A retail shop located below Knife Works in Sevierville, Tennessee, the Smoky Mountain Relic Room sells historical and natural specimens that it sources from private property in full compliance with all state, federal, and international laws. While hunting for dinosaur fossils in Colorado, Smoky Mountain Relic Room owner Chase Pipes and his team stumbled upon a prehistoric granary where the Puebloan people had stored corn and other food.
While in the area, Chase Pipes made another remarkable discovery. The Puebloans had used dinosaur gastroliths as tools.
Gastroliths occur when an animal swallows a stone to aid in the process of digestion. Beyond dinosaurs, modern animals that range from birds to crocodiles also commonly use gastroliths.
Although both exhibit wear, gastroliths and tools hewn from raw stone have profound differences in the eyes of trained paleontologists. Near the prehistoric Puebloan granary, Chase Pipes discovered ancient gastroliths that had once been in the stomachs of dinosaurs before finding a second use as projectile point and tool material for humans.
While in the area, Chase Pipes made another remarkable discovery. The Puebloans had used dinosaur gastroliths as tools.
Gastroliths occur when an animal swallows a stone to aid in the process of digestion. Beyond dinosaurs, modern animals that range from birds to crocodiles also commonly use gastroliths.
Although both exhibit wear, gastroliths and tools hewn from raw stone have profound differences in the eyes of trained paleontologists. Near the prehistoric Puebloan granary, Chase Pipes discovered ancient gastroliths that had once been in the stomachs of dinosaurs before finding a second use as projectile point and tool material for humans.
