Scientists discovered a complete camel skeleton believed to be from around the time of the Second Ottoman War.
The ancient bones were uncovered in a large refuse pit in Tulln, Lower Austria, PLOS reported.
"Rescue excavations recovered a skeleton that resurrect the contemporary dramatic history of Austria in the 17th century as troops besieged Vienna in the second Osmanic-Habsburg war," the researchers wrote in their study abstract.
Camel bones from around this time have been discovered in Europe in the past, but the discovery of a full skeleton is a gem. The researchers took advantage of the fascinating find by performing extensive morphological and DNA analyses, which showed the camel was a "hybrid." The animal's mother was a dromedary, and its father a Bactrian camel.
"Such crossbreeding was not unusual at the time. Hybrids were easier to handle, more enduring, and larger than their parents. These animals were especially suited for military use," said Alfred Galik from University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.
The Ottoman Empire was known to use horses and camels for transportation, and even food in cases of desperation. The newly-discovered skeleton was complete, which suggests it did not suffer this fate.
"This means that the animal was not killed and then butchered. It may have been acquired as part of an exchange," Galik concluded.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal PLOS ONE.
