<pclass="msonormal">Welcome to the audio only described version of Russell Cave
National Monument’s park brochure. The information presents the history of
former inhabitants of the cave shelter and details about planning your visit.
It includes a combination of text, illustrations, maps, and photographs.
<p>There are 15 sections to this recording. The recording time for side one is 17 minutes 17
seconds, and 10 minutes 31 seconds for side two.</p></pclass="msonormal">
<pclass="msonormal">Russell Cave is an archeological site. It was established as
a National Monument in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, after the property was
purchased by the National Geographic Society, and donated to the American
people. It is part of the National Park Service within the Department of the
Interior.
<p>The 310 acre park is situated just south of the Alabama
state line in Jackson County. Each year, thousands of visitors come to
enjoy the unique experiences and views that only can be found at Russell
Cave National Monument. We invite you to explore the park's natural beauty,
solitude, and connection to prehistoric people who lived in and around the cave
shelter. For those seeking to learn more about the park during their
visit, please speak to one of our park rangers at the visitor's center.</p>
<p>Junior Ranger books are available for
kids of all ages. Special events and programs are presented throughout the year
and can be viewed on our park website.<br></p></pclass="msonormal">
<pclass="msonormal">Side one of the brochure is laid out in a typical National Park Service
style with an inch long horizontal black band bordering the top. In large white
bold letters “Russell Cave” is printed on the left. On the right side of the
border, smaller white print reads, “Russell Cave National Monument, Alabama,
National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior." There is a small
National Park Service arrowhead logo on the far right. The arrowhead is medium
brown with a white bison grazing on green grass in the center foreground. A
tall giant sequoia tree on the left, a small lake on the right, and a snow
covered mountain range lie in the background. Above this scene, “National Park
Service” is printed in white text.<p>The top two thirds of side one contains a large illustration
displaying the inferred lifestyle of Archaic period inhabitants at the cave
shelter dating back approximately 9,000 years ago. Included are representative
plants, animals, and tools used in daily life for the era. Flora with special
significance are featured in the lower foreground of the cave shelter
illustration. </p><p>The bottom third of side one, separated by a line from the
top, contains two maps. One depicts the park’s physical location in relation to
major highways and State lines, while the second identifies park specific
features including orientation, buildings, and trails. </p><p><br></p></pclass="msonormal">
<p><strong>Descriptions:
Side One Illustrations.</strong><br></p><pclass="msonormal">
<p><pclass="msonormal">Image 1 of 9: Russell Cave. The scene is a full color artistic rendition depicting ancient indigenous tribal people from the Archaic period in landscape as it may have looked about 9,000 years ago. In this serene setting, long shadows reveal an early summer morning with white clouds covering an emerging blue sky. The front view looks up at a very wide, highly fractured, grey limestone cave divided by a central stone support column. The left side of the cave’s double entrance is at grade level. On this side, wispy fog hangs lightly one third above the gushing blue stream flowing into the opening. An equally wide entrance on the right side of the dividing column is significantly higher and exposes a shelter. Someone inside the shelter is tending a fire. Above the shelter entrance, a ray of sun is lighting up the protruding ledges where pockets of moss and freely hanging, stringy, green vines are growing. </pclass="msonormal"></p><p><pclass="msonormal">A steep, grass covered slope, heads down from the shelter towards the creek and is strewn with large fallen boulders from the cave’s upper ledges. Near the water’s edge, young river cane and Jerusalem artichokes are thriving. The creek bed is heavily bordered by small to medium sized river stones.</pclass="msonormal"></p><p>Topping the cave is a soil layer providing ample nutrition and stability for many shrubs and deciduous trees, both young and old. The assorted trees are full of brilliant green leaves. The cave is surrounded by a rich woodland. On the left, a large double trunk Ash tree is leaning toward the cave along a shady, rocky slope covered in lush ferns and a large wild hydrangea heavily laden with white flower bracts.<br></p><p>19 people, infants through middle aged adults, are shown in various locations in front of the cave entrances. Their demeanor is peaceful as they methodically perform their normal daily activities. They are muscular, lean, and deeply tanned from outdoor living. Their long, dark, hair is coiled in tight buns held in place by long bone pins at the rear of their heads. Two of the older inhabitants have white hair, and are still actively participating in the daily tasks.</p><p>Close to the left cave entrance, a woman has collected water from the stream in a tightly woven basket. She is pouring it into another basket placed in front of a kneeling woman and a child sitting on a white mat.</p><p>From the east, five males are returning from a hunt carrying turkey and fish. In the center of this group, a man is carrying spears on his left shoulder, and an atlatl is tucked in a band around his waist. Two others ahead of him have slain turkeys hanging behind them, as though wearing backpacks. Coming from behind, a bare chested young boy is scampering next to a white haired older man. The man is carrying two large white fish. They are evenly balanced hanging on strings from a stick over his left shoulder. A woven basket with a long strap hangs from his right shoulder.</p><p>Three women are standing just ahead ready to greet the hunting party. A young woman is leaning slightly forward to see the men as she stands behind the oldest female of the tribe. The long, white hair of the older woman is flowing freely. Large, round white earrings adorn both of her ear lobes. Around her neck, a hide strap containing three long bear claws is worn as a necklace. Further forward, a pregnant woman, with her right hand resting lightly on her abdomen, has a strapped basket filled with water hanging from her left shoulder. She is approaching the leader of the hunting party as though to offer a drink upon their long awaited return. Nearby, two young children, a boy and a girl, are running from the creek toward the hunting party. The boy, barefoot and unclothed, has a large tan dog happily bounding alongside him. The dog, almost as big as the boy, appears to be a pet.</p><p>In the foreground, a woman is squatting near the stream. She is piercing shells with a hand driven pump drill made from a straight stick, counter weight, and sharp tip. This tool will be described in greater detail on side two of the brochure. The shells are held in place centered in a ring of small stones. Sitting opposite the woman, with his back to the creek, a young boy is shelling the nuts with a stick after cracking them open with rocks. He has a lot of work ahead with a square basket filled with nuts at his left side.</p><p>Across the stream, just above the waters’ edge, a young couple is facing one another in the morning sun. The male, facing the creek, is sitting on a hide spread upon the ground. He has a stone in his left hand and appears to be flintknapping. The woman is walking up the hill toward him carrying an armload of rivercane. A baby is strapped on her back secured in a woven cradleboard.</p><p>All but the naked boy are wearing an assortment of animal hide leg coverings, tunics, or dresses. Children are barefoot, but adults are wearing moccasins. The clothing appears soft, light, and supple from highly skilled tanning techniques. Raised, exterior seams are visible on all stitched items. They lightly pucker, and are pulled together with sinew or thin hide straps. In addition to the woman already described, other men and women are also wearing earrings. </p><p>Highlighted in the foreground, at the bottom of the scene, are larger scale renditions of important period plants, all of which still grow today. Featured from left to right are: Cardinal flower, Mulberry, Turkey mustard, American chestnut, hickory nuts, acorns, black walnuts, Little sweet Betsy trillium, Jerusalem artichokes, and Tulip poplar.</p><p>On the upper right hand portion of the scene, white italicized text is described in the caption below.</p><p>CAPTION: On a hot summer morning, thousands of years ago, sunshine lights up the cave entrance. The extended family staying here, perhaps up to 30 people, begins the day. This cave shelter, its cooling stream, and the surrounding forest provided for America’s earliest inhabitants for hundreds of generations. Yet only in the 1950's were the ancient clues of life at this site unearthed.</p><br>
<p><strong>Descriptions:
Illustration of featured plants</strong></p>
<p>Image 2 of 9: Cardinal flower. Tall, erect stalks are surrounded with many brilliant, red tubular flowers filling half the height of the stem. Beneath them, long, green, opposing leaves continue to
ground level. A lush stand of flower spikes is shown in partial sun.</p>
<p>Image 3 of 9: Mulberry. A slender tree branch with simple, alternately arranged, serrated, lobed leaves shade the long, ripe, dimpled berries colored in deep red to purple. A stem with multiple upturned leaves, and approximately 12 berries is shown. </p>
<p>Image 4 of 9: Turkey Mustard. (also known as Broadleaf toothwort). A
long, erect stem is burdened with terminal clusters of drooping white flowers, consisting of 4 petals. Wide, deeply
lobed, and sharply toothed leaves, in whorls of 3, lie at mid-stem. Four plants are shown
in bloom.</p>
<p>Image 5 of 9: American chestnut. A tree, with widely spaced, saw tooth edged leaves along a thin brown stem, contains a cluster of three nuts. One nut is tucked in the background. They are enveloped in round, spiny brown burs. Mature bottoms are split open and lined in tan velvet. The brown nutmeats, tucked deep within the bur, are smooth, shiny, and pointed. A short stem, with leaves and nut cluster, is shown.</p>
<p>Image 6 of 9: Hickory nuts, acorns, and black walnuts. </p><p>Hickory nuts. A large brown segmented outer
husk surrounds the multi-ridged round nut with a pointed tip. The nut itself is
tan. Four nuts are shown, one of which is partially encased in a mature brown hull. </p><p>Acorns. A single, elongated, tan tree seed is enclosed in a tough, leathery shell. The shallow brown cup shaped cap
is heavily scaled. A sharp tip pokes from the top, where it
separated from the tree limb. Three acorns are shown.</p><p>Black
walnuts. A large, dark brown, rounded, deeply ridged, non-splitting husk covers hidden nutmeats. Two whole, closed walnuts are shown.</p>
<p>Image 7 of 9: Little sweet Betsy trillium. A variegated, large triple
leaved, plant with long stem. Leaves emanate equally opposite from the same
place on the stem. The 3 petal burgundy colored flower originates just above
the leaves, separated by 3 short sepals at the top of the stem. Six
plants are shown.</p>
<p>Image 8 of 9: Jerusalem artichokes. Tall, stout stems bear multiple, large golden yellow flower heads on narrow spreading bracts. Long, ovate leaves are alternate in the upper section of the stem, while the lower ones are opposite. A small stand of about 10 plants is shown with the flower heads facing the morning sun.</p><p>Image 9 of 9: Tulip poplar. A tree branch with large, uniquely shaped leaves are clustered at the end of a long, hairless stem. The leaves have a broad, concave top and base and contain 4 to 6 pointed lobes around a square shaped leaf, similar to the palm of your hand. The leaf is symmetrical, with 2 to 3 lobes on each side, separated by a center line. Diagonal veins radiate from the center line toward the outer leaf edges. It bears yellow magnolia like, or tulip cup-shaped flowers. Two branches, with many leaves and approximately 5 flowers, are shown.</p>
<br><p>RELATED TEXT: Human Stories Unearthed<br></p><p>Abundant resources here and nearby provided for the people at Russell Cave. What nature did not provide, they either created or acquired through a gradually expanding trade network. As years passed, those who lived or hunted here left thousands of items linked to their everyday lives. In the mid-1900's archeologists uncovered a remarkable collection of art, technology, and debris representing over 10,000 years of human use in a single place.</p><p>This archeological record reveals evidence of the early Americans’ innovations, lifestyles, and social dynamics. Their creation and migration stories reveal how they came to live here and how this area helped form their cultural identity. Today, Russell Cave National Monument helps bring to light the many cultural developments of these phenomenal human journeys.</p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>Illustrations by NPS / Kristin Kest</p></pclass="msonormal">
<pclass="msolistparagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto">Located 8
miles west of Bridgeport, AL, and 5 miles from US 72, the park is open daily
year-round from 8 am to 4:30 pm central time except Thanksgiving, December 25,
and January 1. The visitor center has a museum, gift shop, restrooms, Junior
Ranger Program, and videos. A short path on the Cave Trail (boardwalk) leads to
the cave shelter and outdoor exhibits. Trails are open during park hours. The
park has a drink machine but no food service. Picnic tables are first-come,
first-served. Wheelchairs are available upon request.</pclass="msolistparagraph">
<p>MAP 1 of 2 DESCRIPTION: On the lower left corner, a small 2 inch by 3 inch, two tone overview wayfinding
map of Russell Cave National Monument places the park
just south of the TN State line in AL. TN is shaded in light tan, and Alabama is shaded in light green. The scale is 5 miles per inch, and the map is oriented to the north. Russell Cave is depicted as a dark green
box on the left side of County Road 98, less than 5 miles from the intersection of
County Road 75, in the town of Bridgeport.
To the northeast lies Chattanooga, TN, along Interstate 24. To the south lies Stevenson,
AL, which is located just west of U S Route 72 on County Road 117. The Tennessee River runs from north to south, east of the
park and the city limits of Bridgeport.</p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p>
MAP: Sharing stories of the Southeast’s earliest people
<p>Map 2 of 2 DESCRIPTION.</p><pclass="msonormal">A larger, illustrated, cultural and wayfinding map displays park
boundaries, trails, parking and picnic areas, and the Gilbert Grosvenor Visitor
Center. Large white text spells out Russell Cave National Monument within the park boundaries. Additional cultural history is presented in white text and described further below. Scale varies in
this perspective view.</pclass="msonormal"><p><br><pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></p><p>The map is oriented from the east. County Road 98 heads
from south on the left to north on the right. The park is located on the west, or top side, of the road. Park boundaries are shaded in dark green, with outlying areas in
lighter green. This two dimensional scene places a mountain range behind the
park. The highest elevation from the road to Russell Point is 1654 feet, or 504 meters. The overall aerial oriented view is predominantly tree covered with some flat grassland and private homes along the roadside in the foreground. The map legend displays three different trails in white lettering over green, blue, and brown boxes.</p><p>The visitor center is located left of the parking area and
picnic tables. A one way looped road curves in front of the visitor center. Leaving the rear of the
visitor center, a solid, dark tan line heading left denotes the path entitled “Cave Trail” which dead
ends at the shelter. Halfway to the shelter, a right turn leads to a sinkhole
where the hiking trails begin.</p>
<p>A light tan dashed line, with many switchbacks, indicates a steeply looped
nature trail of 1.2 miles, or 1.9 km, round trip in length. A 0.2 mile, or 0.3 km, cutoff trail dissects the lower
third of the main trail, significantly reducing the hike along a fairly level area within the
larger loop. </p><p>On the right side of the map, bold white lettering shares the following RELATED TEXT. Sharing stories of the Southeast's earliest people.</p><p>RELATED TEXT:<br></p><p>Living Descendants of the prehistoric cultures of America’s Southeast include the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Chickasaw Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Kialegee Tribal Town, Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma, Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians.</p><p>CREDIT: NPS</p>
<p>Side
two of this collage relies on the science of archaeology which brought Russell
Cave’s ancient past to life again during the excavations of the 1950's and
60's. It focuses on the cultural information revealed by the artifacts from
each archeological period.</p>
<p>Soil
layers, above and below fallen rock from the shelter roof, concealed crucial
information left behind by prehistoric cave inhabitants whose stories would be
unearthed thousands of years later. Remnants from prehistoric cultures,
deposited over time as far as 43 feet down, were discovered. These artifacts
were categorized, studied, and placed in context with other objects from the
same stratigraphic levels to help unfold mysteries of the past.</p>
<p>Moving
down the page, top to bottom, this 5 layer collage moves through the layers of
time and reveals stories of ancient people. The deeper we dig, the older the
artifacts become. Objects including weapons, tools, pottery, bones, and plant
seeds bring to light the changes that occurred throughout four distinct prehistoric
periods. The page is set up in a grid, similar to an excavation, with 5
horizontal periods divided by 4 vertical columns of data. Throughout each
layer, column headings from left to right labelled Tools of the Hunt, Human
Cultures, In the Cave, and World Events offer photos and corresponding text.
Illustrations, photos, and text are scattered throughout each segment and are
described in the most logical order possible, starting at the top, then left to
right within each period. Subsequent layers will be presented in the same
format as we move down the page.</p>
<p>The
background color graduates in shades of tan, light to medium, from top to bottom.
The sub-column entitled Cave Layers, under the heading In the Cave, is
graduated in shades of brown. A thin black line separates each period.</p>
<p>There
are 17 projectile points displayed on the page. These points are very generally
described in their respective periods. More detailed descriptions for each
point are provided under a separate tab entitled "IMAGES: In Depth Projectile
Point Descriptions", for those with a more avid interest.</p>
<p>Accompanying
text for photos and illustrations is provided.</p>
<p>Objects, their depth, and their placement give clues about the people who used Russell Cave. Layer by layer, archeologists unearthed over 100,000 artifacts from four distinct cultural periods covering 10,000 years. Below are examples of what they found and how these everyday items reveal human stories.</p>
<pclass="msolistparagraphcxspfirst" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto"><p><strong>DESCRIPTION LAYER ONE: MODERN</strong>, <strong>Present – Nearly 500 years ago. </strong></p>
<p>This
segment describes the top, or most current layer of the excavation. Four photos are described within this section.</p>
<p>RELATED
TEXT: MODERN era </p>
<p>Tools
of the Hunt: On the cave floor,
archeologists find modern tools of the hunt, like buckshot and a fishhook.
Projectile points (below) are the ancient tools that first drew archeologists
to excavate Russell Cave. ALL IMAGES-NPS
UNLESS OTHERWISE CREDITED; PENCIL ILLUSTRATIONS – NPS/GREG HARLIN</p>
<p>IMAGE
1 of 4: Buckshot</p>
<p>DESCRIPTION:
Two small round musket balls or buckshot are depicted. Their surfaces are grey,
worn and striated from firing.</p>
<p>CAPTION:
Buckshot.</p>
<p>CREDIT:
All images: NPS</p>
<p>IMAGE
2 of 4: Fishhook</p>
<p>DESCRIPTION:</p>
<p>A
heavily corroded, metal fishhook facing left is displayed. A short eye at the
top curves gently to the shank below. The bend is almost perfectly circular.
The point is tilted inward with a gap about 1/3 of the diameter of the bend.</p>
<p>CAPTION:
Fishhook.</p>
<p>Moving
right to the Human Cultures column, two photographs are shown. The first
displays an archaeological dig while the other is a portrait of Bettye J.
Broyles. </p>
<p>RELATED
TEXT: Knowledge Seekers</p>
<p>Archeology
is one way modern people may study the past to learn about our world and
discover a variety of human stories.</p>
<p>DESCRIPTION
IMAGE 3 of 4: Archeological dig</p>
<p>This faded color photo from the late 1950’s displays 7 archeological staff
members performing various excavation activities inside the cave shelter. The
dig area is divided into grids with yellow and red stakes evenly placed about 3
feet apart in rows. About 28 stakes are visible. Scattered around the dirt
floor and ledges are small, portable railroad lanterns offering light inside
the dim cave shelter. Strategically placed on the floor between the workers,
paper artifact collection bags are sitting on white boards. Moving from left to
right, a man is pushing a wheel barrow full of dirt to the right. In front of
him, a man in the foreground facing right is pounding stakes in the grid with a
hammer. Looking upward in the photo, three men with long handled shovels are
digging in trenches near the cave wall where the excavation has begun. The man
in the center is depositing soil in a wheelbarrow topped with a sifter, while
the two on either side of him are placing the soil in piles in front of them.
To the far right in the foreground, a man is kneeling in front of a bucket and
is examining or cleaning an artifact. Behind him, another man is bent forward
with his left foot on a rock ledge in front of him. He has a long handled
shovel on his left side and appears to be looking at something in his right
hand. The photo fades in a heavy borderless vignette around the upper and side
edges. All are wearing work clothes such as overalls, jeans and long shirts. Two
are wearing rimmed hats while others are wearing ball caps. <strong></strong><u>A caption to the right of the photo reads:</u> Before digging, ARCHEOLOGISTS (left) prepare
a grid that will help them search squares of earth for evidence of past human
presence.</p>
<p>CREDIT:
NPS / National Geographic Society</p>
<p>IMAGE
4 of 4: Bettye J. Broyles</p>
<p>DESCRIPTION: A sepia portrait photo of Bettye J. Broyles,
portrays her in a seated position, leaning slightly forward. She is looking at
the photographer with a half-smile on her face, which reaches her eyes. Her
demeanor is good-humored. She appears to
be in her late fifties, or early sixties, and is wearing her long, wavy, salt and
pepper hair pinned up above her neck and ears. Her forearms are resting on her
lap, and she is holding a white brochure in her hands. She is wearing a dark
banded watch on her left wrist. Her long sleeved, mock turtle neck, white knit dress
is adorned with a long, chunky necklace which ends in a large, downward facing,
horse shoe shaped medallion. She has a name tag pinned to her dress near her
right shoulder. The edges of the photo fade out in a heavy borderless vignette cropping all background from view.</p>
<p><strong></strong></p>
<p>CAPTION:
Archeologist Bettye J. Broyles (right) published a detailed work on the
excavations, which was key to understanding Russell Cave’s history. CREDIT: EASTERN STATES ARCHEOLOGICAL
FEDERATION</p>
<p>RELATED
TEXT: IN THE CAVE</p>
<p>In
the MODERN ERA soft drink bottle caps, sardine tins, tent pegs, broken bits of
china and glass, and even 1800s-era buckshot litter the cave.</p>
<p>WORLD
EVENTS</p>
<p>1962 3<sup>RD</sup> EXCAVATION (NATIONAL PARK
SERVICE)</p>
<p>1961 RUSSELL CAVE NATIONAL MONUMENT ESTABLISHED</p>
<p>1956
– 58 2<sup>ND</sup> EXCAVATION (CARL
MILLER, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION)</p>
<p>1953 1<sup>ST</sup> EXCAVATION (TENNESSEE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY)</p>
<pclass="msonormal"><br></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msolistparagraphcxspfirst">
<pclass="msolistparagraphcxspfirst" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto"><strong>DESCRIPTION: LAYER THREE,</strong>WOODLAND
period 1,000 – 3,000 YEARS AGO<p>RELATED
TEXT: Smaller points (layer above) suggest the Mississippians used bows and
arrows while people of the Archaic period hunted with larger points for the
atlatl spears (layer below). Woodland hunters use both.</p><p>IMAGE
1 of 6 DESCRIPTION: Arrow and Spear heads</p><p>Five
grey stone projectile points of varying shapes and sizes, from pentagonal to
triangular, are displayed. All have distal ends facing right. They are stacked
in the photo in the following order from the top: Jack's Reef Corner Notch,
Hamilton, and Copena. Beneath the
Copena, the Swan Lake and Camp Creek are placed side by side, left to right
respectively. The Jack’s Reef and Hamilton points are the smallest of the
five. Jack’s Reef is the lightest in
color. The Copena point, centered in the group, is the largest, while the Swan
Lake and Camp Creek are medium in size.</p><p>RELATED
TEXT: Early Farmers</p><p>Religion,
politics, expanding trade, and agriculture emerge during this time of social
and technological change. People live in larger villages, and food resources
may be more stable.</p><p>IMAGE
2 of 6 DESCRIPTION: Wooden Paddle</p><p>A
black and white penciled illustration of a paddle lying horizontally is shown.
The handle is on the left, and the wider spatula end, which contains a carved
design, ends on the right. The design is
placed within the widest portion of the paddle. The paddle then tapers slightly
to the straight distal end. The design starts with a solid circle in the center
surrounded by two outer rings, similar to two separate orbits around a planet.
From the center circle, a single stem heads right toward the distal end of the
paddle and passes through the two rings. At the junction of the outer ring, three
long stems taper out from the top of the circle, like a dissected V. Beneath this sideways apple shaped design, a semicircle
curves from the bottom in a clockwise direction about 1/3 the distance of the outer
circle. A short, straight line
perpendicularly emerges from the bottom semicircle, slightly off center, and
points down the paddle handle.</p><p>CAPTION:
WOODEN paddle with a carved design (above); Swift Creek pottery sherds (right).</p><p>IMAGE
3 of 6: Swift Creek pottery sherds</p><p>Below
and right of the captioned text are two 5 sided pottery sherds dark taupe in
color. There is a small piece on the left and a larger piece to its right. The
large piece is about 3 times the size of the smaller sherd and the color fades
to the right. They are both randomly impressed with the same pattern described on
the above paddle. </p><p>IMAGE
4 of 6 DESCRIPTION: Drill Bit</p><p>A
stone drill bit, in its current form, is shown inside a brown outline of its
assumed original arrowhead shape. The original triangular arrowhead outline is pointing
downward with the shaft at the top. The drill bit has ears below the shaft
which taper in to a long blade. The
outer edges of the original blade points are severely and evenly knapped away
to provide a long, sharp, straight bladed drill bit. This is a hand drawn
illustration in shades of grey and tan.</p><p>CAPTION:
People would REPURPOSE broken projectile points, like this one made into a
drill bit.</p><p>IMAGE
5 of 6: PUMP DRILL</p><p>An
illustration of a 5 piece wood and stone pump drill is shown. The straight, vertical
wood shaft, similar to a dowel, has the center of a long cord attached to the
top. The ends of the even cord lengths
are attached to the distal ends of a perpendicular pumping stick. The center of
the horizontal pumping stick has a hole through which the vertical shaft is
placed. A hand is placed on each side of the pumping stick. As the stick is pushed
up and down, both sides of the cord twirl around the upper half of the shaft,
forcing a sharp, stone drill bit to alternately turn left and right with each
stroke. Below the pumping stick, a stone
weight, with a hole in its center, is affixed to the shaft creating centrifugal
force for its rotation. The shaft passes through the center hole of this spindle
whorl also providing weight and stability for the drill assembly. The stem of a
long, tapered stone drill bit is fasted at the bottom of the shaft with a cord
or sinew. Ears from each side of the drill bit stick out from the side of the
shaft. This illustration displays the pump drill in a vertical position as
though in use with two hands pumping it. The drawing is colored in shades of
monochrome brown.</p><p>CAPTION:
Stone discs with centered holes are used as weights for PUMP DRILLS and SPINDLE
WHORLS.</p><p>IMAGE
6 of 6: Chenopodium</p><p>This
branching plant has alternately placed, long, narrow, toothed leaves which are
medium green in color. The ends of the branches contain tightly clustered, small,
white to yellow flower spikes. The central stem is thick with a darker greenish
brown coloring. The plant depicted is leaning slightly left as though blowing
in the wind.</p><p>CAPTION:
At Russell Cave archeologists find charred remnants of a basket filled with
Chenopodium (lamb’s quarters) seeds – one of the first wild PLANTS humans
cultivate in North America. CREDIT:
WIKIMEDIA</p><p>RELATED
TEXT: 6 INCHES DOWN</p><p>Key
archeological finds from the Woodland period provide evidence of new
technology, like the manufacture of pottery for cooking and storage of food,
the development of the bow and arrow, and increasing agricultural techniques.</p><p>WORLD
EVENTS</p><p>1,000
YEARS AGO – VIKINGS REACH NORTH AMERICA</p><p>1,300
YEARS AGO – ANCESTRAL PUEBLOAN CULTURE BEGINS</p><p>1,400
YEARS AGO, ISLAMIC TERRITORY EXPANDS</p><p>1,900
YEARS AGO – ROMAN EMPIRE TERRITORY REACHES ITS LARGEST EXTENT</p><p>2,100
YEARS AGO – PAPER INVENTED IN CHINA</p>
<p>2,300
YEARS AGO – HELLENISTIC CULTURE PREVAILS</p></pclass="msolistparagraphcxspfirst">
<pclass="msolistparagraphcxspfirst" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto"><strong>DESCRIPTION LAYER FOUR: ARCHAIC period
3,200 – 11,450 YEARS AGO</strong><p>RELATED
TEXT: Digging more deeply takes archeologists further back in history. Russell
Cave’s points exhibit how humans chipped weapons over thousands of years.</p><p>IMAGE
1 OF 6 FISHHOOK and PROJECTILE POINTS</p><p>At
the top of this photo collage, a carved bone fishhook, ivory in color, appears
very delicate, but in fact is very strong. It appears quite smooth. A deep
groove surrounds the lower portion of the eye. The long straight shaft turns in
an abrupt “u” shape at the bend. No barb is apparent, but it is finely tapered to
a sharp point. The throat length is about one third the length of the entire hook.</p><p>Beneath
the fishhook, 4 projectile points are placed almost in a square formation with
distal ends facing right. The top two, from left to right are labeled Crawford
Creek and Morrow Mountain. Beneath them, from left to right are labeled Kirk
and Russell Cave. All are roughly triangular in shape, but the Morrow Mountain
point has a rounded contracting stem at the base and is the only point that is
not serrated along the blade. They are all dark grey in color.</p><p>RELATED
TEXT: Warming weather and over-hunting contribute to the extinction of the
largest Ice Age animals. People use more reliable sources of plants, nuts, and
seeds for food; hides for clothing, shelter, and containers; bones for tools,
game pieces, and adornments; and domesticated dogs for hunting.</p><p>IMAGE
2 of 6 Grinding and nutting STONES</p><p>A
color photo of two mottled tan stones is shown. The bottom stone is large and
nearly square with a flat top and roughly chipped sides. The top, working side
of the stone is smooth and almost polished from use. Resting on top is a smooth, large egg shaped
stone which would fit nicely in the palm of your hand. The bottom is flat and
lays securely on the larger stone below.</p><p>CAPTION:
Grinding and nutting STONES</p><p>CREDIT:
NPS/HANK KRATT</p><p>IMAGE
3 of 6 DESCRIPTION: BONE hairpins</p><p>DESCRIPTION:
A shaded grey penciled illustration of the rear of a woman’s head is shown. Her
head is facing slightly to the right showing her right ear, jawline, cheekbone,
eye socket and tip of her nose. Her hair is coiled into a knotted bun and held
in place with two long tan colored bone pins. The pins are crossed in an X
through the bun with the tips pointing downward on the right. The wider ends on
the upper left have notched edges.</p><p>CAPTION:
BONE hairpins</p><p>CREDIT:
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA/MATTHEW GAGE</p><p>IMAGE
4 of 6 DESCRIPTION: YUCCA</p><p>Bright
green twisted strands of fresh yucca leaves are laying on a 45 degree angle
with the lower corded end on the left and the uncorded leaves spraying up and
to the right. The long strand has been tightly twisted together to create a
thick rope like cord.</p><p>CAPTION:
Corded YUCCA fibers</p><p>IMAGE
5 of 6 ATLATL</p><p>RELATED
TEXT: An ATLATL is used to throw projectiles like spears or darts at a longer
range and a higher velocity.</p><p>DESCRIPTION:
Pictured is a shaded grey pencil illustration of a male or female left forearm
extending up from the elbow. The arm passes through two sections of the
brochure starting with the elbow in the Paleo period below this segment, and the wrist and hand in the Archaic section. Three fingers, pinky through middle
finger are wrapped around the handle of an atlatl. The index finger and thumb
are pointed up with finger tips holding a spear. The long spear covers the
entire distance of the collage scene, and the triangular projectile point is heading
left. The atlatl handle is bone colored with a hide strap pulled through a hole
and draped around the throwers hand. Random lined etchings have been carved
into the handle from a sharp tipped tool. The atlatl shaft has a sharply hooked
end that dips inside the hollow end of the spear. A dark grey stone counterweight, with a flat
side touching the atlatl shaft, is tied on with straps. The opposite side of the
weight is curved and tapered toward both ends to the shaft. </p><p>CAPTION:
Atlatl COUNTERWEIGHT</p><p>IMAGE
6 of 6 DESCRIPTION: Bone Awl</p><p>A
color illustration of a whittled bone awl is shown with the point facing left. Its coloring is tan, with darker mottling near
the tip, which appears very sharp and thin. The right side, where it would be
held, is significantly thicker. The top is straight across. From the widest
end, right to left, the bone slants sharply down in about a 30 degree angle,
then the bottom gently tapers back to the tip.</p><p>CAPTION:
BONE awl</p><p>RELATED
TEXT 4 FEET DOWN</p><p>Most
of Russell Cave’s use occurs during the ARCHAIC period. At this depth,
archeologists find points to hunt deer, turkey, squirrel, bobcat, bear, and
other nearby forest animals. They also find stones used to process food, grind
seeds, and crack nuts.</p><p>WORLD
EVENTS:</p><p>3,000
YEARS AGO IRON AGE BEGINS</p><p>4,000
YEARS AGO MAYAN CULTURE BEGINS</p><p>4,500
YEARS AGO STONEHENGE MONOLITHS ERECTED IN ENGLAND</p><p>4,500
YEARS AGO GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA CONSTRUCTED</p><p>5,300
YEAR AGO OTZI THE ICEMAN BORN</p>
<p>5,600
YEARS AGO WRITING INVENTED IN ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA</p></pclass="msolistparagraphcxspfirst">
<p><strong>DESCRIPTION FIVE: PALEO </strong>10,000 – 14,500
YEARS AGO. </p>
<p>RELATED
TEXT: Found at the deepest level excavated, these oldest and biggest stone
points date back to the Paleo-Indians.</p>
<p>IMAGE
1 of 8 DESCRIPTION: Five Projectile Points</p>
<p>A
color photo of five medium to large spear points are in a vertical line,
labelled as follows: Greenbriar Dalton, Allen, Dalton, Stanfield, and Beaver
Lake. Of the 5, the Stanfield point stands out in size and shape. It is long
and narrow, similar to an isosceles triangle, and dwarfs the length of the
others. The rest are medium sized, pentagonal, or ovate. All are grey, except Beaver Lake, which
appears to be mainly cream colored with a small section of grey on one ear. All
are pointing with distal ends to the right.</p>
<p>RELATED
TEXT: First Inhabitants. Paleo-Indians settle in the area. They hunt peccary
and porcupine; fish in nearby rivers; and forage for berries, nuts, and edible
roots.</p>
<p>IMAGE
2 of 8 DESCRIPTION Bark Basket</p>
<p>A
color photograph of a brown bark basket strapped together, is shown. The
basket is laying on its flattest side with the opening on the left. The side facing us is stitched together with
straps, of an unknown material, which
pass through holes near the seam edges. The holes are poked in three locations: near
the top, in the center and at the base. The straps are pulled through in a
randomly stitched pattern. The top of the basket has a rim of lighter
inner bark which is laced all the way around in similar fashion. The outside of the basket is rough with
deeply grooved bark ridges. It is somewhat conical in shape and comes to a
blunt point at the bottom. </p>
<p>CAPTION:
This poplar bark BASKET recreates a technique Paleo-Indians might have used.</p>
<p>IMAGE
3 of 7 DESCRIPTION: Original Roof</p>
<p>The
first of two side by side sepia color illustrations, shows a double entrance to
the horizontally fractured limestone cave. The entrances are separated by a
pillar of the same cracked material. Only a small portion of the left side is
shown since these drawings focus on the shelter side. A ledge juts forward producing
an overhang, making this roofline lower than the left side. Both entrances are at the same grade level.</p>
<p>RELATED
TEXT: Russell Cave’s original roof may have looked like this before the
collapse</p>
<p>The
second image, to the immediate right, shows the ledge collapsed in front of the
cave shelter. The newly fallen, large boulders raise the grade level on the
right side. The overhead roof line now almost matches the left side. The boulders have created a barrier to the
shelter entrance. A shadow in front of the left entrance indicates a depression
in the ground.</p>
<p>RELATED TEXT: Russell Cave’s collapsed roof raised the
floor, making the cave cool, dry, and habitable.</p>
<p>CREDIT:
NPS/LARRY BEANE</p>
<p>IMAGE
4 of 7 DESCRIPTION Peccary</p>
<p>This
is a brown monochrome illustration of a peccary, having a strong resemblance to
a pig. It has a large head with a long circular snout which begins at the
forehead. The eyes are small relative to head size. Its body is covered in
long, coarse hair, and has a heavier, darker bristly hair surrounding its neck
and head. The face and snout has short hair.
The body is large in comparison to its spindly legs. In this rendition,
its mouth is partially open revealing a few bottom teeth. The ear shown is
small and almost rectangular in shape, standing upright behind the jawline. It
is facing to the right in the picture and has a body shadow underneath where it
is standing.</p>
<p>RELATED
TEXT: Peccary, or javelina, is a pig-like animal now EXTINCT to the Russell
Cave area.</p>
<p>IMAGE
5 OF 7 DESCRIPTION Peccary teeth</p>
<p>Two
tan and brown teeth are illustrated side by side. The blocky teeth are almost
molar in appearance with spear like points facing downward. A front view of the
tooth is shown on the left and a side view is shown on the right. </p>
<p>CAPTION:
PECCARY teeth</p>
<p>IMAGE
6 OF 7 DESCRIPTION Second Excavation</p>
<p>Displayed
as a watermark, this faded sepia photograph shows a tiered cutaway view of the
cave’s second excavation. At the bottom of the pit, two people are using sticks
as levers to lift up a large rectangular boulder. On their right, above them, there
is a pole light shining down. Moving upward to the next level, on the left, an
individual appears to be seated cross legged on a ledge facing a cutaway. Above this seated person, a man is standing
facing the tiered wall emptying a shovel onto a ledge in front of him. Above him, others are standing at various
levels as the photo quickly in a heavy borderless vignette into the overall
background of the brochure.<br></p>
<p>CAPTION:
Russell Cave’s second EXCAVATION</p>
<p>CREDIT:
NPS/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY</p>
<p>IMAGE
7 OF 7 DESCRIPTION SCRAPER</p>
<p>The
final photo in this section is a smoky grey colored stone scraper. The right
edges are blotched in an opaque tan. It is flintknapped similar to a projectile
point, but it uniquely shaped. The stone appears very sharp around the edges of
the piece, and a large chunk is flaked off the face. Overall, the shape is oval with a short handle-like stem slanting
slightly upward on the left. This may be intended as a handle, or a section below
may have broken off causing the irregular shape. </p>
<p>CAPTION:
Animal hide SCRAPER</p>
<p>RELATED
TEXT:</p>
<p>6
FEET DOWN</p>
<p>Archeologists
find that people during the Paleo period may have used the cave as a shelter or
hunting camp. The first occupants may have arrived at least 10,000 years ago.</p>
<p>12
FEET DOWN</p>
<p>Dalton
points are found on the fallen rock of Russell Cave’s roof collapse.</p>
<p>43
FEET DOWN</p>
<p>Archeologists
reach the water table—over four stories below the cave floor.</p>
<p>300
million years ago Russell Cave’s sedimentary rock forms in a tropical sea.</p>
<p>WORLD
EVENTS:</p>
<p>9,000
– 11,000 YEARS AGO – RUSSELL CAVE ROOF COLLAPSES (SEE IMAGES, LEFT)</p>
<p>11,500
YEARS AGO – FERMENTING GRAIN MAY HAVE LED TO THE FIRST BEER</p>
<p>11,700
YEARS AGO – LAST ICE AGE ENDS</p>
<p>15,000
YEARS AGO – EARLY AMERICANS DOMESTICATE DOGS</p>
<p>16,500
– 30,000 YEARS AGO – HUMANS ARRIVE IN THE AMERICAS</p>
<p>17 projectile points are described in this section starting with the most recent, Mississippian period, to the oldest, Paleo period. They are described as they appear on the brochure and may not exactly match typical text book descriptions of the same named points. </p><br><p><strong>IMAGE 1 of 17 Description</strong>: Guntersville<br></p><p>Beginning with the Mississippian period points, this blade is excurvate, curving at the tip and becoming parallel at the hafting area. The cross-section is biconvex. Its widest point is at the midsection, and distal end is acute. The basal edge is straight and thinned. Broad, shallow, random, flaking appears on the face with fine secondary flaking along the blade edges and sides of the hafting area. Short flakes were removed to thin the basal edge.<br></p><p><strong>IMAGE 2 of 17 Description</strong>: Madison<br></p><p>This is a thin, small, triangular point with a flattened cross section. The blade is primarily straight with a slight incurvate edge approaching the basal end. The edges are smooth and forms an isosceles triangle, (half as wide as the height). The base is slightly concaved with some basal thinning. The flaking pattern is random.<br></p><pclass="msonormal"><br><p><strong>IMAGE 3 of 17 Description</strong>: Fort Ancient<br></p><p>This is a small, fairly thick serrated triangular point with an elliptical cross section. The blade is slightly incurvate, long and narrow with moderate serrations. The base is primarily straight with a concave lip on its right side and basal thinning. This point has a high degree of workmanship and a random flaking pattern.<br></p><pclass="msonormal"><br><p><strong>IMAGE 4 of 17 Description</strong>: Jack’s Reef Corner Notch</p><pclass="msonormal">Moving into the Woodland period, as it’s name indicates, this broad, thin small corner notch point is almost pentagonal in shape. This particular point is almost as wide as it is long. The cross section is primarily flattened. The blade is excurvate and its shoulders end with short thin barbs. The stem is expanding and base is slightly concaved. Basal thinning and smoothing is present. This point has a random flaking pattern.<br><br><p><strong>IMAGE 5 of 17 Description</strong>: Hamilton</p><pclass="msonormal">This is a thin small triangular point with a flattened cross section and is almost perfectly symmetrical. The blade is straight, mildly serrated, and forms an isosceles triangle, but flairs outward to the base. The base is concave with basal thinning. This has a random flaking pattern.<br><br><p><strong>IMAGE 6 of 17 Description</strong>: Copena</p><p>This is a medium to large lanceolate point. It is long, narrow and tapered. The blade is predominately straight with a straight base. It is nearly symmetrical. This point has broad shallow random flaking and the edges are touched up with fine pressure flaking.<br></p><p><strong>IMAGE 7 of 17 Description</strong>: Swan Lake:</p><p>A thick, small, triangular expanding stem point with an excurvate blade. Wide parallel notches are shallow and form a shoulder with an upward angle and an expanding stem. The base is convex. This point has a random flaking pattern and is crudely made<strong><em>.</em></strong></p><p><strong>IMAGE 8 of 17 Description</strong>: Camp Creek</p><p>This is a medium triangular point with an elliptical cross section. The blade is primarily straight, with a very mild concave base and some basal thinning. This point has a random flaking pattern with little to no fine flaking quality.</p><p><strong>IMAGE 9 of 17 Description</strong>: Morrow Mountain</p><p>This is the first of four Mississippian period points. It is a medium triangular point with a convex stem. The cross section is elliptical. The blade is excurvate and is broad with the widest portion above the shoulders. The shoulders primarily slope upwards, but there is a well defined barb on the left side of this point. The right side barb may be worn or chipped off. The stem is short and broad with a convex base. This point has a random flaking pattern.<br></p><p><strong>IMAGE 10 of 17 Description</strong>: Crawford Creek</p><pclass="msonormal">This is a small to medium expanding stem point with an elliptical cross section. The blade is primarily straight with fine serration. The left shoulder curves slightly upward while the right shoulder is straight. The stem expands to a straight base with basal thinning. This point has a random flaking pattern.<br><br><p><strong>IMAGE 11 of 17 Description</strong>: Kirk</p><p>This is a medium stemmed point with an elliptical cross section. The blade is thick, straight, and serrated. This particular blade has one pronounced barb on the right shoulder while the left side slopes more gently to the stem. The stem is short and slightly expands to a concave base. This point has a random flaking pattern.<br></p><p><strong>IMAGE 12 of 17 </strong><strong>Description</strong>: Russell Cave</p><p>This is a medium, expanded stem point with straight blade edges that are shallowly serrated. The side edges of the stem are incurvate, and the basal edge is straight. The point has broad, random flaking patterns.<br></p><p><strong>IMAGE 13 of 17 </strong><strong>Description</strong>: Greenbriar Dalton</p><pclass="msonormal">The first of the Paleo period spear points to be described is a medium to large projectile form which has pointed ears projecting from the concave base. The cross section is rhomboid with excurvate blades up to the hafting area. This blade is chipped on the left corner of the base. The blades are finely serrated. Notches are broad and shallow, forming weak shoulders at an upward slope. The flaking pattern is random.<br><br><p><strong>IMAGE 14 of 17 </strong><strong>Description</strong>: Allen</p><pclass="msonormal">This is a medium, pentagonal lanceolate point with a thin elliptical cross section. The right side of this point is damaged reducing the symmetry of the piece. The intact, left side, has sharp edges from the point tip down the blade. The shaft is fairly long and straight, while the damaged side has rough edges. The base is deeply concave. The flaking pattern on the left side is parallel oblique, but additional surface damage to the body of this point makes the flaking pattern appear random.<br><br><p><strong>IMAGE 15 of 17 </strong><strong>Description</strong>: Dalton</p><pclass="msonormal">This is a medium to large point having rounded or pointed ears projecting from the concave base. The cross section is elliptical. The blade is primarily excurvate and lightly serrated, but lacks beveling. The flaking pattern appears random.<br><br><p><strong>IMAGE 16 of 17 </strong><strong>Description</strong>: Stanfield</p><p>This is a large point with long, straight blades. The blade is formed with collateral flaking forming a median ridge one to two thirds of the length of the blade, from the acute distal end. The basal edge is flat and thinned.</p><p><strong>IMAGE 17 of 17 </strong><strong>Description</strong>: Beaver Lake</p><pclass="msonormal">This is a medium sized point. The blade is outward recurvate from the distal end, narrowing at the waist and flaring out towards the base. The base is concave. Flaking pattern is random. This point is damaged near the left tip and does not come to a sharp point at the distal end.<br></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal">