Tusk me, this is a big deal.

Archeologists unearthed an ancient mastodon skull from an Iowa creek this month — marking the first ever discovered in the state.

It took 12 days for excavators to slowly recover the massive fossil, which was so well preserved that it still had a significant section of its once-curved tusk.

“This is the first-ever well-preserved mastodon (primarily the skull) that has been excavated in Iowa,” said the state Office of the State Archaeologist.

Radiocarbon dating shows that the mastodon died in the Paleoindian period — and had been buried undetected for 13,600 years.

Mastodons — a 6-ton distant cousin to modern-day elephants — went extinct in North America around 10,500 years ago, likely due to climate change and hunting.

Though other remains of the mastodon were recovered, the skull was the most well-preserved piece of the skeleton, with archeologists calling the 2-foot section of tusk a “goldmine.”

“Apparently there are techniques now to determine how many calves a female mastodon had that get recorded as a chemical signature because of the changes in the body chemistry during the pregnancy and the birth. And that gets recorded in the tusks,” State Archeologist John Doershuk told Iowa Public Radio.

Scientists also hope that the remains can help answer burning questions about human history as well, including how involved our ancestors were in the mastodon’s demise.

The age of the fossil lines up with the time Native Americans would have migrated into south-central Iowa.

“The last glaciation probably still had the northern part of Iowa under ice. But the southern part was ice-free at the time and was starting to vegetate. Animals like mastodons were coming in to browse and human hunters would have also found that a hospitable place, as well,” Doershuk said.

The OSA did not find any stone tools near the bones, but scientists will analyze whether any human-made cut marks were left on the skeleton.

Although the bones were only excavated this month, the eroding site was brought to the OSA’s attention in 2022.

Once the mastodon bones are thoroughly studied and analyzed, the bones will become part of a new exhibit at the nearby Prairie Trails Museum.

Wayne County is located along Iowa’s southern border with Missouri and is 80 miles south of Des Moines.

Fair skies and lower August temperatures keep attendance at the Iowa State Fair on a course to surpass the all-time record set in 2019, when 1,170,375 people attended the 11-day spectacle. So far, 956,142 have passed through the gates for 2024 through Friday.

How many people attended the Iowa State Fair on Day 9?

A total of 111,591 people went to the ninth day of the Iowa State Fair on Friday.

How does attendance at the 2024 Iowa State Fair compare to 2023?

Attendance in 2024 was down from 2023 when 112,048 people attended the ninth day. That’s 457 fewer people walking the Fairgrounds this year.

• Day: 2024 (2023)
• Thursday: 90,822 (87,380)
• Friday: 109,854 (101,177)
• Saturday: 128,732 (118,286)
• Sunday:  115,048 (114,937)
• Monday: 92,920 (100,214)
• Tuesday: 105,384 (101,244)
• Wednesday: 99,281 (98,751)
• Thursday: 102,510 (101,475)
• Friday: 111,591 (112,048)
• Saturday: (112,732)
• Sunday: (85,714)
• Total: (1,133,938)

How many people attended The Avett Brothers concert at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand?

The Avett Brothers with special guests G. Love and Special Sauce brought out 5,068 people to the Iowa State Fair Grandstand Friday evening.

Here’s the attendance from the other Grandstand acts this year:

• Lauren Daigle: 9,726
• Foreigner: 11,141
• Jelly Roll: 16,001
• Greta Van Fleet: 9,075
• Brett Young: 4,887
• Thomas Rhett: 12,475
• Mötley Crüe: 11,681
• Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias: 9,312
• The Avett Brothers: 5,068

What were the big moments at the Iowa State Fair on Friday?

The annual Husband Calling Contest was the star of the Iowa State Fair on Friday with the winner working “Ice Ice Baby” into her call.

The fair also crowned its top new fair food — a bacon cheeseburger egg roll — on Friday.

Iowa State Fair attendance: 15 biggest fairs

• 2019: 1,170,375
• 2023: 1,133,938
• 2018: 1,130,260
• 2017: 1,130,071
• 2022: 1,118,763
• 2015: 1,117,398
• 2008: 1,109,150
• 2012: 1,097,142
• 2021: 1,094,480
• 2011: 1,080,959
• 2004: 1,053,978
• 2013: 1,047,246
• 2016: 1,031,278
• 2014: 1,015,902
• 2006: 1,013,557
• 2003: 1,012,309

Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.

Whether riding the DART shuttle to the Iowa State Fair, chatting with food vendors on the Fairgrounds, or eavesdropping on conversations, it seems that fairgoers have one dish they all recommend — Peachey’s doughnuts.

Don’t let the name fool you. There’s nary a peach in sight anywhere aside from the name. Peachey’s Baking Co. serves these gigantic glazed doughnuts, these yeasty doughnuts bigger than your palm, fried on the spot, dipped in glaze and hung on pegs to allow the sugary coating to drip off and cool while awaiting the next customer to order.

Peachey’s founders, brothers Nate and Sam Peachey, used to call the Sarasota, Florida-based company Amish Baking Co., since they grew up in the Amish community. The recipe they used since opening in 1985 is an Amish recipe as well.The Peachey brothers serve their confections at state fairs across the country — Minnesota, North Carolina, Florida, New York, and Iowa. From November to April, the food truck serves doughnuts and pretzels in Sarasota and hopes to open a brick-and-mortar location there in the fall.

One doughnut goes for $5, three for $12, and a half dozen costs $24.

A heavy aroma of sweetness wafts out of the box when you open it. Half a doughnut feels like an appropriate serving, if there is such a thing with doughnuts of this size.

Find it on Rock Island Avenue south of the Triangle.

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, X, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.