Chris Bien Was at the Beach with her Husband
Chris Bien went for a stroll along a beach in Essex, England, with her husband when she saw something poking out of the sand.
Source: Daniel Julio/Unsplash
When she noticed the pattern, she decided it was too strange to ignore, so decided to dig a little deeper.
Chris Bien Knew She Was Going to Find a Mammoth Tooth
The New York Post reported that Bien had told her husband earlier on that day that she was going to find a mammoth tooth.
Source: SWNS/YouTube
Even when she did find the tooth, Bien was still in shock as she never actually expected it to happen.
Chris Bien Used a Trowel to Dig the Mammoth Tooth Up
When she first noticed the tooth, Bien started using her hands to try and dig it up.
Source: SWNS/YouTube
However, Yahoo! News reported that when she realized this wasn’t working, Bien and her husband had bought a trowel with them in case they found anything, so this certainly came in handy.
Many Fossils Have Been Found on North Essex Beaches
North Essex beaches are typically known for housing many fossils from millions of years ago.
Source: Nature Scope/YouTube
Great British Life even gives fossil hunters a list of places in Essex where they can go to hunt for fossils, especially shark teeth.
The Tooth Came from a Steppe Mammoth
The tooth is believed to have come from the steppe mammoth, which is one of the largest mammoth species, according to iNaturalist.
Source: Kurzon/Wikimedia Commons
The species could reach 13.1 feet and weigh up to 11 tons. It originated in East Asia, then moved to North America, and finally to Europe.
The Tooth Was Pretty Hard to Miss
Due to the size of the tooth, it was hard to miss.
Source: SWNS/YouTube
Essex Live reports that the tooth is about 7 inches wide and weighs about 4.4 pounds.
Chris Bien Only Found the Root of the Tooth
Bien believes that most of the tooth will be found elsewhere as she only found the root of it.
Source: Ethan Doyle White/Wikimedia Commons
She believes that roughly half of the tooth is missing.
Chris Bien Plans to Preserve the Tooth
As she knows how much of a special keepsake the mammoth tooth is, Bien is planning on preserving it.
Source: James St. John/Wikimedia Commons
She is going to soak it in distilled water for a few weeks and then preserve it further in a coating of preservation glue and ethanol once it has dried out.
Chris Bien Has Found Other Fossils Before
Bien isn’t exactly new to searching for fossils, as she has found a few fossils before.
Source: Tim Evanson/Wikimedia Commons
The Argus reported that she had previously found a mammoth leg, mammoth toe bones, an Ice Age horse tooth, and an Ice Age horse ankle bone.
Chris Bien Is Part of an Archaeological Society
Hardly a novice when it comes to ancient items, Bien is part of the Brighton and Hove Archaeological Society.
Source: Latest TV/YouTube
The Brighton and Hove Archaeological Society website states that they look for local artifacts to preserve local heritage and run various excursions and programs to help with this.
Chris Bien Wants to Keep the Mammoth Tooth
Due to how special the find is, Bien has said that she would love to keep it.
Source: Rama/Wikimedia Commons
However, the U.K. Government website says that any treasures found must be reported to the coroner’s office within 14 days of discovering it, and it is a criminal offense not to do so. The find will possibly end up in a museum, which means, unfortunately for Bien, she won’t be displaying it.