Tennessee cave's historic Mississippian charcoal drawings possibly damaged after flood
A piece of Native American history in Clarksville could be lost forever due to recent historic flooding at a Tennessee landmark.
It isn't yet clear if Dunbar Cave State Park's Mississippian Native American charcoal drawings have been permanently damaged after almost six inches of rain fell in Clarksville Feb. 15, causing the cave to flood. But, officials do know the 800-year-old drawings were completely submerged during the flooding and have been left buried in a coating of mud as the waters have receded.
"Both boardwalks inside Dunbar Cave were picked up by water and moved from their locations. Inches of mud coats every surface, even the ceiling in one room. Several bats drowned," officials posted of the flooding Feb. 24 on the park's Facebook page.
The state is currently assessing the potential damage to the cave and tribal art, Tennessee Environment and Conservation Senior Communication Advisor Jennifer Donnals said.
"The cave reached six feet of water and although it has subsided, (the cave) remains closed," Donnals said. It was an historic level of flooding for a cave dripping with history, Donnals said, noting the water reached two to three feet higher than it did during the Flood of 2010, when the prior record was set.
But, flooding at Dunbar isn't a rare occurrence.
The Feb. 14 flooding is the third such event in less than a year, park officials say. It's a problem they attribute to climate change and ongoing development in the Clarksville area.
Although floodwaters naturally recede, the massive amount of rainfall that led to the flooding at Dunbar has caused an underground river to form, officials explained.
The cave is widely known for its cave drawings, which were discovered in 2005. Historians discovered the drawings by accident as they were trying to document historical graffiti in the cave.
Any possible damages to the drawings caused by the recent flooding would be due to sediment from the rushing water. Removal of the mud coating that's left behind would need to take place before damage assessments can be made, however.
"This has potential to significantly delay the cave tour season, and likely will. It's an emotional scene inside the cave for our rangers, but our number one job is to preserve, protect, and share Dunbar Cave — and we will. We are working with our partners to assess damages and plan a path forward for repair and conservation," park officials said on Facebook.
Park Ranger Adam Neblett told The USA Today Network-Tennessee in 2021 that Dunbar Cave is the only place in the world the public can see Native American cave art.
The sacred artwork is protected so much that the public must refrain from taking pictures during tours.
The park has worked thoroughly with Native American tribes like the Eastern Band of Cherokee to learn more about the Mississippian culture, something which no longer exists, Neblett said in 2021.
There are 40 charcoal drawings inside Dunbar Cave, about 200 yards from the entrance. Their meanings remain a mystery as the Mississippian culture dates back about 1,000 to 500 years ago.
Carbon dating on the drawings and torch fragments date the charcoal paintings inside the cave to around 700 years ago, with carbon tests estimating the drawings to 1350 A.D., plus or minus 50 years, Neblett said in 2021.
Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on X @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee cave flooding leaves 800-year-old drawings in jeopardy
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