THE
LANGE/ FERGUSON MAMMOTH KILL SITE

A CLOVIS CULTURE MAMMOTH KILL BUTCHERING SITE
PINE RIDGE, SOUTH DAKOTA
Large mammoth bone chopper cleaver. Large mammoth bone chopper cleaver. 
TWO LARGE CHOPPER CLEAVERS MADE FROM MAMMOTH BONE
LANGE - FERGUSON SITE

   The Lange - Ferguson mammoth kill butchering site is one of only a handful of mammoth kill sites in North America. This site is located in the White River Badlands on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Clovis hunters apparently killed two mammoths, one adult and one juvenile, sometime before 12,000 years ago in what at the time was a marsh or bog. (Hannus 1990: 52)
   Stone artifacts found with the bones include two complete fluted points, one broken base of a fluted point and one small flake. Two bifacially flaked bone cleavers made from the mammoth scapula and showing use wear were also found. (Hannus 1990: 61)
   Mammoth kill sites in the New World are rare. The remains of approximately 38 mammoths killed or scavenged by Clovis hunters are all that were recorded to 1978. (Sanders 1978) This is less than would be found on one good site in the Ukraine. In Central Europe, the Central Russian Plain and the Ukraine archaeological research documents 50,000 years of considerable reliance on mammoths. These people used the bones to build shelters, as a fuel source, workbenches, tools and engraved or sculpted art. (Hannus 1990: 49)

Excavation area showing large mammoth bones.
TAKEN FROM PICTURE #10 IN THE CLOVIS SLIDE SET
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGE IMAGE
LANGE - FERGUSON MAMMOTH KILL SITE EXCAVATION
PICTURE CREDIT--ARCHEOLOGY LABORATORY, CENTER FOR WESTERN STUDIES, AUGUSTANA COLLEGE, DR. ADRIEN HANNUS

   This picture was taken in 1980 of the main bone concentration. Clovis hunters apparently either killed or scavenged two mammoths 12,850 years ago in what at the time was a marsh or bog. Three Clovis points were found in this bone bed. Most Clovis kill sites involve mammoths but other large animals such as mastodons and bison have also been found on these sites.

TIME-LINE PERSPECTIVE
CLICK HERE FOR THE TIME-LINE-INDEX
THE LANGE/FERGUSON CLOVIS SITE DATES TO SOMETIME BETWEEN 12,000 AND 14,000 YEARS AGO

10,000 B.C.-----Earliest domesticated animal was the dog in Iraqi Kurdistan.
12,000 B.C.
-----First grindstones in Upper Egypt & Nubia--making flour from grass seeds.
12,000 B.C.----Clovis people are the oldest recognized cultural tradition in North America.

Excavation area showing large mammoth bones.
TAKEN FROM PICTURE #11 IN THE CLOVIS SLIDE SET
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGE IMAGE
LANGE - FERGUSON MAMMOTH KILL SITE EXCAVATION
PICTURE CREDIT--ARCHEOLOGY LABORATORY, CENTER FOR WESTERN STUDIES, AUGUSTANA COLLEGE, DR. ADRIEN HANNUS

   This picture was taken in 1981 and shows three excavators working in the main bone bed at Lange-Ferguson. Excavation of this site began in 1980 and continued into 1984. Bone beds are the most difficult to excavate. One problem is the organic material begins to deteriorate when exposed to the air. The bones require special chemical treatment to preserve them. They also need special handling for transport to a storage facility and the larger specimens are encased in plaster jackets.

Three Clovis points and flake found with mammoth.
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CLOVIS POINTS & CUTTING FLAKE
LANGE - FERGUSON SITE
ARCHEOLOGY LABORATORY, CENTER FOR WESTERN STUDIES, AUGUSTANA COLLEGE COLLECTION

   These three Clovis points and one flake are the only stone artifacts found with the two mammoths on the Lange - Ferguson mammoth kill site. The translucent amber flake to the right could have been used for cutting small pieces of the meat.

The smallest Clovis point found in the bone bed.
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CLOVIS POINT
LANGE - FERGUSON SITE
ARCHEOLOGY LABORATORY, CENTER FOR WESTERN STUDIES, AUGUSTANA COLLEGE COLLECTION

   This is the smallest projectile point that was found during the excavation of the Lange - Ferguson Mammoth Kill site. It has been extensively resharpened to it's current length of only 1 1/2 (38 mm) inches. When Clovis spear points became damaged from impact fracturing and edge wear from cutting they were resharpened until they were eventually used up. This Clovis point has been reduced to no more than half its original size and probably would have been discarded before any more resharpening.

The largest Clovis point found in the bone bed.
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CLOVIS POINT
LANGE - FERGUSON SITE
ARCHEOLOGY LABORATORY, CENTER FOR WESTERN STUDIES, AUGUSTANA COLLEGE COLLECTION

   This is the largest Clovis point that was found during excavation of the Lange - Ferguson mammoth kill site. It was probably resharpened at least one or more times. This spear point is made of a black opaque chert and measures 2 1/8 (54 mm) inches long.

Flake found in the bone bed.
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FLAKE
LANGE - FERGUSON SITE
ARCHEOLOGY LABORATORY, CENTER FOR WESTERN STUDIES, AUGUSTANA COLLEGE COLLECTION

   This single percussion flake was found in direct association with mammoth bones in the central bone bed concentration. It's made of Scenic Chalcedony and measures 1 3/16 inches long (28 mm).

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