Big Bone Lick State Historic Site

Known as the Birthplace of Paleontology in North America, Big Bone Lick has a remarkable scientific legacy dating back to the late 18th century. The site gained prominence when massive prehistoric animal bones were discovered here, including remains of mastodons, mammoths, and other Ice Age megafauna. Thomas Jefferson himself was fascinated by the site, and sent the first organized scientific expedition to collect fossils in 1792, marking an important moment in early American scientific exploration.

Native American tribes had long recognized the site's significance, using the salt springs and mineral deposits for thousands of years before European discovery. The natural salt licks attracted massive prehistoric animals, creating a unique ecological trap that preserved an extraordinary record of Pleistocene wildlife. These same salt deposits would later attract Native American hunting parties and eventually European settlers seeking valuable mineral resources.