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<< Our Photo Pages >> Russell Cave - Cave or Rock Shelter in United States in The South

Submitted by bat400 on Thursday, 02 April 2020  Page Views: 17437

Natural PlacesSite Name: Russell Cave
Country: United States
NOTE: This site is 33.877 km away from the location you searched for.

Region: The South Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Nearest Town: Bridgeport, Alabama  Nearest Village: Mount Carmel, Alabam
Latitude: 34.977600N  Longitude: 85.8105W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4

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Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by bat400 : Occupied for 9000 years. The twin entrances to Russell Cave, Jackson County, Alabama. The large entrance shelter is at right; a boardwalk prevents erosion and damage. A portion of the sheltered area was excavated to a depth of 40 feet, showing artifacts from human use all the way down. Dry Creek runs into the entrance at left, and showing the current stream bed to be a good 20 feet lower than ... (Vote or comment on this photo)
Russell Cave is unique in the south eastern United States in that the archaeological record of the deposits in the cave floor document continuous use for 9000 to 10000 years. The most extensive use of the cave was in the Early and Middle Archaic period (~3000 to 7000 BC) when the cave was the yearly winter quarters for bands of 20 to 30 people at a time. In later years as village life and agriculture was developed the cave was used as a camping place right up to the historic period, when use of the site appears to have stopped.

The cave entrance is made of twin openings. An ancient rock fall in the right hand side raised the level of both floor and ceiling and shunted the creek that helped form the cave to the left hand side. This led to the formation of an ideal location for housekeeping. The later deposits were both the debris of living and sand or earth brought into the cave to level the floor and to perhaps "clean up."

In 1953 Paul Brown, an engineer and member of the Tennessee Archeological Society surveying for power lines, was shown the cave when he told locals he was interested in Indian artifacts. With other society members they conducted limited digs and published their findings. Realizing their inability to conduct a more extensive dig the group contacted the Smithsonian Institution. Joint digs supported by the Smithsonian and the National Geographic Society (which leased the land) followed and were reported in both academic journals and in multiple articles in the National Geographic Magazine. The NGS purchased more of the surrounding land and in 1960 presented the site to the American People. Russell Cave was declared a National Historical Monument in 1961.

Finds include some Mississippian era jewelry of shells and incised stone as well as fragments of pottery and bone and shell food remains. From the Woodland period there were numerous fragments of stone and bone tools including fish hooks, projectiles points associated with bow and arrow technology, food remains, pottery and a charred basket of lambsquarter seeds. The finds of the Archaic period include many varieties of stone and bone hunting and food preparation tools as well as tools for making these points, knives, scrapers, awls and axes. Mortars, pestles, bone pins and awls were found in addition to pieces from atlatl. Bones indicated a wide variety of food animals including all animals historically known in the area as well as peccaries and porcupines (historically found only in the south west and north, respectively.)

Nine burials have been found within the cave, all from the Archaic period, all without grave goods. These burials ranged from a young man killed by having been shot in the back, to a very young infant, to an older woman.

Some finds are from artifacts particular to cave living. Post impressions imply that tents or lean-tos were used inside the cave, probably to keep water condensation off of supplies or sleeping areas. Flat cane mats were used to keep people and goods off the dirt floor. Bear legs bones were hollowed out and handled on one end only. Similar bone "candles" have been made by people in the far north. Filled with fat and twine or rawhide as a wick they served as a reusable torch.

For many years the main excavation cut was preserved with a ramp and marked layers of deposits for view to the visiting public. By the 1990's this had begun to deteriorate and was becoming both difficult to interpret, difficult to stabilize, and a possible health hazard. As a result the cut was filled in. Today the cave living area itself can be seen. There is a small but interesting museum describing the finds, and a nature trail that describes the geology, plant and animal life of the area. The beautiful wooded area is also known for bird watching.

Park website

[Information from "Russell Cave National Monument Official Map and Guide," National Park Service, US Department of Interior, 1999, "Life at Russell Cave," Dorothy Marsh, 1980, articles from The National Geographic Magazine, Carl F. Miller, October 1956 and March 1958, and park rangers at the site, July 13, 2006.]
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Russell Cave Mound
Russell Cave Mound submitted by Dodomad : This is one of three burial mounds (never excavated) at Russell Cave National Monument in Alabama. They are now unmarked for safety, but in the 1980s they had small signs. Photo courtesy Dr Greg Little, author of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Indian Mounds & Earthworks (2016). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by AKFisher : Life-size diorama inside Russell Cave National Monument in Alabama. It was inhabited by 6,500 BC. There are several unmarked burial mounds there. Photo courtesy Dr Greg Little, author of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Indian Mounds & Earthworks (2016). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by AKFisher : Life-size diorama inside Russell Cave National Monument in Alabama. It was inhabited by 6,500 BC. Photo courtesy Dr Greg Little author of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Indian Mounds & Earthworks (2016). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr : Diorama from the visitor centre Image copyright: andremuc71, hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr (Vote or comment on this photo)

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr : Diorama from the visitor centre Image copyright: andremuc1 (Andrzej Mucka), hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API.

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr : Russell Cave visitor centre Image copyright: andremuc71, hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API.

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr : Russell Cave 3D Project Image copyright: Lori D. Collins (Lori Collins), hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API.

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr : Russell Cave LiDAR Project Image copyright: Lori D. Collins (Lori Collins), hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API.

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr : Russell Cave 3D Project Image copyright: Lori D. Collins (Lori Collins), hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API.

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr : Clip #2 Click on the photo to see the video Russell Cave 3D Project Image copyright: Lori D. Collins (Lori Collins), hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API.

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by Flickr : Clip #1 - Click on the photo to see the video Russell Cave 3D Project Image copyright: Lori D. Collins (Lori Collins), hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API.

Russell Cave Mound
Russell Cave Mound submitted by bat400 : Russell Cave Mound, Jackson County, Alabama. This Woodland era burial mound is a short distance from the entrance to Russell Cave. A magnificent poplar tree grows from the edge of the mound - a beautiful natural marker. Photo by bat400, July 13, 2006

Russell Cave
Russell Cave submitted by bat400 : Looking out of Russell Cave, Jackson County, Alabama. The area is a prime habitat for birds. Photo by bat400, July 13, 2006

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 nankm 0° Russell Cave Mound* Artificial Mound
 51.5km ENE 76° Roxbury Indian Mound* Artificial Mound
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 79.4km S 183° Collinsville Indian Mound* Artificial Mound
 83.7km SSE 166° Coker Ford Site* Ancient Village or Settlement
 87.8km ENE 72° Candies Creek Village Archaeological Preserve* Ancient Village or Settlement
 89.6km NE 56° Hiwassee Island Mounds* Artificial Mound
 104.1km ESE 103° Fort Mountain Stone Enclosure* Cairn
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 132.1km SE 136° Etowah Mounds - Mound B* Artificial Mound
 132.1km SE 136° Etowah Mounds - Mound C* Artificial Mound
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 138.2km NNW 344° Sellars Farm* Ancient Village or Settlement
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 152.2km NW 318° Old Town (Williamson)* Ancient Village or Settlement
 152.8km S 179° Choccolocco Creek Mounds* Artificial Mound
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Re: Russell Cave by Andy B on Thursday, 02 April 2020
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Spatial Data Coming Soon

https://openheritage3d.org/project.php?id=4e4h-kz71
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