Date:12/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/12/stories/2006101200272200.htm

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Where the camel giants roamed

— Photo: AP

THE CAMEL TRAIL: A photograph of a modern-day camel superimposed on an artist's conception of the ancient giant, released by the Syrian Department of Antiquities and Museums.

Damascus: Camels twice as big as today's dromedaries roamed the Syrian desert 100,000 years ago, archaeologists have concluded from bones unearthed at a prehistoric site in central Syria.

Swiss and Syrian archeologists excavated the first bones last year.

They found "a lot more" this year, in the Komma region, about 220 km from here, said Jean-Marie Le Tensorer, who led the Swiss side of the team.

Syrian camel

"This is first time such bones are discovered," said the team's Syrian leader, Heba al-Sakhel. "What we want to know now is, where did it come from, and why did it disappear never to be seen again? Was it migrating from Asia to Africa?" Mr. Al-Sakhel said that if there is no record of such a large camel having existed anywhere else, the team will name its find the "Syrian Camel."

Hunter's bones

Human bones were discovered at a nearby site, Mr. Le Tensorer said. "The bones — a fragment of an arm and a tooth — are, of course, of the hunter of the giant camel. He probably stalked his prey to a water spring where he came to drink."

"We have to analyse this bone to know if it's Neanderthal or a very old homo sapiens, or a very old modern man."

Stone tools used by early humans were found with the camel's bones, which are thought to be up to 100,000 years old. — AP