It’s 1971, and construction workers are digging beneath what’s now the UBS Tower on Deaderick Street in downtown Nashville. To their surprise, they uncover a cave system teeming with fossilized remains: ancient deer, horses, and even human bones. The site became known as the First American Cave, and the discovery was one of the most significant paleontological finds in Tennessee history.
Deep in the caves, scientists discovered the remains of a Smilodon fatalis, better known as a saber-toothed cat. The bones were estimated to be around 10,000 years old. For decades, the saber-tooth remains sat in the bank lobby as a strange but beloved piece of local trivia.