When the large bones of a mammoth turned up near Cody in the Spring of 2018, it was a master class of what not to do when making a fossil find on federal land.
The partial mammoth and other Ice Age artifacts became objects of scrutiny in a federal investigation, and pieces of evidence are still scattered across the shore of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. And there they’ll stay until the right people with the right permits come along to collect them.
“Every agency has different criteria for what can be collected,” said Bonnie Smith, president of the Wyoming Association of Professional Archaeologists. “I don't think people realize what the laws are. There are a lot of things you aren’t supposed to pick up, and the Marquette Mammoth was one of those things.”
Mammoth Discovery
In April 2018, Smith was working as a curatorial assistant at the Draper Natural History Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody. She first got wind of the bones turning up on the sandy shore of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir on a Tuesday morning.
“I was brought into it the day after it was found,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “Someone at the Draper came to my office, and he said, ‘I’ve got something to show you that’s cool.’ I was excited. I like cool stuff.”
Smith’s colleague gave her a thumb drive containing multiple pictures from the site, which they had taken during a visit the previous day. She immediately recognized the bones as part of a mammoth skeleton, making it a first for Cody.
“They've got mammoths over by Worland and down at the La Prele Mammoth Site near Douglas, but Cody didn't have a mammoth,” she said. “It was really exciting – at first.”
The exposed bones included an articulated section of backbones and other large fragments. They were too big and distinct to be from anything other than a mammoth.
Buffalo Bill Reservoir was abuzz with activity. By Wednesday, several staff members from the Draper Museum, including Smith, were on-site, soon joined by archaeologists from the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming State Archaeologist’s Office.
Representatives from the Bureau of Reclamation were also on-site and discussed their excitement over the discovery in the local press. However, there were no smiles behind the scenes.
“The stewards of that land were the last to know a mammoth was found out there,” Smith said. “And they were really upset about how all of this had transpired.”
Take Nothing
While the Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir are located within Buffalo Bill State Park, they are federal property. That means the reservoir, and anything discovered inside it fall under the purview of the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR).
Smith explained that every federal agency has different rules about what can and can’t be collected on the lands they manage. The Bureau of Reclamation’s policy is simple: take nothing, or else.
“No collection, no exceptions,” she said. “Not a stone, a feather, or a piece of wood. A lot of people don’t realize that. I didn't know until I started working at a natural history museum.”
Representatives from the Draper Museum, the University of Wyoming, the U.S. Forest Service and Buffalo Bill State Park were all alerted and the mammoth was already being excavated before the BOR knew anything. Smith contacted the agency, which was surprised, to say the least.
“As soon as they learned about it, there were officers from the law enforcement arm of the Bureau of Land Management at the site,” she said. “The site was never left alone after that, thank goodness for that.”
Bones To Pick
Once the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) were involved with the mammoth excavation already underway, they had questions about the discovery. That started the storm that turned into “a shit show,” as Smith described it.
“They came to interview me about my knowledge about the site,” she said. “They told me that they were glad I called because they only found out because I called. Of all the people that were involved, no one called them, and they were pissed.”
The same week the mammoth made the news, the BOR opened an investigation into the mammoth and “possible theft” from the site. Under the Paleontological Resource Preservation Act, criminal and civil penalties can be applied for vandalism and the unauthorized collection of fossils without the proper permits.
“Reclamation’s special agent determined the site may have been disturbed prior to being reported to Reclamation,” Wyoming Area Manager Carlie Ronca said in an April 19, 2018, release. “Law enforcement is currently working with resource staff to assess the damage to the site.”
The BLM and BOR quickly learned that the U.S. Forest Service employee who alerted everyone to the bones and their location had been collecting large bone fragments from the site since the year before.
“They kept taking these bigger pieces home and putting them in their garage,” she said. “He was saving the specimen because it was washing into the reservoir. When the articulated portion started emerging out of the sand, they realized they had to say something, and that was when we were brought in.”
BLM agents went to the home and filled a crate with large bone fragments from the site. They recovered everything collected the year prior, including bones from the mammoth’s hips and indeterminate pieces up to a foot long.
“The looter,” as Smith described the preparator, could have faced serious federal charges and citations. Instead, the only penalty was “a slap on the wrist,” which Smith found professionally frustrating.
“It was upsetting that they took those pieces away from the site,” she said. “If they had left them in place, they could have been mapped on the surface where they were. We would get a much better picture of their movement over time, their initial resting place, and how the wave action of the reservoir was moving them into the water.”
A large mammoth bone found at the Buffalo Bill Reservoir recovered by the Bureau of Reclamation. Agents from the BOR determined that artifacts had been taken from the site where the mammoth was found for a year before it was reported, which is a federal crime. (Courtesy Photo) 
The articulated vertebrae of a mammoth at the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. This discovery became a statewide sensation when it was "discovered" in April 2018, although the Bureau of Reclamation determined it had actually been found and bones removed at least a year earlier. (Courtesy Photo) 
A mammoth tooth found on the shoreline of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. This find confirmed that the remains of at least two mammoths were collected during the weeklong excavation. (Courtesy Photo) 
The end of a mammoth limb bone just as it was found on the shoreline of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir in April 2018. (Courtesy Photo) 
Fragmented pieces from the long bones of a mammoth. These were among the large bones the Bureau of Reclamation recovered from the home of the person who found the mammoth site at Buffalo Bill Reservoir, who said they were saving the bones from being washed into the water. (Courtesy Photo)
Flagged And Pieced Together
Ethics and laws aside, the BOR recognized the importance of getting the mammoth bones out of the elements as soon as possible. Despite the “unofficial” start, excavation and evaluation of the site continued.
While trowels and bamboo sticks literally inched away the sand around the mammoth bones, dozens of colored flags were placed across the shoreline of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. Each flag marked an object of interest to the archaeologists.
“The debris field was huge,” Smith said. “We flew a drone over the shore to map it because it was so big. We couldn't excavate all of it, so we focused on getting the articulated portion out and bagging the surface material.”
The colored flags drew the curiosity of several Cody locals who visited during the excavation. After the BOR's investigation, there were heightened concerns about poaching, but Smith said the team embraced the opportunity to share their work with the public.
“This is our land,” she said. “We were concerned that if the community was kept away from the site, they would think some shady stuff would be going on. When you're honest with people, there's transparency, and they know they're not being lied to.”
Laminated signs were placed around the perimeter of the debris field, explaining why the archaeologists were there and asking that nothing within be touched or moved. Cody’s residents responded curiously and courteously.
“The signs said that we’d love to answer any questions, and it was pretty cool how many people came to ask questions and see our tedious excavation,” she said.
In less than a week, the articulated section of the mammoth skeleton was fully excavated and plastered, ready for transport to the University of Wyoming, along with dozens of plastic bags containing other bone fragments and artifacts.
And just in time. The next week, a snowstorm covered the shoreline and raised the water level.
Archaeological Or Paleontological
Mammoths often straddle the line between archaeology and paleontology. There is a definite distinction between the two fields of study, determining whether you’re dealing with Indiana Jones or Ross Geller.
Once the mammoth bones and other artifacts reached the University of Wyoming (UW), a team tried to determine whether they were archaeological or paleontological artifacts. They were led by Marcia Peterson, the assistant Wyoming State Archeologist who helped excavate the specimens.
“They were looking for any cut or chop marks on the bones that could indicate human activity,” Smith said. “If the mammoth has no human impact, it’s not archaeological.”
An archaeological mammoth would also have to fall into a specific timeframe – between 10,000 and 14,000 years – to have any chance of being in prehistoric Wyoming when people were here. Any older than that would definitively make Cody’s mammoth a paleontological find.
After careful scrutiny, no signs of human activity were found on the mammoth’s skeleton. Furthermore, carbon dating aged the bones to around 18,000 years old. Since it was too old and too pristine to be archaeological, the site and its specimens were officially declared paleontological.
That was an important distinction for the federal government. Smith explained that the mammoth and any other fossils recovered from the Buffalo Bill Reservoir have more stringent protections under the Paleontological Resource Preservation Act than the “toothless” protections of the Archeological Protection Act.
“Under the Paleontological Resource Preservation Act, federal agencies manage paleontological resources located on federal land,” she said. “They are stricter with their laws for paleontology versus archaeology.”
Much More
The mammoth bones recovered from the Buffalo Bill Reservoir included several articulated vertebrae from the back and neck, fragments from the legs and hips, and a single tooth.
After careful examination, the team at the University of Wyoming realized the bones recovered from the shoreline came from multiple mammoths rather than a single individual. It was an exciting development from the debris field.
What wasn’t found were the biggest, most charismatic pieces of the mammoths, the skull and tusks. That suggests the depositional environment was more dynamic than previously realized.
“We're operating under the assumption that we found the articulated vertebrae and the other part of the mammoth where it died,” Smith said. “That was the initial place of deposition and why it's all in one piece, and the wave action was slowly disarticulating it and carrying its bones elsewhere.”
Every mammoth from Wyoming has been identified as a Columbian mammoth. Wooly mammoths have never been found in Wyoming, but Smith suspects Cody’s mammoth could be a rare first.
“There are differences between Columbian and wooly mammoths, and we live in an area where they might have overlapped,” she said. “It could be either, but we don't know.”
Other bones collected from the same shoreline were identified as pieces and parts from Pleistocene-era horses, bison, pronghorn, camels and deer. The debris field contained a sampler of northwest Wyoming’s entire Ice Age ecosystem, like those found at the bottom of Natural Trap Cave in Bighorn National Forest.
“It wasn't just mammoths out there,” Smith said. “So, it begs the question: why are all these materials in this one location? It makes you wonder why so many extinct species would have been around that time period at this location, specifically, and what else could be out there.”
There is more out there, but it’s not going anywhere for now.
Bonnie Smith, in the orange ballcap, assists in the excavation of the Marquette Mammoth at Buffalo Bill Reservoir in April 2018. Smith was the one who contacted the Bureau of Reclamation, who didn't know a mammoth had been found and was being excavated on federal land under their purview. (Courtesy Photo) 
The plaster jacket containing the articulated vertebrae of the Marquette Mammoth is sawed open at the University of Wyoming. There were no signs of human activity on the bones in the form of cut or chop marks, which helped classify the mammoth as a paleontological discovery rather than an archaeological artifact. (Courtesy Photo) 
Bonnie Smith, in the orange ballcap, assists in the excavation of the Marquette Mammoth at Buffalo Bill Reservoir in April 2018. Smith was the one who contacted the Bureau of Reclamation, who didn't know a mammoth had been found and was being excavated on federal land under their purview. (Courtesy Photo) 
Marcia Peterson, assistant Wyoming State Archeologist, stands in the square excavated around the articulated mammoth vertebrae at Buffalo Bill Reservoir in April 2018. (Courtesy Photo) 
The debris field of bone fragments on the shore of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir in April 2018. Each flag represents an artifact of interest to the archaeologists, which included bones from Ice Age camels, horses, bison, deer, and mammoths. (Courtesy Photo)
So Much More
Marty Davis, the superintendent of Buffalo Bill State Park, was thrilled when a mammoth and other Ice Age creatures turned up along the shoreline of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. And, occasionally, they still turn up.
“Pieces and parts of bones show up now and then,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “They're buried underneath the reservoir's water level, and it's a fluctuating reservoir. So, every once in a while, a new piece will be exposed.”
No local media shows up whenever a new Ice Age artifact appears. Davis keeps any discoveries very quiet.
“Whenever anything’s exposed, that area is closed to the public,” he said. “We have law enforcement at the park to ensure it’s protected and watched until the BOR is notified.”
And when the BOR is notified, the bones are kept exactly where they’re found. There’s no excavation or collection since nobody at Buffalo Bill State Park has a permit to collect these paleontological artifacts.
“The Bureau of Reclamation owns them, and they’ve got their policies and procedures for collecting archaeological and paleontological artifacts, and those are what’s followed here.”
Davis notes the location of whatever’s exposed and buries them again. If someone with a permit and a paleontological inkling decides to investigate the site in the future, Davis can give them a starting point, assuming it’s not submerged.
“We keep an eye on it, but they’re buried and kept in place,” he said. “We’re great partners with the BOR and work together on recreation and resource protection.”
The Marquette Mammoth
Since its discovery, the mammoth from the Buffalo Bill Reservoir has been known as Cody’s mammoth. Smith, however, has given it a more relevant and alliterative moniker.
“I suggested the Marquette Mammoth,” she said. “Marquette was the town submerged to make way for our dam and reservoir. It’s still underwater.”
Despite its name, Smith hopes the mammoth will return to Cody as a display in the Buffalo Bill Reservoir Visitor Center. For her, that’s where it belongs.
“They’ve talked about sending it to the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne or keeping it at UW, where it will go into cold storage with their other mammoths,” she said. “I think we should start petitioning to get that mammoth back here. Dan wants the mammoth to return to Cody, and I think that's a great plan.”
Marty said giving the mammoth a good home at the visitor center would require more than a place to put it. But, with the proper infrastructure, he’d love to have it as another unique piece of local history to showcase.
“There are certain protocols for collection and display,” he said. “There need to be certain climatic environments for protection, duration, and guidelines to follow. It’d be neat to display them here, but that’s the BOR’s purview.”
Meanwhile, bones from a menagerie of other prehistoric beasts are still buried (and being reburied) with more information on the world as it was 17,000 years ago. Smith hopes there’s a future for this prehistoric past.
“Stuff keeps washing up, and we're not coming back to help him with it,” Smith said. “What is Dan supposed to do? They can do nothing, so they keep reburying it.”
But the morale of the Marquette Mammoth’s story is to follow the rules of whatever agency manages the land you’re standing on.
“Contact the agency,” Smith said. That's literally what it came down to. When you find something, who do you call? You call the agency. You let them know.”
The Cody Mammoths?
Smith had another suggestion for the Cody community - a new mascot for Cody High School.
“Every high school is the Broncs or the Fillies,” she said. “Why not the Cody Mammoths? A charging mammoth is a lot more intimidating than a bronc.”
Changing the high school mascot would probably be a more mammoth task than getting the Marquette Mammoth back to Cody. Nevertheless, Smith hopes the mammoth will have a home near its home in the future.
“That’s Cody’s mammoth,” she said. “It belongs here.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
