Vore Buffalo Jump to host open house

Just as the year's tourist season gets underway for the Vore Buffalo Jump, the historical site plans to invite members of the public to attend an open house event on June 4.

Whether you've never had the chance to visit or would be interested to see how excavations are progressing, the Vore Buffalo Jump Foundation (VBJF) invites you to join archaeologists and site hosts for a tour and a chance to experience the fun activities offered during field trips.

The open house will be free to the public and will run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. During the morning, from 8 a.m. to noon, archaeologists from the Black Hills area will be performing maintenance on the bone bed itself.

Organizer Jena Rizzi, VBJF advisory board, says that archaeologists will be pleased to answer your questions during this time.

Throughout the day, visitors will be able to try out some of the activities that are regularly provided to students who visit the site during field trips. Approximately 800 students come to the Vore Buffalo Jump each spring and fall as part of the foundation's educational mission.

These include opportunities for young visitors to dig for souvenir arrow points and a chance for attendees of all ages to use an ancient hunting tool called an atlatl to throw darts at a target. Tours will also be available.

The Vore Buffalo Jump is located just west of Beulah on Old Hwy 14. This archaeological site provides insight into the late-prehistoric Plains Indians who lived in this region and, with an estimated 90% of the site still left to excavate, is believed to have the potential to provide decades of research in areas such as ethnohistory, geology and zoology.