COLUMBIAN MAMMOTH

COLUMBIAN MAMMOTH (2010) Monumental Bronze, 20’ x 25’ x 16’ 
I was commissioned to create the Columbian Mammoth which is the representative symbol for the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center in Worland, Wyoming. The Colby Mammoth Kill Site near Worland provides evidence of Paleo-Indian hunters: namely, the recovery of Clovis projectile points, along with various stone fragments and tools. Dr. George C. Frison, emeritus faculty member at the University of Wyoming’s Department of Anthropology, believes the Paleo-Indian hunters maneuvered mammoths into areas such as arroyos or gullies, where they could be safely harvested. The remains of seven prehistoric mammoths were excavated at the Colby Site, where animals were butchered and stacked in meat caches or piles to be used at a later time. These caches remained unopened until Dr. Frison opened them in 1973. The site provides us with a unique glimpse into the lives of some of Wyoming’s earliest hunters and gatherers. I am amazed at early Wyoming men taking these massive animals down with a sharp rock on the end of a stick. Man, they had to be tough! cnavarroart.com