Mammoth Site of Hot Springs Inc.

Mammoth Site will conduct a detailed survey of its approximately 4,000-item fossil collection to establish treatment needs and inform future planning. The site represents a natural geologic trap that formed 26,000 years ago when a sinkhole collapsed. Representing the remains of 59 mammoths and other Late Pleistocene species, more than 1,500 bones remain in situ, and an additional 1,700 specimens have been removed to an on-site repository. An experienced conservator assisted by museum staff will complete individual condition reports for the specimens. These will be used to develop detailed treatment proposals and to update the Emergency Operation Plan and Long-Range Preservation Plan. The consulting conservator will also deliver a one-day workshop for site collections staff, volunteers, board members, and collections personnel from other museums in the Black Hills region.