Museum of Idaho unveils giant exhibits

Giant mammoth skeletons took over the Idaho Museum of Natural History in Pocatello as it opened two new exhibits this month.

“When Giants Roamed” is one exhibit featuring mastodons, camels, bison and even the 13-foot sloth that once roamed the Snake River Plain thousands of years ago.

The exhibit displays bones and artifacts found right here in Idaho, dating anywhere from 8,000 to 45 million years ago.

This includes the ancient spear called the atlatl, which was used to hunt those giant mammoths.

Amber Tews, anthropology collections manager for the museum, said the staff was excited to bring these ancient artifacts back to life.

“We thought we needed to do something big and cool, and what’s cooler than big, giant mammals roaming the Snake River Plain?” Tews said.

She said former Idaho State University student Richard Howard donated the atlatl display after noticing it was a crucial piece missing from the museum.

She added, at the end of September the museum will display a few different traveling Smithsonian exhibits including: “I Want the Wide American Earth,” “Asian-American Pacific Story” and “The Hidden Stories – the Asian-American Pacific Stories of Idaho.”