Lehner Mammoth Kill Site: Echoes of the Clovis People

Located in Cochise County, along the San Pedro River, the Lehner Mammoth Kill Site offers a glimpse into the distant past when mammoths roamed the landscape. In 1952, rancher Ed Lehner discovered large bones eroding from the banks of a wash on his property, leading to excavations by the Arizona State Museum. These digs unearthed the remains of mammoths, bison, horses, and tapirs, along with tools and weapons of the Clovis people, who hunted these now-extinct animals. The site is significant because it provided some of the earliest radiocarbon dates for the Clovis culture, dating back 11,000 to 12,000 years. It was also the first Clovis site where butchering tools were found in direct association with animal remains. The Lehner site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967, and in 1988, the Lehner family donated the land to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for public education and preservation. While the actual excavation site is not accessible to the public, a monument marks the location. Visitors can reflect on the lives of the Clovis people and the immense creatures they hunted. Although the artifacts and bones have been removed for preservation and study, the site remains a powerful reminder of the ancient history of the San Pedro Valley.