It’s the most fantastic discovery for me. I do believe I located a mastodon skull! I wasn’t the first to see it – others have picked at it (I did no harm). Still I claim it. There were definitely mammoths and mastodons in this area. I am open to hearing your opinion on this, so let me know – is it really a mastodon? I drew a line to show the separation of the bone from the rock.
My keychain is there for scale
I outlined the bone part
From that lofty find, I turn to the subject of mud. After our one rainstorm, the water backed up behind a berm in the canyon where we often hike. The next day a muddy pond blocked our access. But now there has been no more rain (sigh). What we have is beautiful dried mud!
Raindrops on Dried Mud
It forms wonderful patterns. Part even showed where a few drops fell before it completely dried. Some mud cracks making crunching noises when I walked on it; some mud rolls up in thin fragile sheets. Who knew dried mud had such appeal!
Always Backroads 
Sure looks like one to me. Nice find!
And I’m glad you share my fascination with dried mud. Haven’t seen any like these for a long time, but it’s always interesting when you run across them.
VERY cool find, Donna, and HUGH !! That would be my guess …
And crackle mud. A definite sign of drought-like conditions. Reminds me of how my skin would feel sometimes in the dry air.
The skull isn’t far from the dirt dam – our old stomping grounds!
We’ve had a little rain, so it doesn’t feel so dry now.
I thought the ground looked familiar. I might have walked on this, focused on another rock or formation near by…. ! I do Miss those spontaneous rock hunts .
If there is a Natural Science museum nearby, you might be able to get them to come out and look at your find. They can tell you for sure what it is and if it is worth digging up and preserving for others to see. Of course, you may prefer to leave it alone.
I wish we had mud. No rain for a long time, major drought and heat. Hard to catch your breathe when it never gets below 85, even at night. Hard on the body, mind, and soul.
Here are the fossils!!
:))