Gypsum Cave
Encyclopedia
Gypsum Cave was inhabited between 8500 BC and 6500 BC by the giant ground sloth. The 300 by six room cave was first documented by Mark Harrington in a 1930 edition of Scientific American
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, Lake Mojave
and the Pinto Basin. The cave contains six rooms and is measured at 320 feet long by 120 feet wide. When excavated, archaeologists found the dung, backbone, claws and reddish-brown hair of the now-extinct ground sloth. Through radiocarbon dating, it was theorized that the remains of the sloth dated back to 8500BC. The feces has given information about what the environment and vegetation of the area was because the sloth was a herbivore. This ancient plant eater survived on capers, mustards, lilies, grasses and grapes. Because of the dry climate in Nevada, this seemed unusual. However this was also an era of ice ages which caused lakes and ponds to form. The geology of the area shows that the closest water supply was between 6-12 miles away.
Scientific American
Scientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
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History
Human habitation of the cave dates to around 3000 BC. Mark Harrington provided the first documentation of the contents of the cave following excavation in 1930-1931. Human habitation was at the same time as at other local sites like Tule SpringsTule Springs
Tule Springs in Las Vegas, Nevada, is one of the larger urban retreats in the Las Vegas Valley. It is a significant desert ecosystem consisting of a series of small lakes that formed an oasis in this part of the Mojave Desert...
, Lake Mojave
Lake Mojave
Lake Mojave is an ancient former lake fed by the Mojave River that, through the Holocene, occupied the Silver Lake and Soda Lake basins in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California. Its outlet ultimately emptied into the Colorado River north of Blythe....
and the Pinto Basin. The cave contains six rooms and is measured at 320 feet long by 120 feet wide. When excavated, archaeologists found the dung, backbone, claws and reddish-brown hair of the now-extinct ground sloth. Through radiocarbon dating, it was theorized that the remains of the sloth dated back to 8500BC. The feces has given information about what the environment and vegetation of the area was because the sloth was a herbivore. This ancient plant eater survived on capers, mustards, lilies, grasses and grapes. Because of the dry climate in Nevada, this seemed unusual. However this was also an era of ice ages which caused lakes and ponds to form. The geology of the area shows that the closest water supply was between 6-12 miles away.