Ancestors of today's Native Americans populated the Great Plains about 14,000 years ago, about the time glaciers of the last Ice Age began melting back to the north. Prehistoric people living on the dry plains east of the Rocky Mountains were hunter-gatherers"š€š"they moved from place to place in search of animals to hunt and seeds, roots, and berries to gather. Archaeologists have reconstructed the history of these hunter-gatherers by studying old camp sites and tools made of stone and antler. Author Lauri Travis introduces readers to the science of archaeology, shedding light on how field scientists find evidence of people who did not build permanent houses and how researchers determine the age of an arrowhead and what it was used to kill. Archaeological illustrator Eric Carlson brings to life the day-to-day activities of these early people, such as how they used drive lines to funnel animals over buffalo jumps, how sinew was used to attach points to spears, and how grinding stones were used to mash seeds into flour. The book also includes photographs of artifacts and excavation sites, as well as a list of archaeological sites you can visit while exploring the vast plains where mammoths used to roam.

Consists of papers and a panel discussion presented at the Annual Meeting of the Montana Archaeological Society at Billings, Montana, April 15, 1961.

"At the place known as Head-Smashed-In in southwestern Alberta, Aboriginal people practiced a form of group hunting for nearly 6,000 years before European contact. The large communal bison traps of the Plains were the single greatest food-getting method ever developed in human history. Hunters, working with their knowledge of the land and of buffalo behaviour, drove their quarry over a cliff and into wooden corrals. The rest of the group butchered the kill in the camp below

In its day, the Kempton Ranch of eastern Montana was one of the largest horse and cattle operation in the West, selling mounts to armies and polo-playing royalty alike. Trudy Kempton Dana mines her family's lore for salt-of-the-earth true stories to reveal a family of rare vision, grit, and integrity as they live our American history and embody the spirit of the West. Meet Joseph Kempton, a whaling ship captain and early Colorado pioneer; JB Kempton, the first to ship cattle on the Northern Pacific rails; and his son Berney, a trick roper with Doc Carver's Wild West Show, a hotelier, and a friend to British earls and U.S. presidents.

Get to know all about the best and brightest—and smelliest!—birds in Leslie Bulion's award-winning collection of avian science poetry. You won't even need binoculars! Ever wonder which bird has the loudest voice? Which one builds the biggest nest or has the most feathers? Get to know all about the best and brightest―and smelliest!―denizens of the bird world with this collection of nonfiction science verses. Award-winning science poetry author Leslie Bulion dedicates a variety of verse to these impressive birds and includes a science glossary, notes on poetic forms, and resources for more information in the back of the book. Witty drawings by Robert Meganck add another layer of fun to this humorous and informative gallery of the world's most accomplished birds. Ideal for cross-curricular learning, including units on animals, birds, nature, and poetry.

The Vore Buffalo Jump Site is a natural sinkhole located directly off Interstate 90 between Spearfish, SD and Sundance, WY. It was the site of many buffalo hunts carried out by early Native Americans before the introduction of horses in this area significantly changed the lives of these people. This site is an ongoing archaeological dig site that was discovered when Interstate 90 was being planned and is shedding much light on the process of buffalo jumps. Early nomadic people, without horses, would drive the buffalo, their sacred brother, over the edge of the sinkhole. From the buffalo, they would obtain the food and supplies they needed to survive on the Northern Plains. This particular site was used from the 1500s to about 1800. This book is a coloring and activity book about the process. The coloring book section has a story line that shows a band of early Native Americans who are going on a buffalo hunt before the 1800s. Each page is paired with a "How do we know" section that explains the research behind that particular picture. The book contains much information about the history and geology of the area and illustrates how early people managed without the horse. It is recommended for the entire family.