TN. cave-- Etched mud mounds???

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TN. cave-- Etched mud mounds???

Postby Limitool » Feb 8, 2014 11:33 am

Hello folks... I'm a new member and am seeking some opinions on some items in this cave behind my house. I "discovered" cave in 1994 and explored it deep. Shortly after entering... it narrows down quickly after about 40 yds. You go from duck-walking to crawling after about another 60 yds. The cave stays fairly wide but with a low ceiling. A small narrow stream runs down center at all times. I've taken many photos of this cave from the front to 1.5 hrs. deep. The streams water source came from an artisan well very deep within. I went further still before it narrowed down to the size of a 55 gal. drum. I still went another 20-30 yds. until it took a right angle to the left and I could see another 20 yds. ahead which then took a right turn. Since I could not turn around and was soaked and cold I crawled backwards until I could turn around. When I decided to start crawling backwards I spotted 3 bats on the ceiling ahead which lead me to believe I was possibly approaching another entrance. I've seen a few bats near the main entrance, crawfish, spotted lizards, spotted frogs along with cave crickets and some spiders. I have not sifted yet near the entrance which is my plan this spring. You can see where a large fire has left its mark on the ceiling there. There are natural shelves on each side of the cave for the first 50 yds. The cave has no choices upon which to ponder as far as getting lost.

I've found several things that I'd like some help in understanding. First of all I'd like to address this etched mud mound I found just past natural light. It's 3 ft. long and 18" high and about 12" thick. The high humidity has taken a toll on it. It's obviously not natural. This mound is located in a very tight spot away from the stream up against the cave wall and the ceiling. There's hardly any room between ceiling and the mounds top. There are many etchings upon this mound that are very faded. There are also several others further back within sight of this first one. And then WAY back are the remains of several more. But this area is very small in size and hard to move around within. These mounds have obviously been shaped or squared up somehow. There's much more to this.... but please review the photos I've posted and see with you think. Please remember all these mounds are in very tight small areas which you can barely crawl up to. Photo 854 is way back in cave with an obvious opening behind it.
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Re: TN. cave-- Etched mud mounds???

Postby Limitool » Feb 8, 2014 1:51 pm

Here's a couple more photos of the left side of mound with the larger symbol and than the smaller on at its base... just to left.
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Re: TN. cave-- Etched mud mounds???

Postby Limitool » Feb 8, 2014 4:54 pm

I tried to post some more pics with some closeups but I couldn't figure it out.... I'll try later.
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Re: TN. cave-- Etched mud mounds???

Postby batrotter » Feb 8, 2014 8:19 pm

Interesting for sure. I don't have any answers. Where is you cave located? A country, state and county would be useful info.
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Re: TN. cave-- Etched mud mounds???

Postby Limitool » Feb 9, 2014 8:09 am

batrotter wrote:Interesting for sure. I don't have any answers. Where is you cave located? A country, state and county would be useful info.


Cave is located in the Middle Tennessee area. It's very close to the Duck River and Natchez Trace. I tried to get help last summer by posting a lot of photos and information on another site but I did not get much or any help concerning the mounds. If interested just PM me and I'll give you the link to review a lot of photos. Late last summer a professor from U.T. said what he thought they were but I'm not buying it. He thought they were VERY WELL preserved sediment casks from saltpeter mining. But this mound and the others are in such a tight spot it hard to just crawl up to them let alone do any work. And the ones way back you can barely crawl through. Your half underwater, very low ceiling and the cave narrows up a lot. The pic below is just past light and the etched mound is in the foreground with a smaller one in background. The bottom pic is crawling up to the etched mound with 2 other mounds seen first. So far... without really looking closer only one is etched upon.

And the symbols etched upon mound and the "painted" ones are a mystery within themselves.

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Re: TN. cave-- Etched mud mounds???

Postby graveleye » Feb 9, 2014 9:11 am

Limitool wrote:He thought they were VERY WELL preserved sediment casks from saltpeter mining.


That's what they look like to me actually. They are almost identical to others I have seen. They would be the leeching vats, but the wood from the vat has all rotted away leaving only the mud in place.

Saltpeter mining was big business back in the Civil War and the years preceding it. The mining operation very often significantly alters the nature of the cave, so that some of the areas that are in the water now might not have been at the time. They didn't really need a lot of work space, just enough room to dump the dirt in and let the water leech through it. The water would then be collected and boiled down elsewhere.
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Re: TN. cave-- Etched mud mounds???

Postby Limitool » Feb 9, 2014 10:07 am

Thanks... This area is just so tight and the mounds are just off the ceiling. You can't begin to even get a small shovel between the mounds top and the ceiling...??? Any idea what the etched and painted symbols are shown above? And the photo above (mostly black) is in a REALLY TIGHT AREA. You actually have to crawl in water about 12" deep with about 6-7" of space between the water and ceiling. Then you see the mound shown above (blackish). Behind it is an opening that goes back a ways...? I really don't want to disturb anything. This cave is alive.
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