Qualla: The Mammoth Site https://qualla.com/mammoth-site-hot-springs en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:06 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/tpc/ma/mm/ot/h_/mammoth/mammoth-mountain-eagle-express.jpg Qualla: The Mammoth Site https://qualla.com/mammoth-site-hot-springs The Mammoth Site: Introduction https://qualla.com/mammoth-site-hot-springs/ Photo credit Jllm06, CC BY-SA 4.0. In Hot Springs, South Dakota, a construction crew in 1974 was leveling ground for a housing development when they uncovered bones. Not just any bones - massive femurs and tusks belonging to Columbian mammoths. The development stopped. Excavation began. What emerged was a prehistoric death trap: a sinkhole fed by warm springs where mammoths came to drink and couldn't escape. The steep, slippery walls trapped them. Over thousands of years, 61 mammoths died here - all young males, apparently the demographic most likely to take risks for warm water in winter. The Mammoth Site is now an active paleontological dig where visitors watch scientists uncover Ice Age bones in real time. It's one of the largest concentrations of mammoth remains in the world, preserved exactly where they fell, still being excavated after 50 years.

Read more: The Mammoth Site on Qualla

Image: Jllm06 | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/w/r/mammoth-site-hot-springs-wk/9xwr-the-mammoth-site-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full The Mammoth Site: The Trap https://qualla.com/mammoth-site-hot-springs/ Photo credit Geographer (talk · contribs), CC BY 1.0. About 26,000 years ago, a sinkhole formed over a warm spring. The spring kept the water temperature constant year-round - inviting to thirsty animals during cold South Dakota winters. Mammoths came to drink. The sinkhole's sides were steep and covered with slippery mud; animals t...

Read more: The Mammoth Site on Qualla

Image: Geographer (talk · contribs) | CC BY 1.0

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/w/r/mammoth-site-hot-springs-wk/9xwr-the-mammoth-site-the-trap.mp3 0:06 2 full The Mammoth Site: The Discovery https://qualla.com/mammoth-site-hot-springs/ Photo credit Ajheindel, CC BY 4.0. George Hanson was grading land for a housing subdivision when his bulldozer hit bone. He recognized it as important and stopped work. Local amateur paleontologists confirmed the significance: mammoth bones, possibly multiple animals. The developer, Phil Anderson, donated the site...

Read more: The Mammoth Site on Qualla

Image: Ajheindel | CC BY 4.0

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/w/r/mammoth-site-hot-springs-wk/9xwr-the-mammoth-site-the-discovery.mp3 0:06 3 full The Mammoth Site: The Mammoths https://qualla.com/mammoth-site-hot-springs/ Photo credit Dino, CC BY-SA 4.0. The site contains remains of at least 61 Columbian mammoths - the species that lived on the Great Plains, larger than woolly mammoths. All identified individuals are male, mostly young adults. Scientists theorize that young males, less cautious than older animals or females with ...

Read more: The Mammoth Site on Qualla

Image: Dino | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/w/r/mammoth-site-hot-springs-wk/9xwr-the-mammoth-site-the-mammoths.mp3 0:06 4 full The Mammoth Site: The Excavation https://qualla.com/mammoth-site-hot-springs/ Photo credit Jllm06, CC BY-SA 4.0. Excavation at the Mammoth Site is ongoing - one of the longest continuous paleontological digs in history. The sinkhole is enormous, and only about 20% has been excavated. New bones appear constantly. Visitors can watch paleontologists working with dental picks and brushes, caref...

Read more: The Mammoth Site on Qualla

Image: Jllm06 | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/w/r/mammoth-site-hot-springs-wk/9xwr-the-mammoth-site-the-excavation.mp3 0:06 5 full The Mammoth Site: Visiting the Mammoth Site https://qualla.com/mammoth-site-hot-springs/ Photo credit Dino, CC BY-SA 4.0. The Mammoth Site is located at 1800 US-18 Bypass in Hot Springs, South Dakota. The site is open year-round; hours vary seasonally. Admission is charged. Guided tours of the excavation floor are offered throughout the day. The museum includes exhibits on mammoth biology, Ice Age c...

Read more: The Mammoth Site on Qualla

Image: Dino | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/x/w/r/mammoth-site-hot-springs-wk/9xwr-the-mammoth-site-visiting-the-mammoth-site.mp3 0:06 6 full