Remains are buried as deep as 30 feet
below the cave floor. Revealing the mysteries of
prehistoric life through artifacts that are revered by
archeologists for their proliferation and condition. The
debris buried here includes a mixture of Ice Age bones,
arrowheads, pottery, and other items which provide
insight into what prehistoric man ate, the tools he used,
and weapons he built to protect himself. Nowhere in the
U.S. have more stone age artifacts been uncovered. Some
of the fossils here are more than 9,000 years old!
AL,
Russell Cave National Monument, prehistoric era
inhabitants depiction
Careful examination by scientists has
revealed that these remains were concentrated by the
inhabitant's method of housekeeping. Garbage was not
taken out but covered by baskets of dirt. This provided
prehistoric man with a clean cave and modern man with a
wealth of information about life in prehistoric times.
Radiocarbon dating have placed the finds at between 7000
BC to 1650 AD. The latter is when the cave's last
full-time inhabitants (Cherokee Indians) began farming
and abandoned the area. Approximately 30,000 people visit Russell Cave each year. Russell Cave National Monument
(Free Admission), Box 175, Route 1, Bridgeport, AL 35740
(205) 495-2672
