Iingxilimbela Zeendlovu Ezazidakasa EYurophu

NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EITALI

NGOWE-1932 abasebenzi bendlela babesimba kufutshane neHolo Yemidlalo yaseRoma yaye omnye wabo wathi esemba weva into eqinileyo. Kwathi kanti lizinyo nokhakhayi lwendlovu. Esi yayingesosihlandlo sokuqala kufunyanwa izinto ezilolu hlobo. Ukutyhubela iminyaka kuye kwafunyanwa iifossil (amathambo omileyo) ezimalunga ne-140 zeendlovu zakudala eRoma, ezokuqala zafunyanwa ngenkulungwane ye-17.

Abantu babecinga ukuba la mathambo ngaweendlovu ezazithunyelwe kwiRoma yamandulo okanye aziswa eItali nguNjengele uHannibal waseCarthage. Umfundisi nonjingalwazi wenkulungwane ye-19, uG. B. Pianciani weNatural Sciences eViterbo,  waphikisana nezo ngcamango. Kuba inkoliso yala mathambo yayifumaneka kwizinto ezikhukuliswe ngamanzi, wagqiba kwelokuba ngawezilwanyana ezafela kwenye indawo zaza zakhukuliswa ngamanzi.

Amathambo amaninzi eendlovu afunyanwa eItali awafani naweendlovu esizaziyo namhlanje. Kunoko, ngawesilwanyana ekuthiwa yiElephas antiquus, okanye indlovu yamandulo engasekhoyo ngoku. (Bona iphepha 15.) Esi silwanyana sasinamazinyo olulekileyo yaye amagxa aso ayenokufikelela kwiimitha ezi-5, nto leyo esenza sibe side ngeemitha ezi-2 kuneendlovu esizaziyo.

Zazixhaphake kangakanani ezo ngxilimbela zeendlovu? Amathambo akudala awafunyanwayo abonisa ukuba zazixhaphakile eYurophu naseNgilani, njengoko kunjalo nangezinye izilwanyana ezifana nazo, ezibizwa ngokuba ziimammoths. Akudli ngokufunyanwa ithambo elinye lendlovu kodwa kudla ngokufunyanwa imfumba yamathambo eendlovu nawezinye izilwanyana ezaziziintshaba zazo.

Kwafunyanwa Izilwanyana Ezahlukahlukeneyo

Amathambo afunyanwa eLazio, kummandla okumbindi weItali oquka iRoma, abonisa ukuba le ndawo yakha yanemozulu efana neyaseAfrika, yaye kwakudakasa iimvubu, amabhadi kuquka neekati ezinkulu. Eneneni, amathambo enye ikati, ekuthiwa lihlosi laseMonte Sacro, afunyanwa phakathi eRoma. Kwizimbiwa ezingaphandle kwedolophu yasePolledrara, kwafunyanwa amathambo angaphezu kwama-9 000 ezilwanyana  ezahlukahlukeneyo: iindlovu zamandulo, iinyathi, amaxhama, iinkawu ekuthiwa ziiBarbary, iimvubu neeaurochs—iinkomo ezinkulu ezaphela malunga neenkulungwane ezine ezadlulayo. Kuloo ndawo kukho imyuziyam enendledlana ehamba abakhenkethi ukuze bakwazi ukuyibona kakuhle le ndawo.—Bona iphepha 16.

Umqolomba okufutshane nePalermo, eSicily, wawuneetoni ezininzi zamathambo amaxhama, eenkomo, eendlovu, eemvubu azahlukahlukeneyo—kuquka awemvubu eyayingekazalwa. Enyanisweni, ama-20 eetoni zamathambo asiwa ezimarikeni kwiinyanga zokuqala ezintandathu emva kokuba kubhaqwe la mathambo!

KuMzantsi Ngilani, uJ. Manson Valentine osisazinzulu ngezidalwa zamandulo wafumana amathambo ezilwanyana ezininzi ezifanayo, kuquka iingcuka neebhere ezimhlophe. Siyintoni isizathu sokuba kufumaneke la mathambo kwiindawo ezingafaniyo?

Ezinye izazinzulu zikholelwa kwelokuba iimeko ezi zilwanyana ezafa phantsi kwazo zinokunxulunyaniswa neentlekele zemvelo. Enoba yintoni unobangela wokufa kwazo, kwafa izilwanyana ezininzi, kwiindawo ezininzi eziquka iYurophu, iziqithi zaseBritani, eSiberia naseAlaska.

La mathambo asenza sikwazi ukubona ukuba mandulo kwakukho izilwanyana ezingasekhoyo namhlanje. Ngokwenene, ukuba wawunokutyelela eItali ngelo xesha wawunokucinga ukuba ukwimimandla yaseAfrika enezilwanyana zasendle.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 17]

YINTONI IFOSSIL?

Xa uqala ukuyijonga ifossil ifana nethambo nje eliqhelekileyo. Enyanisweni, ngaphambi kokuba isilwanyana esifileyo sibole, amathambo aso ayoma ngenxa yemichiza aze ajike abe yifossil.

Ngokuqhelekileyo amathambo adla ngokudibana nenye inkunkuma enemichiza aze ajike abe yifossil. Ngenxa yoko, ukuze amathambo ajike abe yifossil, kufuneka kubekho izinto ezithile. Kufuneka kubekho intlenge yamatye enemichiza, yaye kufuneka amathambo esi silwanyana angcwatywe ngokukhawuleza, aze angakhawulezi abole. Ngokuqhelekileyo, xa isilwanyana esifileyo singatyiwanga zezinye izilwanyana, sityiwa ziintsholongwane size sikhukuliswe ngumoya namanzi. Ngenxa yoko, akufane kwenzeke ukuba ezo zilwanyana zijike zibe ziifossil.

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

IIMAMMOTH EZAZIFUMANEKA KUMNTLA WEIKWEYITHA

Ingxelo yefossil ibonisa ukuba kukho iimammoth ezinoboya obude ezazidakasa eAsiya, eYurophu, nakuMntla Merika. Kubonakala ukuba owona mmandla waseYurophu ezazininzi kakhulu kuwo ezi zilwanyana, yi-Itali.

Ezi mammoth zaziphantse zilingane ngobukhulu neendlovu ezikhoyo eAsiya namhlanje, uboya bazo babukhula bube ngama-50 eesentimitha yaye iinkunzi zazo zazinamazinyo amade agobileyo awayekhula abe ziimitha ezi-5 ubude. Kuye kwafunyanwa iimpondo ezininzi zeemammoth eSiberia kangangokuba kumaxesha aphakathi zazithunyelwa eTshayina naseYurophu.

[Inkcazelo]

Photo courtesy of the Royal BC Museum

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]

Imfumba yamathambo esePolledrara

[Inkcazelo]

Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 15]

Top: Museo di Paleontologia dell’Università degli Studi “La Sapienza” di Roma; bottom: © Comune di Roma - Sovraintendenza Beni Culturali (SBCAS; fald. 90, fasc. 4, n. inv. 19249)