Eloise mammoth at Murray Springs shows Clovis point and YDB impact layer. A mammoth nicknamed "Eloise" was found buried at Murray Springs, Arizona, in sediment dated to 12,800 years ago, covered by the "black mat" layer. No mammoth skeletons or Clovis points have ever been found above this layer anywhere across the Southwest, including Arizona. A Clovis point was found jammed in the ribs of the mammoth skeleton, indicating human hunting before the event.
At Murray Springs, Arizona, mammoth "Eloise" was found in 12,800-year-old sediment beneath a "black mat" layer. A Clovis point jammed in her ribs showed humans hunted her just before. The overlying layer held shock quartz, nanodiamonds, melted spherules, and soot — proxies found together only at impact sites. Neither mammoths nor Clovis people ever returned to the valley.
Key Facts
- A mammoth nicknamed "Eloise" was found buried at Murray Springs, Arizona, in sediment dated to 12,800 years ago, covered by the "black mat" layer.
- No mammoth skeletons or Clovis points have ever been found above this layer anywhere across the Southwest, including Arizona.
- A Clovis point was found jammed in the ribs of the mammoth skeleton, indicating human hunting before the event.
- Samples from the layer on the mammoth contained shock quartz, nanodiamonds, melted spherules, carbon spherules, and soot - all proxies found together only at impact events.
- An African elephant expert determined the mammoth was a fresh kill (dead no more than a couple of weeks) when the YDB event occurred.
- Neither mammoths nor Clovis people returned to the valley after the event, despite having been present sporadically before.
Related site: Cuddie Springs — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: A Comet, a Cover-Up, and a Crater in Greenland, ft CRG’s Allen West by The Cosmic Summit