Beginning in 1978, archaeologists began excavating a mass burial of ice-age megafauna. By 1997, they had uncovered the remains of a nursery herd of 22 Columbian mammoths.

Waco Mammoth National Monument. Although no-one knows for certain, archaeologists hypothesize that around 72,000 years ago a series of rapidly rising flood waters trapped the animals within a narrow channel between the Bosque and the Brazos Rivers.

Along with twenty-two Columbian mammoths, at various times other animals were trapped, including a camel, antelope, alligator, giant tortoise, and a saber-toothed cat.

Visitors to the museum can view the bones still in their original position in a protected, climate-controlled dig shelter.

On viewing the site, our imaginations take flight and weave the bone bed scene into our tale when Pakohma and his father discover a mass destruction of the Mother’s great beasts and make use of the aged and bleached ivory tusks for carvings.

Across the water from the museum, there’s a gorgeous habitat for today’s campers on a Corps of Engineers park where the lake’s natural beauty surrounds us on all sides.