A Carlsbad Caverns National Park ranger recently posted a photo on social media of a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos that a visitor had carelessly dropped. The visitor likely thought the lost snack was just a piece of trash for someone else to pick up. But the post explained how the food source was destroying the cave’s fragile ecosystem and sparking fungal growth.
Humans do not always know how delicate caves are and whether they should be approached with caution or left completely alone. Along with the fragile ecosystem, some say caves contain ancient art and these places are considered sacred spaces and conservationists say they should be treated with respect. Here are some places you can visit in the United States. Visit with respect.
America’s Best Ancient Rock Art Caves
Visitors wanting to see cave art in the United States should focus on rock art on overhangs, canyons, or cliffs. Dark zone cave art (meaning art deep inside the cave, beyond external light) is generally off-limits to the public.
“There are safety issues with the cave. You can’t take the public there. It’s too dangerous,” he says. Jan F. SimekDistinguished Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
1. Dunbar Cave System – Clarksville, Tennessee
9Source: Manny_stock/Shutterstock)
Dunbar Caverns State Park in Tennessee is one of the few places in the United States where visitors can view ancient art.
According to David Britton, Dunbar Cave State Park superintendent, the cave has been part of the state park system for 51 years, but the cave art was discovered only a few decades ago.
“Our lives were changed forever 19 years ago when a park ranger and a historian stumbled upon a piece of art in the cave,” says Britton. “We now know that it dates back to the 13th or 14th century.”
Visitors can also see graffiti from when the cave was in commercial use up until 1972. “Unfortunately, the common practice when visiting the cave was to write down your name,” says Britton.
2. Petroglyph National Monument – Bernalillo County, New Mexico
(Source: EWY Media/Shutterstock)
Visitors can hike through Petroglyph National Monument to see thousands of ancient petroglyphs. Pueblo People Most of the sculptures were carved From the 1300s to the late 1600s.
Petroglyphs are not random and have cultural and religious significance to the people who created them. Simek says they are “very beautiful, very important” and a chance for people to see ancient art from the Americas.
“Whether in caves or outdoors, these are all paintings or sculptures made by experts in the ancient community, and they were sacred,” says Simek.
3. Horseshoe Canyon — Canyonlands National Park, Utah
(Source: Abbie Warnock-Matthews/Shutterstock)
Hikers willing to undertake the 7-mile trek can see: Ancient rock paintings dating back to 2000 BC. The Great Gallery displays well-preserved engravings and petroglyphs, including life-size figures decorated with intricate designs.
Simek says the petroglyphs are made in the “Barrier Canyon” style, which dates back 4,000 years and can also be found in Canyonlands National Park and elsewhere in Utah.
4. Lower Pecos River area – Amistad National Recreation Area, Texas
(Source: Arabel Mortimer/Shutterstock)
more 300 Hieroglyph Sites It has been recorded from caves, overhangs, and rocks in the lower Pecos River area.
“This is an amazing series of rock art sites,” Simek said.
These petroglyphs are 10,000 years old, and while many are on private property and off-limits to visitors, tours are available at nearby Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site.
Read more: Why did our Paleolithic ancestors paint cave paintings?
Respect the sacred cave site
Places like Horseshoe Canyon and Petroglyph National Monument offer self-guided access to ancient art for everyone. Simek says it’s important for people to remember that these spaces are considered sacred and should be treated with reverence.
Likewise, those who created cave art believed that caves were gateways to the underworld, and the art inside them was likely a symbolic tribute to the spirits of the underworld or a means of communicating with them.
“The cave was a definite entrance to the underworld, and the paintings reflect that,” says Simek.
The Recent Popularity of Cave Art
Cave art in the western United States is much better known and documented than cave art in the East, says Simek. While Western cave art is more visible outdoors, Eastern rock art is often deep in dark caves, requiring special equipment to identify.
In the Dunbar Cave System, for example, the caves have been in use for hundreds of years, but the art inside them has only been revealed in the past few decades. “The study of cave art is relatively new,” says Britton.
Britton says the park is working with Simek and his team to further investigate and identify the art inside. They are also working with descendants of the cave artists to consider how best to protect the cave as a sacred space.
Read more: 5 of the world’s most fascinating cave paintings
Preserving Historic Cave Art
Simek says the best way to protect many caves is to keep them out of the public’s sights. Because many caves in the eastern United States are on private property, researchers and local officials keep their exact locations secret to protect them.
Cave desecration might involve carelessly discarding a bag of Fleming’s Hot Cheetos, but it could also be more sinister.
“What’s scary is that people spray paint this site a lot more often than you might think. As far as I know, the meanness and lack of understanding is why this site needs to be protected,” says Simek.
Read more: Structural archaeology prevents history from being erased
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Emily Lucchesi has written for some of the nation’s largest newspapers, including the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree from DePaul University. She also holds a doctorate in communications from the University of Illinois at Chicago, with a focus on media framing, message construction, and stigmatizing communication. Emily has written three nonfiction books. Her third book, A Light in the Dark: Surviving More Than Ted Bundy, is due out October 3, 2023, from Chicago Review Press and is co-written with survivor Cathy Kleiner Rubin.
