Treasure hunters dive into the New York River in search of mammoth bones

According to AP News Agency treasure hunters take to the river with boats, scuba gear and underwater cameras in hopes of finding the valuable bones. The reason: In 1940, a full freight car with historical remains was thrown into the river. At least, according to a guest on a popular podcast.

On December 30, an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast by comedian Joe Rogan, featured John Reeves. He is an Alaskan prospector fascinated by fossils. In his own country he has already found countless historic bones and tusks.

Not usable for museum

In the first half of the 20th century, a large number of mammoth remains were found in Alaska while panning for gold. According to Reeves, the find was taken to the American Museum of Natural History, but some of the remains were of no use to the museum and were dumped in the river.

The Alaskan treasure hunter says he bases his claims on an old document prepared by three men, including a museum employee. The bones were reportedly dumped near 65th Street, writes AP.

A great story, which the relevant museum in New York immediately dismissed as fable after the podcast. Although there are remains of Alaskan mammoths in the museum, there is nothing in the records to support Reeves’ claims. “And not in other scientific sources either,” the museum wrote in a statement.

Additionally, a highway was built near the dump around 1940. This raises the question of how anyone could have brought a boxcar near the river.

Still, that doesn’t stop hopeful treasure hunters from crossing the river entirely. “If I don’t find anything, then I won’t find anything. But at least I gave it a chance,” said one.