Enthralled by the new science of natural history, a famous American painter establishes a museum in his home and organizes a scientific expedition to find and dig up a complete mammoth skeleton.
An eleven-year-old boy living in New York State joins the expedition of nineteenth-century artist and scientist Charles Willson Peale to dig for mammoth bones on a nearby farm.
Left behind when the other cave dwellers move on, a small caveman rescues a mammoth and learns new skills that help him become the leader of his tribe.