Research Summary
Hot Springs, South Dakota - On a winter afternoon 26,000 years ago, in an effort to find greener fodder, a teenage male Columbian mammoth descended over the edge of a sinkhole and perished in the bottom, trapped in sediments. Over the years, this tragedy was repeated until eventually the deadly pond filled in, preserving at least 100 mammoth victims. Their deaths were unmarked until 1974, when geologist Dr Larry Agenbroad was called to investigate a tusk hit by a bulldozer. More than three decades later, you can help Dr. Agenbroad in his continued investigation of the world's largest natural deposit of Columbian mammoth remains. Working in a climate controlled environment, you'll assist in the excavation of mammoths, camels, llamas, and possibly even the first wolf and giant short-faced bear fossils found in the north-central plains.
Meet the Scientists
Dr Larry Agenbroad
Site Director, Mammoth Site
Emeritus Professor of Geology, Northern Arizona University
I want to welcome you to an "elite" club: Mammoth Hunters of North America. It has been about 11,000 years since the original mammoth hunters were here. Theirs were a little meatier, but ours are a lot less dangerous. You will be welcomed by the community and have a chance to learn more about mammoths and mammoth fauna than you probably ever cared to know. You will become a part of the "dig," and if you are lucky, you may find a specimen that will be on public display for years to come.
Dr Larry D Agenbroad holds Ph.D. and M.S degrees in Geology, an M.A. in Anthropology/Archaeology, and a B.S. in Geological Engineering. He has been Site Director and resident researcher for the Mammoth Site project since 1974. Throughout his career, Dr. Agenbroad has been a member of a number of committees and initiatives, such as the Organization Committee of the First International Mammoth Symposium, the Mammoth Committee of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Second International Mammoth Conference, and the Jarkov Mammoth Project. In 2004-2005 he was involved with the Yukagir mammoth expedition in Siberia and in September 2005 he hosted the Second International World of Elephants Congress at Hot Springs. That same year he was the recipient of the Lowell Thomas Medal from the Explorers Club of New York City.