Published on August 19, 2019 by Adam Forsgren from EastIdahoNews.com:
IDAHO FALLS | The Museum of Idaho is gearing up to take local ancient history lovers on a trip to explore a local archaeological site.
The museum is hosting a field trip to the Wasden-Croft Archaeological Preserve this coming Saturday. The trip provides a unique opportunity for archaeology buffs to explore the site and connect with people who inhabited east Idaho in the distant past.
“This site is significant in that it has some wonderful evidence of early human interaction with some of the early mammoth and bison that were in this region,” Museum of Idaho Curator Carrie Anderson Athay told EastIdahoNews.com. “We’re going to be able to take some folks out to the site and discuss the need for preservation on these archaeological sites and talk a little about what has happened at that site.”
The trip is the result of a partnership between the museum and the Archaeological Conservancy, who purchased the site some time ago. The goal of the trip is to not only provide the public with an excellent opportunity to learn about the lives of ancient Idaho residents but also to raise awareness of the importance of working to preserve such sites.
“This opportunity for the public to go out is a very rare opportunity because the site is owned and administered by the Archaeological Conservancy,” Athay said. “Because their mission is preservation, we’re not often able to take groups of people out there.”
The site itself consists of three collapsed lava tubes. Inside the tubes, evidence of all kinds of activity has been found, including bison drives. The practice of bison driving (also called a buffalo jump) involves herding a bison into a cave or off a cliff so it can be processed by people. >>READ FULL ARTICLE