<< Other Photo Pages >> Mammoth Cave Kentucky - Cave or Rock Shelter in United States in Great Lakes Midwest
Submitted by bat400 on Saturday, 22 July 2006 Page Views: 10003
Natural PlacesSite Name: Mammoth Cave KentuckyCountry: United States
NOTE: This site is 35.857 km away from the location you searched for.
Region: Great Lakes Midwest Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Nearest Town: Cave City, Kentucky
Latitude: 37.191000N Longitude: 86.1039W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
Internal Links:
External Links:
Cave in Edmonson County, Kentucky, in Mammoth Cave National Park. The location marks the Historic Entrance to Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system in the world. The area was known to the Paleo Indian peoples, but people of the Archaic Age entered the cave through this large natural entrance.
Native people went into the cave during the Archaic and Early Woodland Ages.
Evidence from the tools, torches, and markings on walls and ceilings indicates that they were collecting gypsum and other minerals found in the cave. The cave doesn't appear to have been used as a dwelling site for any extended period of time. These early visitors to the cave left a other signs of their visits including baskets and shoes, woven from twine. In the 1830's and 40's several somewhat mummified bodies were found and promptly taken away for traveling shows. When I was a child (over 30 years ago) a skeleton of "Lost John" was displayed in glass case in these passages. (In more recent years the remains of the lost soul have been removed from the idle gaze of the tourists in accordance with Federal law and changed sensibilities.)
This area of the cave can be visited on the Historic Tour, one of several ticketed tours offered of the huge cave system. Mammoth is known for huge underground rooms and passages. The Historic Tour goes through these types of areas, generally "dry" and without the spectacular cave formations created by water. The Violet City Lantern tour has included a viewing of prehistoric drawings on rock surfaces. Others tours of more colorful (but less historic) areas are also available. The Historic Tour is available year round. The greatest numbers of tours are offered in the summer months although this is the time of year most visited. Tickets can be purchased at the site but can also be scheduled in advance, to make certain of availability.
The park is also the location of multiple Archaic and Woodland site on the surface, but the locations are not easily available in the public record to protect them from looters. The National Park also offers hiking, camping, meals, cabin and hotel lodging. There are also many privately owned and operated caves in the area outside the park. Several of these area caves are also known to have had prehistoric visitors.
It is a World Heritage Site. park website
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