It has been extinct for roughly ten thousand years.

Its horn is not something you find in modern contexts.

Dashtzeren recognized the artifact as ancient.

But the significance of what he had found took years to register fully.

The artifact sat in the knowledge of the community and of local scientists without triggering a major archaeological investigation.

It was not until 2001 — eight years later — that archaeologist Vladimir Pitulko of the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences, working in St.

Petersburg, traveled to the site with Dashtzeren as his guide and conducted a systematic survey.