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Coordinates: 42°47′06″N 114°12′51″W / 42.78500°N 114.21417°W / 42.78500; -114.21417
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{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NRHP
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Wilson Butte Cave
| name = Wilson Butte Cave
| nrhp_type =
| nrhp_type =
| image = Wilson-butte-interior-id-us.jpg
| image = Wilson-butte-interior-id-us.jpg
| caption = Wilson Butte Cave appears as an air bubble in a sea of lava
| caption = Wilson Butte Cave appears in a [[Pressure ridge (lava)|tumulus]]
| location =
| location =
| nearest_city = [[Hunt, Idaho]] in [[Jerome County, Idaho|Jerome County]]
| nearest_city = Hunt, Idaho in [[Jerome County, Idaho|Jerome County]]
| coordinates = {{coord|42|47|06|N|114|12|51|W|display=inline,title}}
| lat_degrees = 42
⚫
| locmapin = Idaho#USA
| lat_minutes = 47
| mapframe = yes
| lat_seconds = 06
| mapframe-marker = landmark
| lat_direction = N
| mapframe-zoom = 12
| long_degrees = 114
| mapframe-caption = Interactive map showing the location of Wilson Butte Cave
| long_minutes = 12
| area =
| long_seconds = 51
⚫
| built =
| long_direction = W
⚫
| architect =
| coord_display = inline,title
⚫
| architecture =
⚫
| locmapin = Idaho#USA
| area =
| designated =
⚫
| added = November 21, 1974
⚫
| built =
⚫
| visitation_num =
⚫
| architect =
⚫
| visitation_year =
⚫
| architecture =
⚫
| refnum = 74000741<ref name=nris>{{NRISref|version=2010a|dateform=mdy}}</ref>
| designated=
⚫
| mpsub =
⚫
| added = November 21, 1974
⚫
| visitation_num =
⚫
| visitation_year =
⚫
| refnum = 74000741<ref name=nris>{{NRISref|version=2010a|dateform=mdy}}</ref>
⚫
| mpsub =
| governing_body = [[Bureau of Land Management]]
}}
}}


'''Wilson Butte Cave''' is located on the [[Snake River]] plain in [[Jerome County, Idaho|Jerome County]] northeast of [[Twin Falls, Idaho|Twin Falls]] and southeast of [[Shoshone, Idaho|Shoshone]]. Listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] as an archeological site, it is maintained by the [[Bureau of Land Management]] (BLM).
'''Wilson Butte Cave''' is located on the [[Snake River]] plain in [[Jerome County, Idaho|Jerome County]] northeast of [[Twin Falls, Idaho|Twin Falls]] and southeast of [[Shoshone, Idaho|Shoshone]], Idaho. Listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] as an archeological site, it is maintained by the [[Bureau of Land Management]] (BLM).


A round bubble in appearance, it pops up from a flat wide bed of ancient [[basalt]] lava. An [[Lava cave#Types|inflationary or uplift cave]] is inside the bubble. While archeologists are uncertain of 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 such evidence in all of North America.<ref name=dating>{{cite web|title=Wilson Butte Cave|publisher=Bureau of Land Management|date=March 25, 2009|work=Welcome|url=http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/shoshone/wilson_butte_cave.html|accessdate=December 27, 2011}}</ref><ref name=welcome>{{cite web|title=Wilson Butte Cave|publisher=Bureau of Land Management|date=November 4, 2008|work=Occupation|url=http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/shoshone/wilson_butte_cave/wilson_butte_cave/discoveries/occupation.html|accessdate=December 28, 2011}}</ref> Archeologists are fairly certain that the reason the cave was settled so early is that it was used as a base from which to hunt [[bison]].<ref name=dating/> Strong connections have been found to the [[Fremont culture]] and the [[Shoshone people]], who lived there after the Fremont peoples.<ref name=shoshone>{{cite web|title=Wilson Butte Cave|publisher=Bureau of Land Management|date=November 4, 2008|work=Who Lived There?|url=http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/shoshone/wilson_butte_cave/wilson_butte_cave/discoveries/who_lived_there.html|accessdate=December 28, 2011}}</ref> Vegetation in the region was very similar to modern times. [[Camel]]s and giant [[ground sloth]]s once roamed this region.<ref name=camel>{{cite web|title=Wilson Butte Cave|publisher=Bureau of Land Management|date=November 4, 2008|work=How Was Southern Idaho Different 10,000 Years Ago?|url=http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/shoshone/wilson_butte_cave/prehistoric_idaho/climate/Southern_Idaho_Years_Ago.html|accessdate=December 28, 2011}}</ref> Deposits here are believed to have been undisturbed until amateurs discovered them in 1958. Two of the major excavations of the cave were conducted by teams led by Ruth Gruhn; one in 1959–1960 and one in 1988–1989. Gruhn dates the site's earliest occupation to 14,000–15,000 years ago.<ref name=gruhn>{{cite web|title=Wilson Butte Cave|publisher=Bureau of Land Management|date=November 4, 2008|work=History of Wilson Butte Cave Excavations|url=http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/shoshone/wilson_butte_cave/wilson_butte_cave/excavation/history.html|accessdate=December 28, 2011}}</ref>
A round bubble in appearance, it pops up from a flat wide bed of ancient [[basalt]] lava. An [[Lava cave#Types|inflationary or uplift cave]] is inside the bubble. While archeologists are uncertain of 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 such evidence in all of North America.<ref name=dating>{{cite web|title=Wilson Butte Cave|publisher=Bureau of Land Management|date=March 25, 2009|work=Welcome|url=http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/shoshone/wilson_butte_cave.html|access-date=December 27, 2011}}</ref><ref name=welcome>{{cite web|title=Wilson Butte Cave|publisher=Bureau of Land Management|date=November 4, 2008|work=Occupation|url=http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/shoshone/wilson_butte_cave/wilson_butte_cave/discoveries/occupation.html|access-date=December 28, 2011}}</ref> Archeologists are fairly certain that the reason the cave was settled so early is that it was used as a base from which to hunt [[bison]].<ref name=dating/> Strong connections have been found to the [[Fremont culture]] and the [[Shoshone people]], who lived there after the Fremont peoples.<ref name=shoshone>{{cite web|title=Wilson Butte Cave|publisher=Bureau of Land Management|date=November 4, 2008|work=Who Lived There?|url=http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/shoshone/wilson_butte_cave/wilson_butte_cave/discoveries/who_lived_there.html|access-date=December 28, 2011}}</ref> Vegetation in the region was very similar to modern times. [[Camel]]s and giant [[ground sloth]]s once roamed this region.<ref name=camel>{{cite web|title=Wilson Butte Cave|publisher=Bureau of Land Management|date=November 4, 2008|work=How Was Southern Idaho Different 10,000 Years Ago?|url=http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/shoshone/wilson_butte_cave/prehistoric_idaho/climate/Southern_Idaho_Years_Ago.html|access-date=December 28, 2011}}</ref> Deposits here are believed to have been undisturbed until amateurs discovered them in 1958. Two of the major excavations of the cave were conducted by teams led by [[Ruth Gruhn]]; one in 1959–1960 and one in 1988–1989. Gruhn dates the site's earliest occupation to 14,000–15,000 years ago.<ref name=gruhn>{{cite web|title=Wilson Butte Cave|publisher=Bureau of Land Management|date=November 4, 2008|work=History of Wilson Butte Cave Excavations|url=http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/shoshone/wilson_butte_cave/wilson_butte_cave/excavation/history.html|access-date=December 28, 2011}}</ref>


[[Image:Wilson-butte-exterior-id-us.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Wilson Butte Cave protrudes like a rocky bubble on a vast, level sea of ancient lava]]
[[Image:Wilson-butte-exterior-id-us.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Wilson Butte Cave protrudes like a rocky bubble on a vast, level sea of ancient lava]]
The [[lava]] of the area is a dark gray to black fine-grained [[basalt]]. The cave is in a [[lava tube]] developed in a [[Pressure ridge (lava)|pressure ridge]] in the flowing lava. The source of the lava is Wilson's Butte, which is about one half mile southeast of the cave. The lava is more than 15,000 years old, as determined by [[radiocarbon dating]] of a camel bone from within a lava tube cave. The bone had tool markings indicating working by humans.<ref name=geo>{{cite web|url=http://www.idahogeology.org/PDF/Digital_Data_(D)/Digital_Web_Maps_(DWM)/star_lake-dwm-67-m.pdf|format=PDF|last=Matthews|first=S. H.|author2=Shervais, J. W. |author3=Kaufmann, J. D. |author4=Othberg, K. L. |title=Geologic Map of the Star Lake Quadrangle, Jerome and Lincoln Counties, Idaho|publisher=Idaho Geological Survey|year=2006|work=Digital Web Map DWM-67|accessdate=December 28, 2011}}</ref>
The [[lava]] of the area is a dark gray to black fine-grained [[basalt]]. The cave is a [[lava tube]] developed in a [[Pressure ridge (lava)|pressure ridge]] in the flowing lava. The source of the lava is Wilson's Butte, which is about one half mile southeast of the cave. The lava is more than 15,000 years old, as determined by [[radiocarbon dating]] of a camel bone from within a lava tube cave. The bone had tool markings indicating working by humans.<ref name=geo>{{cite web|url=http://www.idahogeology.org/PDF/Digital_Data_(D)/Digital_Web_Maps_(DWM)/star_lake-dwm-67-m.pdf|format=PDF|last=Matthews|first=S. H.|author2=Shervais, J. W. |author3=Kaufmann, J. D. |author4=Othberg, K. L. |title=Geologic Map of the Star Lake Quadrangle, Jerome and Lincoln Counties, Idaho|publisher=Idaho Geological Survey|year=2006|work=Digital Web Map DWM-67|access-date=December 28, 2011}}</ref>

{{clear left}}


==See also==
==See also==
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{{commons category|Wilson Butte Cave}}
{{commons category|Wilson Butte Cave}}
*[http://www.visitidaho.org/attraction/kid-friendly/wilson-butte-cave/ Visit Idaho - Wilson Butte Cave]
*[http://www.visitidaho.org/attraction/kid-friendly/wilson-butte-cave/ Visit Idaho - Wilson Butte Cave]

__NOTOC__


{{National Register of Historic Places}}
{{National Register of Historic Places}}
{{Navbox prehistoric caves}}
{{Navbox prehistoric caves}}

{{authority control}}


[[Category:Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Idaho]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Idaho]]
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[[Category:Caves of Idaho]]
[[Category:Caves of Idaho]]
[[Category:Landforms of Jerome County, Idaho]]
[[Category:Landforms of Jerome County, Idaho]]
[[Category:Lava tubes]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Jerome County, Idaho]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Jerome County, Idaho]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Jerome County, Idaho]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Jerome County, Idaho]]

Latest revision as of 22:44, 2 June 2024

Wilson Butte Cave
Wilson Butte Cave appears in a tumulus
Wilson Butte Cave is located in Idaho
Wilson Butte Cave
Wilson Butte Cave is located in the United States
Wilson Butte Cave
Map
Interactive map showing the location of Wilson Butte Cave
Nearest cityHunt, Idaho in Jerome County
Coordinates42°47′06″N 114°12′51″W / 42.78500°N 114.21417°W / 42.78500; -114.21417
NRHP reference No.74000741[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 21, 1974

Wilson Butte Cave is located on the Snake River plain in Jerome County northeast of Twin Falls and southeast of Shoshone, Idaho. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an archeological site, it is maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

A round bubble in appearance, it pops up from a flat wide bed of ancient basalt lava. An inflationary or uplift cave is inside the bubble. While archeologists are uncertain of 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 such evidence in all of North America.[2][3] Archeologists are fairly certain that the reason the cave was settled so early is that it was used as a base from which to hunt bison.[2] Strong connections have been found to the Fremont culture and the Shoshone people, who lived there after the Fremont peoples.[4] Vegetation in the region was very similar to modern times. Camels and giant ground sloths once roamed this region.[5] Deposits here are believed to have been undisturbed until amateurs discovered them in 1958. Two of the major excavations of the cave were conducted by teams led by Ruth Gruhn; one in 1959–1960 and one in 1988–1989. Gruhn dates the site's earliest occupation to 14,000–15,000 years ago.[6]

Wilson Butte Cave protrudes like a rocky bubble on a vast, level sea of ancient lava

The lava of the area is a dark gray to black fine-grained basalt. The cave is a lava tube developed in a pressure ridge in the flowing lava. The source of the lava is Wilson's Butte, which is about one half mile southeast of the cave. The lava is more than 15,000 years old, as determined by radiocarbon dating of a camel bone from within a lava tube cave. The bone had tool markings indicating working by humans.[7]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Wilson Butte Cave". Welcome. Bureau of Land Management. March 25, 2009. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  3. ^ "Wilson Butte Cave". Occupation. Bureau of Land Management. November 4, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  4. ^ "Wilson Butte Cave". Who Lived There?. Bureau of Land Management. November 4, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  5. ^ "Wilson Butte Cave". How Was Southern Idaho Different 10,000 Years Ago?. Bureau of Land Management. November 4, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  6. ^ "Wilson Butte Cave". History of Wilson Butte Cave Excavations. Bureau of Land Management. November 4, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  7. ^ Matthews, S. H.; Shervais, J. W.; Kaufmann, J. D.; Othberg, K. L. (2006). "Geologic Map of the Star Lake Quadrangle, Jerome and Lincoln Counties, Idaho" (PDF). Digital Web Map DWM-67. Idaho Geological Survey. Retrieved December 28, 2011.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Ruth Gruhn. The Archaeology of Wilson Butte Cave, South-central Idaho. Occasional papers 6. Pocatello: Idaho State College Museum, 1961. OCLC 607111445
  • Ruth Gruhn. New excavations at Wilson Butte Cave, South-central Idaho. Idaho Museum of Natural History occasional paper 38. Pocatello: Idaho State Museum of Natural History, 2006. OCLC 71777875
[edit]
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