "Mammoth"
(after Godman, 1826)
Charles Willson Peale traveled to Masten's farm in 1801, obstensibly to draw the fossils, but he soon bought the bones on the granary floor and the secured the right to excavate for others. Peale returned to Philadelphia to obtain the support of the American Philosophical Society and Jefferson. Later that year he was back at Masten's farm leading an ambitious excavation, which, unfortunately, yielded little new material. Following leads at other local sites, Peale's team ultimately exhumed a nearly complete second skeleton at Millspaw's Bog.
Triumphant, Peale and his skeletons returned to Philadelphia. He spent the next three months reconstructing the animal under the supervision of Caspar Wistar, the leading anatomist of the country; those bones that were not recovered were substituted with either wood or paper mache. (5) The completed first skeleton generated a sensation in its debut at the American Philosophical Society in late December of 1801 and was a rousing success when it was displayed to the public soon thereafter. "Mammoth" fever swept the country.
Reconstructed skeleton of Peale's "mammoth" (after Cuvier, 1825)
Rembrandt Peale's comparison
of the "Mammoth" (top)
and African Elephant (bottom)
(after R. Peale, 1803)
Charles Willson Peale's son, Rembrandt, accompanied the second skeleton on a tour of Europe. The stopover exhibition in New York City proved extremely successful, but the reception in London was mixed. While the exhibit was popular with many in London's "polite society", the high admission fee excluded many potential visitors. After an initial success, attendance declined. Moreover, some British naturalists insisted that the skeleton was actually that of an elephant. In an effort to differentiate the "Mammoth" from the elephant and to renew interest in the exhibit, Rembrandt Peale substantially revised the exhibit's pamphlet. The stories of the exhumation and reconstruction were expanded and a detailed description of the bones and teeth was added; these descriptions would later prove vital to scientists working elsewhere in Europe. The pamphlet also revealed Peale's changing interpretation of the animal (6).
As the exhibit languished in London, Rembrandt Peal hoped that his fortunes would improve when he sailed for Paris. He knew that the renowned French anatomist Georges Cuvier (7) was very interested in the "Mammoth" and he had hoped to sell the skeleton to the National Museum of Natural History. Unfortunately, the British declaration of war against Napoleon precluded the trip to France and prompted the return of Rembrandt Peale and his "Mammoth" to Philadelphia (8).
Next: Part 8 - Fossils in the White House
Web Pages:
- American Philosophical Society's web page on Peale and his mastodon:
www.amphilsoc.org/library/exhibits/treasures/mastodon.htm - Aston Michols' "Romantic Natural History" web page on Peale's mastodon:
www.dickinson.edu/~nicholsa/Romnat/mammoth.htm - CGFA Virtual Art Museum's web page featuring Charles Willison Peale's 1806-08 painting "Disinterment of the Mastodon":
cgfa.sunsite.dk/cwpeale/p-cwpeale8.htm
Print Resources:
- Cohen, C. 2002. The Fate of the Mammoth: Fossils, Myths and History. Translated by William Rodarmor. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Originally published as Le Destin du Mammouth . 1994. Editions du Seuil.
- Cuvier, Georges. 1812. Researches sur les ossemens fossilses de quadrupèdes, où l'on rétablit les caractères de plusieurs espèces d'animaux que les révolutions du globe paroissent avoir détruites. 4 vol. Paris: Deterville.
- Cuvier, Georges. 1825. Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles : où l'on rétablit les charactères de plusieurs animaux dont les révolutions du globe ont détruit les espèces. Paris: G. Dufour et E. d'Ocagne.
- Godman, John D. 1826. American Natural History. Philadelphia: Carey and Lea.
- Peale, Rembrandt. 1803. Disquisition on the Mammoth, or, Great American Incognitum, an extinct, Immense, Carnivorous Animal whose Fossils Remains have been found in North America. London.
- Richardson, E. P., B. Hindle, and L. B. Miller. 1982. Charles Willson Peale and his World. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
- Semonin, P. 2002. American Monster: How the nation's first prehistoric creature became a symbol of national identity. New York & London: New York University Press.
Notes:
- In 1780, workmen on Reverend Robert Annan's farm in the Hudson River Valley of New York dug up some "Mammoth" molars. Additional excavations prompted by Annon yielded additional molars and some bone fragments. The fossils generated a stir among the local gentry. They also reportedly enticed George Washington to travel to Annan's farm from his winter headquarters some ten miles away. See Part 2 - First Reports for more information on the "Giant of Claverack". [go back]
- Marl is a mixture of clay and carbonates often used as fertilizer. [go back]
- In 1799, the American Philosophical Society issued an appeal for natural and archeological antiquities. In particular, the society's appeal stressed the need to find a complete skeleton of the "Mammoth." [go back]
- The hotly contested election of 1800 presented the most serious challenge to the national government since the ratification of the Constitution. It was a three-way contest between two Federalists, John Adams and Charles Pickney and two challengers from the Democratic-Republican Party, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Results from the electoral college resulted in a tie between Burr and Jefferson (73 votes) with the Federalists split between Adams (65) and Pickney (65). The contest then went to the House of Representatives to resolve the tie between Burr and Jefferson. The Fedrealist, which dominated House, were strongly opposed both candidates and there were concerns that they would opt for a tie to force some kind of constitutional alternative. However, after 36 ballots the House finally elected Jefferson, who the Federalists regarded as the lesser of two evils. [go back]
- Although the skeletons were remarkably complete, even by today's standards, Peale's fossils were missing one key element, the top of the skull. The bones of upper skull in mastodons are relatively thin and laced with sinuses. This reduces the skull's weight, but it also makes it substantially less durable than the reinforced bones of the lower skull or limbs. [go back]
- Like many of his contemporaries, Rembrandt Peale believed that the "Mammoth" was a carnivore. He noted that its tusks were too long and too curved to be used in the same way they are used in elephants. Consequently, he inverted the tusks so that they were more like those of a walrus. He also discredited the image of an active predator akin to the lion or tiger. Instead, he envisioned an aquatic carnivore that fed on turtles, fish and shellfish. [go back]
- Georges Curvier (1796-1832) is widely regarded as the founder of the science of paleontology. His first paper, presented in 1796, stated that the "animal du l'Ohio" or "Mammoth" was distinct from both modern elephants and the Siberian mammoth. Cuvier also stated that it was extinct. (See Meanwhile, in Europe for more information.) A 1801 publication by Cuvier (An Appeal for International Cooperation) was extensively quoted in Rembrandt Peale's Disquisition. [go back]
- After returning to Philadelphia, Rembrandt Peale took the second skeleton on a Southern tour, which included Charleston (South Carolina) and Baltimore (Maryland). In 1813, Rembrandt Peale would open a permanent museum in Baltimore featuring this second skeleton. [go back]
Image Credits
- "The Artist in His Museum" by Charles Willson Peale 1822.
Courtesy of the Pennslvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia.
Gift of Mrs. Sarah Harrison (The Joseph Harrison, Jr. Collection)
www.PAFA.org
Go to Peales American Museum to view a full view of this painting.
[go back]