Burnet Cave facts for kids

Burnet Cave (also known as Rocky Arroyo Cave of Wetmore) is a very important place for studying ancient human life (called archaeology) and old animal fossils (called paleontology). It is located in Eddy County, New Mexico, United States, within the Guadalupe Mountains.

About the Cave

Burnet Cave faces south, meaning its entrance points towards the sun. It is about 21 meters (70 feet) above the floor of the canyon below. The cave itself sits at an elevation of 1402 meters (4600 feet) above sea level.

Discovering Ancient Life

Archaeologists study how people lived long ago. Digging at Burnet Cave began in 1930. A student named E. B. Howard led the work. He was part of expeditions from the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Bill Burnet, who the cave is named after, showed them the cave.

Important Discoveries at Burnet Cave

One of the most exciting finds was a Clovis point in August 1931. A Clovis point is a special type of stone spearhead. It was found about five feet (1.5 meters) underground. It was near a fireplace with burnt bones from ancient bison and musk-ox. This was the first time a Clovis point was found still in its original spot. This discovery happened before other famous Clovis sites were found.

For many years, Burnet Cave was seen as one of the best places to find Clovis artifacts. It showed that people lived there a very long time ago. The Clovis layer was much deeper than later materials. For example, it was four feet (1.2 meters) below items from the Basketmaker culture. This culture lived in the Southwest much later.

The dirt from the cave was carefully sifted through a screen. This was a very advanced method for archaeology at that time.

Ancient Animals Found

Paleontologists study fossils to learn about ancient life. Burnet Cave has provided many fossils of animals that lived there long ago. These fossils help scientists understand what the environment was like thousands of years ago.

Birds from the Past

Scientists found bones from many types of birds. These include birds like the Western grebe, Black vulture, Prairie falcon, and Wild turkey. Some extinct birds were also found, like a type of ancient turkey called Meleagris crassipes.

Mammals from the Past

Many mammal fossils were also discovered in the cave. These include animals like the Pronghorn, Coyote, Wolf, Puma, and Mule deer. Some of the most interesting finds are from extinct mammals. These include the huge Short-faced bear, ancient bison called Bison antiquus, and several types of ancient horses.

Reptiles from the Past

Fossils of reptiles were also found. These include different kinds of ancient lizards. Examples are the Pygmy short-horned lizard and the Texas horned lizard.