Madison Buffalo Jump
This cliff and the slope beneath it are an archeological site that was used for over 2,000 years by native people as a buffalo killing and meat processing site. Located in The Madison Bluffs on the edge of the broad valley of the Madison River, evidence indicates the site was used up until about 200 years ago by more than 14 groups or tribes They stampeded vast herds of bison off this massive semicircular cliff and then butchered them near the bottom. The animals were a source of food, clothing, shelter and provisions.
The jump and surrounding area is part of Montana’s Madison Buffalo Jump State Park. I found the park fascinating and peaceful. Walking through the hills beneath the cliffs one cam imagine herds of buffalo being herded to the top and driven off. The camps located in the valleys below were a hive of activity as the buffalo were processed. A Beautiful place. The park is a must see for history buffs and those interested in early Americans. It is a remote park. You must walk 1/4 mile uphill before you get to the interpretive plaza. There are no interpretive signs in the parking lot. Alas, there is no museum showing the artifacts that have been recovered here.
A limestone that is part of the Oligocene/Eocene sedimentary rock sequence that makes up the Madison Bluffs in this area caps the top of the Buffalo Jump. The rocks in this part of the Madison Bluffs are assigned by geologist to the Renova Formation which consists of interbedded lenticular conglomerates; sandstones, shales; calcareous shales; limestones; and siltstones . These beds appear to have been deposited in terrestrial environments that include alluvial fan, fluvial, floodplain; lake, and swamp. Interbedded with the sedimentary rocks are thin beds of tuff (volcanic ash). Some of the calcareous and limey units have been interpreted as hot springs deposits but most are stacked calcic paleosols. Some of the paleosols are related to the Eocene-Oligocene boundary.
References:
www.mbmg.mtech.edu/pdf-open-files/mbmg481-WestGallatin.pdf
stateparks.mt.gov/madison-buffalo-jump/
www.distinctlymontana.com/buffalo154
Madison Buffalo Jump
This cliff and the slope beneath it are an archeological site that was used for over 2,000 years by native people as a buffalo killing and meat processing site. Located in The Madison Bluffs on the edge of the broad valley of the Madison River, evidence indicates the site was used up until about 200 years ago by more than 14 groups or tribes They stampeded vast herds of bison off this massive semicircular cliff and then butchered them near the bottom. The animals were a source of food, clothing, shelter and provisions.
The jump and surrounding area is part of Montana’s Madison Buffalo Jump State Park. I found the park fascinating and peaceful. Walking through the hills beneath the cliffs one cam imagine herds of buffalo being herded to the top and driven off. The camps located in the valleys below were a hive of activity as the buffalo were processed. A Beautiful place. The park is a must see for history buffs and those interested in early Americans. It is a remote park. You must walk 1/4 mile uphill before you get to the interpretive plaza. There are no interpretive signs in the parking lot. Alas, there is no museum showing the artifacts that have been recovered here.
A limestone that is part of the Oligocene/Eocene sedimentary rock sequence that makes up the Madison Bluffs in this area caps the top of the Buffalo Jump. The rocks in this part of the Madison Bluffs are assigned by geologist to the Renova Formation which consists of interbedded lenticular conglomerates; sandstones, shales; calcareous shales; limestones; and siltstones . These beds appear to have been deposited in terrestrial environments that include alluvial fan, fluvial, floodplain; lake, and swamp. Interbedded with the sedimentary rocks are thin beds of tuff (volcanic ash). Some of the calcareous and limey units have been interpreted as hot springs deposits but most are stacked calcic paleosols. Some of the paleosols are related to the Eocene-Oligocene boundary.
References:
www.mbmg.mtech.edu/pdf-open-files/mbmg481-WestGallatin.pdf
stateparks.mt.gov/madison-buffalo-jump/
www.distinctlymontana.com/buffalo154