White Sands National Park, located in the southern US near the Mexican border, is home to one of the most important archaeological discoveries in American history. The park, which is surrounded by a missile testing range, was once the shore of an enormous lake that attracted a huge amount of wildlife, some of which are now extinct. Humans followed these animals around the lake shore and left behind footprints in the mud, making the site unique and special.
The footprints, which expand over tens of kilometers, allow paleo tracking as if one were back in time following the animals across the landscape. The site contains footprints of extinct Ice Age megafauna, such as mammoths, giant ground sloths, and camels, as well as evidence of human interaction with these animals. The team excavating the site participated in a series of interviews done by the National Park Service to learn from these footprints. The interactions of humans and animals from so long ago are really special to see and bring the past to life.
