Dust Cave facts for kids

Dust Cave is a really cool archaeology site in northern Alabama. It's a special place where scientists study ancient people. This cave is found in the limestone bluffs of the Highland Rim. It looks over Coffee Slough, which flows into the Tennessee River. People lived here a very long time ago. They were here during the Pleistocene and early Holocene periods. That means from the end of the Ice Age until more recent times. Dust Cave, also known as 1LU496, was used by people for about 7,000 years. They probably visited it at different times of the year. Dr. Richard Cobb first found the cave in 1984. Then, Dr. Boyce Driskell from the University of Alabama started digging there in 1989.

Other important ancient sites in northern Alabama include Stanfield-Worley, Mulberry Creek, the Quad site, and Heaven's Half Acre.

Exploring the Ancient Dust Cave Site

This cave became a good place to live around 10,600 years ago. Before that, it was filled with river mud and water. The water levels dropped, cleaning out the cave. This made it a perfect shelter for early people.

Scientists have found signs of five different groups of people living here. These groups lived at different times:

• Quad/Beaver Lake/Dalton people (around 10,650-9200 BC)
• Early Side-Notched people (around 10,000-9000 BC)
• Kirk Stemmed people (around 8200-5800 BC)
• Eva/Morrow Mountain people (around 6400-4000 BC)
• Benton people (around 4500-3600 BC)

The dirt layers in the cave are like a timeline. Scientists label them from A to Y. Layer A is the newest, closest to the surface. Layer Y is the oldest, from the Ice Age.

Digging Up History: Dust Cave Excavations

Archaeologists started digging at Dust Cave in 1989. During that first year, they dug five small test areas. Each area was about 30 by 30 centimeters wide and one meter deep. One of these areas was made bigger. It showed many layers of dirt. They even found 20 human and dog burials from the Middle Archaic period.

In 1990 and 1991, they dug seven more test areas. These digs went all the way down to the solid rock beneath the cave. From 1992 to 1994, a long trench was dug. This trench, 2 by 12 meters, helped them see all the different layers of soil and artifacts. Digging continued from 1996 to 2002. The year 2002 was the last time they dug at the site.

Stone Tools Found at Dust Cave

Scientists studied 130 stone tools from one part of the cave. These tools were made by chipping stones. This area was chosen because it went down to bedrock. It also had tools from all five different groups of people who lived there.

The oldest layers, called Zones T and U, held tools from the Paleoindian period. This was a very early time. They found special spear points like Cumberland, Quad, Beaver Lake, Hardaway Side-Notched, and Dalton points. These stone tools are very old, dating back between 12,650 and 11,200 years ago.

Ancient Burials in the Cave

Some burials were found in the cave, in layers called Zone N and Zone P. These layers show the time between the Kirk Stemmed people and the Eva/Morrow Mountain people. The Eva/Morrow Mountain period was when the most people lived and did activities at Dust Cave.