The Pompeii of Nebraska episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 30, 2025 · 16 MIN

The Pompeii of Nebraska

from The Atlas Obscura Podcast · host SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

In 1971, a paleontologist discovered an animal graveyard in northeastern Nebraska. It was crammed with species that lived in North America millions of years ago: camels, rhinos, and three-toed horses…  Excavating this site, two things immediately became clear: something had drawn all these animals to this particular spot – and something very bad had happened to them. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1971, a paleontologist discovered an animal graveyard in northeastern Nebraska. It was crammed with species that lived in North America millions of years ago: camels, rhinos, and three-toed horses… Excavating this site, two things immediately became clear: something had drawn all these animals to this particular spot – and something very bad had happened to them.

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The Pompeii of Nebraska

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In 1971, a paleontologist discovered an animal graveyard in northeastern Nebraska. It was crammed with species that lived in North America millions of years ago: camels, rhinos, and three-toed horses…  Excavating this site, two things immediately...

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