The Mammoth Site Sitting in the Purple Pie Shop in Custer, South Dakota eating homemade apple pie with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, I notice a travel brochure for the Mammoth Dig in Hot Springs, South Dakota about 31 miles (51 Km) away. Entering the modern building, I purchase a ticket for the tour. Roaming the gift shop I hear a tall, blonde-haired woman, named Jane ask, “Who has tickets for the tour?” Raising my hand, I am ushered into the large theater to learn about the Mammoth and the history of the site. After the short film, Jane leads the group to the world-renowned, active paleontological dig, housed inside the building. Here Jane tells the group Phil Anderson discovered the site in 1974, when a large bone became visible …show more content…
The animals lured to the sinkhole for food and water, became trapped after entering the warm waters. The slippery shale walls prevented their escape. Besides, only the top 20-feet of the sinkhole have been excavated. Further, along I watch a group of volunteers working with a small trowel and soft brush, searching for fossils. Stopping to chat with one of the volunteers, a short brown haired girl, brushing the loose sediment away, I ask, “How much dirt do you remove?” She replied, “About two buckets a day.” “How long have you been volunteering?” “Nearly 10 years. I come here every summer to volunteer. There are two, two week sessions.” “What happens when you find something?” “I stand up and shout with excitement.” I smile. Slowly, returning to the museum and gift shop, I stop to gaze at a broken fossil, one without a head (as found). I wonder how a mammoth could lose its head; additionally it is a mystery to the paleontologist at the site. Leaving the dig, I spot a replica of a mammoth in the Great Hall, and marvel at its size. My thoughts are on digging bones as a volunteer, and being part of a unique