MONTANA

The Wahkpa Chu'gun Archaeology Site is one of the best-preserved bison kill sites in the plains area. The park overlooks the Milk River, and tours are given June 1st through Labor Day. For more information, visit: http://www.buffalojump.org/index.html.

Montana Archaeology Month takes place in April. For information about past celebrations, visit http://montanahistoricalsociety.org/shpo/ArchWeek.asp, http://www.mtarchaeologicalsociety.org/16401.html, or contact: Stan Wilmoth, Montana Historical Society Preservation Office, 1410 8th Avenue, P.O. Box 201202, Helena, MT 59620 or call (406) 444-7719.

The Montana Historical Society and the State Historic Preservation Office offer a variety of educational programs (as well as a museum) to the public. These activities include evening lectures on topics such as the Anzick Site, and prehistoric technology demonstrations. For more information, visit the Montana Historic Society's Web site at: http://montanahistoricalsociety.org/shpo/.

The First Peoples Buffalo Jump, (formerly the Ulm Pishkun Park) near Ulm, is one of the most outstanding buffalo jump sites in North America. It has bison bone deposits extending more than a mile along the base of the escarpment, making this site one of the largest sites of its kind in the Northern Plains. Archaeological and written records indicate that bison were harvested at the site during prehistoric times. The east face of the plateau is an escarpment with buried bison bone, tools, and other camp debris that represent numerous occasions of buffalo hunting by ancient Native Americans. The Visitor Center tells the story of the buffalo and what we know of the people who shared its world. For more information, visit: http://stateparks.mt.gov/parks/visit/firstPeoplesBuffaloJump/ call 406-866-2217.

The Pictograph Cave State Park near Billings has an interpretive center, hiking trails, and interpretive trails. A short paved trail allows you to view the excellent rock paintings, known as pictographs, that are still visible in Pictograph Cave. For more information, call 406-254-7342, or visit its Web site at: www.pictographcave.org/.

The Makoshika State Park in Glendive has features trails and an interpretive center. Makoshika, a Lakota word meaning "Bad Earth," holds many secrets in the brownish-gray soil of the Hell Creek formation. This was the home to Triceratops, Edmontosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, and many others. A trip through the interpretive center will reveal the stories of these creatures. For more information, call 406-377-6256, or visit: http://fwp.mt.gov/lands/site_283890.aspx

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