Page 56 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2026 - Online Magazine

Local
History

LAYERS OF TIME:

The Lubbock Lake Landmark

by Sally Post

scientists believe date back more than two million
years. Ice Age creatures such as the Columbian
mammoth, ancient bison, short-faced bear, ancient
camels, and horses roamed the area. The Landmark’s
collection also contains the remains of thousands
of plants, as well as fish, mice, snakes, and birds,
which together provide a deep understanding of the
region's ecology over time.

The Landmark’s research extends to the broader
Southern Plains region. With excavations located
around the Southern Plains, researchers have made
remarkable discoveries, including evidence of the
rare ancient American Lion, the first documentation
of the apex predator on the Southern High Plains.
Researchers have also delved into the artifacts left
behind by Apache and Comanche tribes, Buffalo
Hunters, and early ranch history.
ur country turns 250 this year. The City of
Lubbock turned 117 in March. However, many The Landmark is not just fossils and artifacts. It is also a
Obelieve the history of human habitation in record of environmental change. Pollen, plant remains,
Lubbock dates back about 13,000 years. and geological clues have allowed researchers to
document climate changes ranging from cooler, wetter
Nestled in a bend of Yellowhouse Draw on the conditions at the end of the last Ice Age to the warmer,
northern edge of the city, the Lubbock Lake Landmark, drier environment we see today.
which was discovered 90 years ago, is one of the most
important archaeological sites in North America. While
other sites may show signs of earlier human activity,
none have the continuous record on display like the
Landmark’s five unbroken layers of sediment. When
viewed in cross-section, the strata resemble a layer
cake, with each layer revealing traces left by different
generations, such as tools, bones, and hearths.
The Landmark’s researchers focus primarily on the
Quaternary Period, which archaeologists believe
began about 2.6 million years ago and continues today.
They look at everything from ancient animals to early
ranching history, from buffalo hunters to the Singer
Store, the first retail business in Lubbock.

While the Landmark's significance is based on its
record of human occupation, the site has also yielded
an array of animal and plant fossils, which some

56 Lubbock Senior Link