Wilson Butte Cave
Idaho, US
Wilson Butte Cave is located on the Snake River plain in Jerome County, northeast of Twin Falls and southeast of Shoshone, Idaho. It is an archeological site listed on the National Register of Historic Places and maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). A round bubble in appearance, it pop
s up from a flat, wide bed of ancient basalt lava. An inflationary or uplift cave is inside the bubble. While archeologists are uncertain of the exact dates prior to 10,000 years ago, evidence has been found that native peoples lived at Wilson Butte Cave at least 10,000 years ago. Artifacts found here provide the oldest evidence of human presence on the Snake River Plain and are among the oldest evidence in North America. Archeologists are fairly certain that the cave was settled so early because it was used as a base to hunt bison. Strong connections have been found between the Fremont culture and the Shoshone people, who lived there after the Fremont peoples. Vegetation in the region was very similar to modern times. Camels and giant ground sloths once roamed this region. Deposits here are believed to have been undisturbed until amateurs discovered them in 1958. Two of the major excavations...
Listen to the audio guide for Wilson Butte Cave Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off