Today we stayed at a wonderful BOONDOOKING location, hosted by Nikki, high in the mountains above nearby SOUTH PITTSBURG, TENEESSEE, in close proximity to CHATTANOOGA. The views over the valley were absolutely incredible. Chattanooga has so much to offer in terms of natural beauty, and amazing attractions, such as RUBY FALLS, ROCK CITY, and the town itself. We had explored and thoroughly enjoyed these places last year. As a result, we decided to cross over the border into northern ALABAMA and investigate an historic PREHISTORIC CAVE SHELTER, the RUSSELL CAVE NATIONAL MONUMENT. It was designated a National Monument on May 11, 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. During the jointly sponsored SMITHSONIAN & NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY EXCAVATIONS, the National Geographic Society bought cave and surrounding land. It was ultimately donated to the American people in 1958. ARCHEOLOGISTS still consider the cave to contain one of the MOST COMPLETE ARCHEOLOGICAL RECORDS OF PREHISTORIC CULTURES discovered in North America. FOUR PEOPLES LIVED HERE over the last 10,000 years: 1) the PALEO PERIOD (before 9,000 years ago), 2) ARCHAIC PERIOD (9,500 – 2,500 years ago), 3) the WOODLANDS PERIOD (2,500 – 1,000 years ago) and, 4) the MISSISSIPPIAN PERIOD (1,000 – 450 years ago). The artifacts for the four periods were unearthed at four different depths, and were discovered as deep as 43 feet below the surface. What an interesting place to capture and learn some true history!!!!!
Full-time RV'rs, retired and ready to make a difference
