KETC | Living St. Louis | Mastodon State Historic Site

From KETC, LIVING ST. LOUIS Producer Jim Kirchherr visits Mastodon State Historic Site in Imperial, Missouri, and learns the history of how the park came to be. Bones of mastodons and other now-extinct animals were first found at the site in the early 1800s in what is now know as the Kimmswick Bone Bed. Despite these significant archeological finds, the site would have been sold for commercial development in the 1970s if not for a group of concerned citizens who joined together, prevented the sale of the land, and helped raise enough money to purchase and preserve it as a park. In 1979, archaeological history was made at the site in when scientists excavated a stone spear point made by hunters of the Clovis culture (14,000 - 10,000 years ago) in direct association with mastodon bones. This was the first solid evidence of the coexistence of early humans and mastodons.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• KETC
• St.Louis
• LivingStLouis
• Jim
• Kirchherr
• Mastodon
• State
• Historic
• Site
• Kimmswick
• Bone
• Bed
• Clovis
• Culture
• Archaeological
• History
• Archaeology
• Marilyn
• King

[thediremoose]

@flipwiggins Yes, early species like _Homo erectus_ never made it as far as North America.

[flipwiggins]

The reporter mentions "these early humans", but that is completely incorrect. They were modern human beings.

[magick205]

More than likely, being at the base of the cliff....It was where they landed after being driven by Clovis Culture hunters.