Archeological Dig

This passage is about an archaeologist who discovered that there had been a volcanic explosion in Idaho 10 million years ago.

Lexile Level: 480L

Categories: Science & Technology Animals & Nature

In 1971, Dr. Voorhies was walking with his wife. They were on a farm in Nebraska. Dr. Voorhies saw something sticking out from the ground. It was a white bone. He recognized it. It was part of a baby rhino skull. He began an archaeological dig at the site. He uncovered animal skeletons. There were camels, rhinos, horses, lizards, and turtles. Dr. Voorhies learned these animals had been killed by volcanic ash. This puzzled Dr. Voorhies. There are no volcanoes in Nebraska. There never have been volcanoes in Nebraska. Where did the ash come from? To solve this mystery, scientists studied the ash near the skeletons. Ash from a volcano is unique, like a fingerprint. Scientists identified the volcano and the eruption that made the ash. They learned the ash was 10 million years old. It came from a huge volcanic explosion in Idaho. Winds carried the ash to Nebraska.