At this archaeological site, a series of bison, mammoth, and horse kills occurred at the end of the Pleistocene and beginning of the Holocene Eras. Accumulations of carcasses, with their fat-laden bone marrow, exploded in a spontaneous combustion of gas and bone.

11,000 years later, Michael Collins, a high school student, destined to become an archaeologist of great distinction, uncovered the burned bones. It’s a fascinating story that you can read all about at the Bonfire Shelter exhibit at Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site or at Texas Beyound History—Bonfire Shelter . You might want to also read our book, Shadow Trails — A Paleolithic Journey through Ancient Texas for our own imaginative interpretation of the event.