Wilson Butte Cave facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wilson Butte Cave
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Wilson Butte Cave appears in a tumulus
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 Location in Idaho
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Hunt, Idaho in Jerome County |
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| NRHP reference No. | 74000741 |
| Added to NRHP | November 21, 1974 |
Wilson Butte Cave is a special place located in Jerome County, Idaho. It's found on the wide, flat Snake River plain, between the towns of Twin Falls and Shoshone. This cave is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a very old and valuable archeological site. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) takes care of it.
The cave looks like a round bubble rising from a flat area of ancient lava rock. Inside this bubble is a type of lava cave called an "inflationary" or "uplift" cave. This kind of cave forms when flowing lava pushes up the ground, creating a hollow space underneath.
Scientists believe that people lived in Wilson Butte Cave at least 10,000 years ago. Some evidence even suggests it could be as far back as 14,000 to 15,000 years ago! The tools and other items found here are the oldest proof of humans living on the Snake River Plain. They are also among the oldest signs of human presence in all of North America. Archeologists think early people used the cave as a base to hunt large animals like bison.
Later, groups like the Fremont culture and the Shoshone people lived in the cave. The plants and trees around the cave back then were very similar to what you see today. Long ago, amazing animals like camels and giant ground sloths also roamed this area.
Discovering Wilson Butte Cave's Secrets
For thousands of years, the ancient layers inside Wilson Butte Cave remained untouched. Then, in 1958, some people exploring the area found the cave and its hidden treasures. This discovery led to important scientific work.
Two major digs were led by a scientist named Ruth Gruhn. She and her teams carefully explored the cave in 1959-1960 and again in 1988-1989. Their work helped us learn so much about the early people who lived there.
How Wilson Butte Cave Was Formed
The rock around Wilson Butte Cave is a dark gray or black type of basalt. Basalt is a common volcanic rock. The cave itself is a lava tube. Lava tubes are natural tunnels formed by flowing lava during a volcanic eruption.
This specific lava tube formed within a "pressure ridge." A pressure ridge is a raised area that forms on the surface of a lava flow when the lava underneath pushes up. The lava that created the cave came from Wilson's Butte, a small hill about half a mile southeast of the cave.
Scientists used a method called radiocarbon dating on a camel bone found inside the cave. This bone had marks on it, showing that humans had used tools on it. This dating method helped scientists figure out that the lava in the area is more than 15,000 years old.
See also
- Lava tube
- Snake River Plain
In Spanish: Wilson Butte Cave para niños
