JPT No. 26 – A history of paleontological excavations at the Pleistocene fossil site Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming
J.A. Meachen1,*, C.M. Redman2, B.M. Gilbert3, R. Reppen4, S. Chomko5, K. Lippincott6, B.H. Breithaupt7, D. Lovelace8, J. Laden9
1 – Anatomy Department, Des Moines University, 3200 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312, USA
2 – Grand Rapids Public Museum, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, USA
3 – Department of Archaeology, University of Missouri, Columbia (Retired), Show Low, AZ, USA
4 – Applied Linguistics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6032, USA
5 – Consultant in Archaeology and Forensic Anthropology (Retired), St. Louis, MO, USA
6 – Consulting Archaeologist (Retired), Casper, WY, USA
7 – Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, Cheyenne, WY 82009, USA
8 – University of Wisconsin, Madison, Department of Geoscience, UW Geology Museum, Madison, WI 53706, USA
9 – Northern Rocky Mountain Grotto, Hole in the Wall Grotto, Wind River Grotto, Lander, WY, USA
Emails: julie.meachen@dmu.edu (JAM); coryredman@gmail.com (CMR); b.milesgilbert@hotmail.com (BMG); Randi.Reppen@nau.edu (RR); stephen.chomko@att.net (SC); lippincotts@live.com (KL); bbreitha@blm.gov (BHB); dlovelace@wisc.edu (DL); juantontomatoe@gmail.com (JL)
ABSTRACT
The late Pleistocene fossil site of Natural Trap Cave (NTC) located in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming has been producing fossils since its first scientific exploration in the late 1960s. This site has exceptional preservation of a wide range of species including megafauna, microfauna, and pollen, and is considered a “treasure trove” among late Pleistocene sites in North America. However, this site presents logistical challenges because of its remoteness and inaccessibility (it is a 24.5m deep sinkhole located at the end of a mountainous road) and understanding how to access and excavate such a site should be recorded for future paleontologists, including how to overcome any logistical difficulties. We summarize the history of excavations of NTC including the three main teams who undertook these challenges, the overall questions the excavations addressed, how the excavations were accomplished, and the overall findings. This published work will serve as a record of how to undertake the logistical challenges of a site as rewarding as NTC.
RESUMO [in Portuguese]
O sítio paleontológico do Pleistoceno tardio Natural Trap Cave (NTC), localizado nas Montanhas Bighorn do Wyoming, tem produzido fósseis desde a sua primeira exploração científica no final dos anos 1960. Este sítio possui preservação excepcional de uma vasta gama de espécies, incluindo megafauna, microfauna e pólen, e é considerado um “tesouro” entre os sítios do Pleistoceno da América do Norte. No entanto, este sítio apresenta desafios logísticos devido ao seu afastamento e inacessibilidade (é uma dolina de 24,5m de profundidade, localizada no final de uma estrada montanhosa) e entender como acessar e escavar tal sítio deve ser registado para futuros paleontólogos, incluindo como superar quaisquer dificuldades logísticas. Resumimos a história das escavações no NTC, incluindo as três equipes principais que empreenderam estes desafios, as questões gerais que as escavações abordaram, como as escavações foram realizadas, e as conclusões gerais. Este trabalho publicado servirá de registo de como enfrentar os desafios logísticos de um local tão gratificante como o NTC.