Vore Buffalo Jump
Plains Indians depended upon Buffalo for many of their material needs - food, shelter, clothing, tools, fuel, ceremonial objects, even toys. Prior to acquiring horses in the 18th century, hunting individual animals on foot with bow and arrows was difficult and dangerous. As winter approached, tribes often joined in communal hunts to provide meat and hides for harsh winters by driving herds of buffalo over a cliff or into a trap where the animals were killed, butchered and processed in mass.
Tribes from across the northen Plains used the natural sinkhole, now known as the Vore Buffalo Jump, to trap bison between 1500 A.D and 1800 A.D. The site's location at the interface between the open buffalo pastures of the plains and the shelter of the Black Hills, made it a magnet for the many groups vying for the area. Native peoples used this site during a period of rapid and unprecedented cultural change partially brought about by the entry of European goods and people into the region. Huge volumes of bones and assorted artifacts have been held in place by the bowl shape of the sinkhole. These remains were quickly covered by sediments and are perfectly preserved in discrete, precisely datable layers. Archaeological study at the site has revealed much fascinating evidence about this period and it's people.
Following the site's discovery during construction of I-90 in the early 1970's, University of Wyoming archaeologists documented the exceptional quality and importance of the site in two summers of excavation. The family of Woodrow and Doris Vore donated the property to the non-profit Vore Buffalo Jump Foundation. The Foundation seeks to create a world-class vistor center and to continue scientific research, education and cultural programs at the site.
Submitted by Debby Drake