On Monday, we went to Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, SD. We'd been there in 1993 with the boys. Since we'd been to multiple archaeological sites we knew more and understood the tour a lot more than in the past.
A lot of tours have changed in 23 years including this one. First they have a theater with a 15 minute video to tell the history of the the site. It was very well done and a good prelude to the tour. Second they gave everyone audio headsets so we could all hear the tour guide clearly, since they run multiple groups through at staggered times. The headsets eliminate the interference with the other groups leaders.
The site, like the one in Waco Texas, is a building constructed over the dig site. However, in Hot Springs, they have known for years that the site of interest was a sinkhole whose boundaries are defined by a red shellfish clay. So when they built the current structure in 1988, they just covered the land inside the red clay ring.
They have already found 61 mammoths, both Wooly and Columbian. They also have found other animals like bears, camels, and llamas. The large collection of animals is due to the fact that the sinkhole had sharp edges of slippery red clay, so when the animals slipped into the pool of water they couldn't get out.
The site is classified as an in situ archaeological site which means they leave as much uncovered material in place to be viewed. They remove fossils that need better preservation and they cover some in plaster casts if needed. The photos on Flickr would make a lot more sense if I had the commentary we heard on the tour, but I don't have that.
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