Behind the Scenes
Hinds Cave is situated more than 60 feet above the canyon floor. That's as high up as a four or five-story building! To reach the cave, researchers had to either climb up the side of the cliff or slither down from the top. It was a mighty scary undertaking just to get to work each day!
In the Lab
"We're not squeamish." Two of the Hinds Cave researchers are shown
looking at coprolites in the laboratory. On the left, Dr. Vaughn Bryant
and Dr. Glenna Dean hold coprolite samples. At right, Dr. Dean
studies a sample under a microscope. These photos were taken in the 1970s,
when Hinds Cave was first being studied.
At the Site
 A long way up. An archeologist climbs the rope up the bluff to get to the cave (just like Dr. Dirt!). |
 A dirty business. Glenna Dean and archeologist Ed Baxter collect samples of dirt which will be passed through a screen to look for small artifacts, such as bone. |
 Achoo! Clouds of dust filled the air whenever archeologists screened the dirt samples collected from inside the cave. They are wearing dust masks to help them breathe easier. |
