Post by L Roebuck on Nov 29, 2006 11:19:33 GMT -5
Hawver Cave discoveries dazzle
Local landmark boasts archaeological treasures
Dripping with icicle-shaped stalactites and looking like a vision from another world, a newly-revealed room in Hawver Cave drew "oohs" and "ahhs" Monday in Auburn at a Parks Department presentation on the little-known local paleontological landmark.
Nearing the century mark since bones and fossils inside the cave were first discovered by an Auburn dentist in December 1906. Hawver Cave's history has been studied and its innards explored by state Parks Department environmental resource specialist Gene Lorance over the last 1½ years.
With recent work completed to secure the cave's entrance, Lorance was able to share some of the mysteries authorities have attempted to keep quiet while trying to keep vandals, partyers and the just-plain-curious out.
A testament to the interest in the cave -- located about a mile east of Highway 49 on the El Dorado County side of the middle fork American River -- an estimated 250 people attended Lorance's presentation at Placer High School Auditorium.
Lorance provided a glimpse into the history of the cave and efforts after the 1906 discovery to identify more than 400 bones and fossils found inside before limestone mining operations ran a tunnel through the underground site. The bones of Hawver Cave saber-toothed cats, mastodons, ground sloths and other extinct animals -- plus skeletal remains of four humans from 10,000 years ago -- are now stored at the University of California, Berkeley.
Full Article
Local landmark boasts archaeological treasures
Dripping with icicle-shaped stalactites and looking like a vision from another world, a newly-revealed room in Hawver Cave drew "oohs" and "ahhs" Monday in Auburn at a Parks Department presentation on the little-known local paleontological landmark.
Nearing the century mark since bones and fossils inside the cave were first discovered by an Auburn dentist in December 1906. Hawver Cave's history has been studied and its innards explored by state Parks Department environmental resource specialist Gene Lorance over the last 1½ years.
With recent work completed to secure the cave's entrance, Lorance was able to share some of the mysteries authorities have attempted to keep quiet while trying to keep vandals, partyers and the just-plain-curious out.
A testament to the interest in the cave -- located about a mile east of Highway 49 on the El Dorado County side of the middle fork American River -- an estimated 250 people attended Lorance's presentation at Placer High School Auditorium.
Lorance provided a glimpse into the history of the cave and efforts after the 1906 discovery to identify more than 400 bones and fossils found inside before limestone mining operations ran a tunnel through the underground site. The bones of Hawver Cave saber-toothed cats, mastodons, ground sloths and other extinct animals -- plus skeletal remains of four humans from 10,000 years ago -- are now stored at the University of California, Berkeley.
Full Article