Russell Cave National Monument
The Russell Cave National Monument is located in the northeast of the U.S. state of Alabama. The National Monument was established on May 11, 1961. The National Geographic Society donated 1.25 km ² large area of the United States. It is managed by the National Park Service and is listed since 15 October 1966 at the National Register of Historic Places.
With a mapped length of 11.6 km, the cave is the third largest in the state of Alabama. In the list of longest caves in the United States, it is located at No. 90, world ranked 314 The extraordinary large entrance is already prehistoric indigenous people as a shelter.
Geology
Surrounded limestone Rusell Cave formed about 300 million years ago from the deposits of skeletons and shells of a lake existing at that time. By captured carbon dioxide from the air slightly acidic rainwater dissolved out some of the limestone and created the cave. About 10,000 years ago a part of the roof collapsed near Doran's Cove. The newly formed sinkhole put free access to the cave.
For a long time the cave was not accessible by water currents, but another rock fall drew the water flows so that a part of the floor was accessible. More Deckeneinstürze lifted the entire bottom of the cavity of more than 2 meters, in the vicinity of the entrance even 9 meters. In 1960, the cave was secured by various measures to prevent further collapses.
The opening of the cave lies to the east, so that the cold north and northwest winds will be held, which favored the colonization by animals and humans.
History
Early History
Finds of chipped fragments of flint and charcoal evidence of a use of the cave by humans for over 9000 years. The age of the artifacts was determined by radiocarbon dating. Thanks to the protected from the weather access the cave was an ideal refuge, especially in autumn and winter, especially since always stood by lack of frost inside the cave through which flowing river water. The surrounding mixed forest offered important food resources such as gray squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, gray foxes, and turkeys. However, larger mammals such as bears and deer were food source by skeletal remains. Also plant food offered plenty of forest.
Archaeological investigations
Archaeologists have found to date, over 2 tons of artifacts, including charcoal, bone both as food residues as well as tools such as fishing hooks and potsherds. Also the remains of human bodies were found, which were buried only superficially and without grave goods.
The first relics were found in 1953, when an expedition of the Tennessee Archaeological Society and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga began excavations in the cave. The first excavations were carried out to something a meter, the type and number of discoveries led to three further excavations ( 1956-1958 ) of the Smithsonian Institution with the National Geographic Society. The National Park Service conducted in 1962 by the so far last excavation, where up to 10 meters underground were investigated.
Biology
The cave is home to two species of bats. The current flowing through the cave river is home bullheads. Snakes such as the North American copper head, rattlesnakes and king snakes are looking for in the cave shelter. Over 115 bird species have been observed around the cave.