Dig at Indiana Caverns and more when you visit Harrison County
Digs for prehistoric animals aren’t just happening in the American Great Plains. This April, a dig for Ice Age skeletons will take place right here in Indiana – and YOU can watch the action.
Amanda York, Marketing Manager, Harrison County Convention and Visitors Bureau, tells us more:
A team of four Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites staff will be traveling to Indiana Caverns in southern Indiana to embark on a dig starting April 6 and running for several days, depending on the amount of material discovered.
During those days, visitors will be able to get up close to see the screening of sediments to check for bones on an observation platform, as well as see the work happening at the dig site below. Buckets of sediment and bones will be pulled up to the platform from the dig area, so visitors will be able to see in real-time what the team discovers during the dig.
Museum staff members conducted a dig in the caverns previously in 2014, and during that dig they discovered peccary skeletons – a pig-like mammal – and they encountered about five times more bone than what they’d initially anticipated.
Staff at Indiana Caverns said they’re thrilled to offer this opportunity for their visitors.
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Paleontologists from the Indiana State Museum are conducting their 2nd dig at Indiana Caverns from April 6-10.
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This is a rare opportunity to see experts in action. The dig is part of the regularly-scheduled cave tours from 9am-4pm each day.
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During his initial 6-hour visit to the cave in 2012, Ron Richards, senior research curator of paleobiology at the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, saw 11 peccary skulls, a black bear skull, a juvenile bison, a fisher skeleton, bird bones, a snake, bear wallows, and claw marks. He immediately realized the bones were extraordinary and of significant importance. They were identified immediately as belonging to the Pleistocene (Ice Age) period – dating back 12,000 to 50,000 years ago.
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During the dig this time around, Richards said they’re confident they’ll recover many more peccary remains, and that the team will also be sieving the sediments for small animals that can indicate the environmental conditions at the time when the bones were deposited in the cavern. The team could potentially even find bones from other animals, such as dire wolves.
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The 1 ½ hour tour includes a 25-minute boat ride through the cave.
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Corydon Extravaganza
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Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29 beginning at 10am each day
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The Extravaganza takes place three times a year at the Harrison County Fairgrounds
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Visit dozens of booths and browse antiques, collectible items, and handcrafted furniture and household items.
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Giveaway
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Spring is a beautiful time to visit Harrison County
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Visit in April, and enter to win our giveaway, which includes over $500 in prizes
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The winner will enjoy a one-night stay at the Hampton Inn, entrance to the Extravaganza, tickets to Marengo Cave and Squire Boone Caverns, and 2-tickets to Indiana’s longest zipline at Squire Boone Caverns Zipline Adventure. Other activities include a tour of Indiana’s first state capitol and other historic sites, a canoe rental, and miniature golf-a fun-filled weekend for the whole family.
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