The discovery of a Native American cemetery at the Black Cat Cave archaeological site has led the City of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University, and other public and private partners to secure the cave area and discuss plans for its future.
Well known among Rutherford County locals as the reputed location of a speakeasy during the 1920s Prohibition Era, Black Cat Cave recently became the subject of an archaeological excavation by a team of MTSU professors and students.
Conducted in spring 2014, the MTSU field study came soon after the City of Murfreesboro discovered vandalism and heavy looting to the cave, including graffiti and illegal digging. The study confirmed the presence of a prehistoric cemetery at the site, and through radiocarbon-dating it was determined that the human artifacts and human remains recovered from the cave date back 5,000 to 7,500 years to what is known as the Middle Archaic Period.
“The discovery of ancient human remains within the confines of Black Cat Cave has required sensitivity to the peoples and rituals of the ancient past,” said MTSU archaeologist Shannon Hodge. “As a scholar of prehistoric culture, I appreciate the efforts of the City of Murfreesboro to protecting and preserving this cultural resource.”
“Because this site has a previously unknown prehistoric Native American cemetery on it, Murfreesboro Parks & Recreation officials have been conscientious about treating the site with respect and marking sure that the site is secure. We couldn’t have asked for better partners.”
The public-private partnership to protect and preserve the archaeological site has resulted in an innovative gate system to prohibit public access to the north Murfreesboro property. The new cave gate consists of steel columns supporting horizontal bars spaced approximately 5 inches apart. The design balances cave security with biological transparency, an important part of the design because it allows air and water exchange in the cave system as well as habitat for cave-dwelling species.
“We recognize, with the help of our MTSU partners, that Black Cat Cave is a cultural resource that must be preserved,” said Lanny Goodwin, director of the Murfreesboro Parks & Recreation Department. “We appreciate the work of the university’s scholars and students, as well as the engineering firm Griggs & Maloney to preserve and protect this newly found evidence of prehistory.”
For more, see Middle Tennesee State University news.
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