We drove down to Hot Springs, SD one afternoon to visit Mammoth site. It was high on Jack's want-to-see list; I wasn't sure about it, but it turned out to be very interesting!
Mammoth Site is an archaeological site in Hot Springs, SD. It is an in-situ site of bones of sixty-one mammoths, along with giant short-faced bear, llama, camel, prairie dog, wolf, fish and other fossils.
Twenty-six thousand years ago, a sixty-five foot deep sinkhole formed on this site. Warm spring water bubbled up from below and formed a pond. The mammoths were enticed by the water and pond vegetation and went into the pond to eat, drink and bathe. The steep sides prevented them from getting out and they became trapped, eventually dying from starvation, exhaustion or drowning. The sinkhole slowly filled over several hundred years and the remains of the mammoths were preserved by the mud.
The bones remained buried until 1974 when they were accidentally discovered during excavating for a housing development. The bones are mostly from Colombian Mammoths, but there is evidence of three Wooly Mammoths; this is the first time the two species have been found together. The bones are not petrified but, instead, dry and fragile which is why they are being preserved in-situ...or in the same place they were found, the original sinkhole.
We were hungry when we left Mammoth Site and went right up the road to Woolley's Western Grill. Jack had an enchilada and I had a chicken quesadilla. We weren't expecting much in the way of Mexican food in a SD western grill, but it was surprisingly good and large enough portions to take home for another meal.
All in all, a very good day!
All in all, a very good day!
Pictures from Mammoth Site...click to enlarge
Pictures from Mammoth Site Museum...click to enlarge
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| Preserved baby mammoth |
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| Hut made of bones |
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| Inside of hut made of bones |
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