Found: Largest known Native American cave art, hidden in plain sight

Credit: JF Simek et al., Antiquity, 2022

More than 1,000 years ago, Native American artists lay on their backs, deep in a cave in present-day northern Alabama. They started to etch into the mud on the damp, limestone ceiling above them. With only 2 feet of distance separating the cave’s floor from its ceiling, these ancient artists could never step back to appreciate their images in full. However, thanks to 3D imagery, we can.

A team of archaeologists led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Jan Simek reported the discovery of five large cave images. They published their findings in the journal Antiquity. 

By Jasha Hodzlc