Ice Age Celebration is Free with Museum Admission

MAMMOTH AND MASTODON MADNESS DAY
Saturday, November 20, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
FREE with Museum admission

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is hosting a MAMMOTH celebration in Denver! Visit the Museum on Saturday, November 20, for a day of family fun, Ice Age style.  See some of the actual bones recently unearthed in Snowmass Village during their last public viewing before they undergo preservation. Touch a mammoth and mastodon tooth from the Museum's education collections. Participate in a scavenger hunt, dig for bones, test how people measure up to these massive beasts, and enjoy Ice Age games, puzzles, crafts, and more.

BACKGROUND INFO
The site at Ziegler Reservoir near Snowmass Village is one of the most significant fossil discoveries in Colorado history. In recent weeks, crews uncovered a well-preserved high-altitude Ice Age ecosystem and excavated the bones of Columbian mammoths, American mastodons, Ice Age bison, a Jefferson ground sloth, Ice Age deer, a salamander, snails, insects, and abundant plant material-some of which is still green after tens of thousands of years. 

Work at the dig site has stopped for the winter; however, this project is in its early stages. Next, Museum scientists, with the assistance of outside experts, will begin the long work of preserving the specimens, studying them, analyzing samples, and writing their findings for publication in scientific journals. 

As the analysis unfolds in the coming months, the Museum will continue to provide updates about these spectacular discoveries. Museum crews hope to return to the dig site in May to continue excavating and conducting scientific research on the site. During the winter, Museum scientists will work with the Snowmass Water and Sanitation District to map out a plan for the spring. For additional information, visit /science/the-snowmastodon-project.

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