Lehner Mammoth Kill Site, Sierra Ancha Travel Guide

The Lehner Mammoth Kill Site, located in Cochise County, Arizona, marks a place where the ancient past comes to life. In 1952, rancher Ed Lehner discovered a collection of large bones eroding from the banks of a wash on his property. This discovery led to archaeological excavations in the 1950s and 1970s, which unearthed a remarkable bone bed containing the remains of mammoths, bison, tapirs, and horses, along with the tools of the Clovis people who hunted them.The site provides invaluable insights into the Clovis culture, dating back approximately 11,000 to 12,000 years. Archaeologists uncovered 13 Clovis spear points and eight cutting and scraping tools, offering direct evidence of how these early hunters killed and butchered their prey. The presence of hearths, along with butchering tools and animal remains, made it the first Clovis site to have definable fire hearths and the first to have butchering tools in direct association with animal remains.Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967, the Lehner Mammoth Kill Site stands as one of the best-preserved mammoth hunting sites in the New World. In 1988, the Lehner family generously donated the land to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to ensure its preservation and to provide educational opportunities for the public. Today, visitors can explore the area and reflect on the lives of the Clovis people and the megafauna that once roamed this land. While the actual fossils and artifacts have been removed for preservation and study, the site serves as a monument to this significant period in history.