La Grange Rock Shelter facts for kids

The LaGrange Rock Shelter is an important archaeological site in Colbert County, Alabama. It is located on private land between Leighton and Muscle Shoals. This rock shelter is a natural overhang under a sandstone cliff. It looks out over a valley where many very old Native American sites have been found.

The shelter is about 70 feet (21 meters) long and 15 feet (4.5 meters) deep. Its location made it a great place for ancient people to live. It also made it a good spot for archaeologists to explore.

Discovering Ancient History

Scientists started digging at the LaGrange Rock Shelter in 1972. Charles Hubbert led the first dig. Vernon J. Knight Jr. took over in 1975. Both digs were guided by David L. DeJarnette from the University of Alabama.

How Old Are the Finds?

During the digs, they found tiny pieces of charcoal deep inside the shelter. Scientists used a method called radiocarbon dating to find out how old the charcoal was. This method measures how much carbon-14 is left in something to tell its age. The charcoal was dated to about 11,280 BC. This suggests that people lived at the shelter during the Paleoindian Period. At that time, this was one of the oldest sites found east of the Mississippi River.

Important Discoveries

The charcoal pieces were found with small stone flakes. These flakes are bits of stone left over from making tools. They were found below a layer that clearly belonged to the Early Archaic and Late Paleoindian periods. This later period is also known as the Dalton culture.

The Mystery of the Charcoal

After looking closely, the scientists DeJarnette and Knight thought the charcoal might have moved. They believed it might have fallen from an upper layer to a lower one. This could have happened if the original floor of the shelter broke down over time. So, the very old Paleoindian date for the charcoal might be questioned.

An Ancient Burial Site

Even if the charcoal date is debated, the site still held a very special discovery. Archaeologists found an Early Archaic burial there. This grave is one of the oldest human burials ever found in the state of Alabama. It gives us clues about how ancient people lived and honored their dead.

A Protected Historical Site

Because of its important history and archaeological finds, the LaGrange Rock Shelter was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. This means it is recognized as a place important to the history of the United States.

See Also

In Spanish: Refugio de La Grange para niños