Hannibal’s War Elephants: Ancient Bone Discovery in Spain Sheds Light

Researchers have identified a bone unearthed in Spain as possible direct evidence of war elephants used by Carthaginian forces during the Second Punic War, a period previously known only from historical texts and indirect traces.

The discovery took place at Colina de los Quemados, an Iron Age archaeological site near Córdoba, during excavations conducted between 2019 and 2020. The site was being investigated as part of preparations for expanding the Córdoba Provincial Hospital.

Archaeologists recovered a carpal bone, measuring approximately 10 centimeters, which was found in a destruction layer beneath a collapsed adobe wall. The layer also contained military-related objects, including stone projectiles, a siege engine bolt, and a Carthaginian bronze coin dated between 237 and 206 BCE.

Comparative anatomical analysis led researchers to identify the bone as the right wrist bone from an elephant’s front leg. The identification was based on similarities with bones from modern elephants and mammoths, although the species could not be determined due to insufficient preservation for DNA or protein testing.

What the numbers show

• The bone was radiocarbon dated to between the late 4th and early 3rd centuries BCE
• The Carthaginian coin found at the site was minted between 237 and 206 BCE
• The archaeological excavation occurred in 2019-2020

Prior to this find, there were no confirmed physical remains of Hannibal’s war elephants in Western Europe. Earlier evidence relied on ancient writings, coins, artistic depictions, and indirect signs such as soil disturbances or tracks.

Researchers stated that the context of the find, together with the associated military artifacts, makes it unlikely that the bone was part of a traded ivory item or decorative object. The presence of siege ammunition and a Carthaginian coin supports the interpretation of a military context.

The bone’s age aligns with the period of the Second Punic War, a time when Carthaginian forces, led by Hannibal, are recorded in historical accounts as using elephants in military campaigns across the region.

Details of the discovery and its analysis were published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports in February 2026. The publication presents the find as potentially the first direct archaeological evidence of Carthaginian war elephants in Western Europe.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.