Watch CBS News

Ice Age Fossil Excavation Wraps Up In Snowmass This Weekend

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo. (CBS4)- The Ice Age fossil excavation work in Snowmass Village wraps up over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

The dig has unearthed more than 4,500 fossils from 20 different animals, including mammoths, sloths and camels. Some of the fossils date back 5 million years.

snowmass-fossils-from-dmns3
The fossil dig in Snowmass Village (credit: Denver Museum of Nature and Science)

Project leader Kirk Johnson says most of the work will end Friday, but the museum will continue work analyzing the finds for years and a few scientists will stick around to see if there are any more discoveries.

Construction crews made the initial find as they worked to make Zeigler Reservoir deeper. Once excavation wraps up, that work will resume.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.