Tainter Cave Rock Art Discovery
Press Release - Wednesday, October 25, 2000
The Mississippi Valley
Archaeology Center (MVAC) has announced a major archaeological discovery in
southwestern Wisconsin - an ancient, deep cave filled with more than 100 rare
drawings and carvings. According to the Center, it is the most comprehensive set
of Native American paintings in the Upper Midwest.
Radiocarbon
dating has dated some of these drawings at 1100 years old.
“It is the most significant discovery in
MVAC’s history,” according to Jim Gallagher, MVAC Executive Director.
Daniel Arnold, an amateur archaeologist from
Southwest Wisconsin, made the discovery. He realized the site was being
destroyed by vandalism, so he contacted the Mississippi Valley Archaeology
Center at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.
The site was visited by MVAC’s Regional Archaeologist Robert
“Ernie” Boszhardt in late 1998.
“I was stunned”, recalls Boszhardt.
“The walls and ceiling contain nearly 100 charcoal drawings of birds,
humans, and deer. Many are beyond
natural light in the dark zone of the
cave, and birch bark torches were found on the floor along with a hide
moccasin.”
The paintings portray a whole new style of
art. Some panels depict recognizable
actions such as a group of bow hunters taking several deer, including pregnant
does, in the late winter. This
panel is directly beneath a group of birds, bird feet, and feathers representing
a classic example of Native
American separation of earth and sky. Another
appears to represent an infant bound within a cradle board.
MVAC organized a team of experts including
colleagues from UW-La Crosse and institutions as far away as West Virginia,
Georgia and Texas to painstakingly document the discovery with drawings and
photographs. At the same time,
strategies were developed to restrict access to the cave and preserve it for
future study. The location of the
cave is being kept secret, to further protect the cave’s contents.
With the assistance of George Huppert in the
Geography and Earth Sciences Department at UW-L, MVAC raised funds and
coordinated the installation of a massive steel gate to protect the site from
further vandalism. Roy Powers, an
engineer and president of the American Cave Conservation Association designed
the barricade, which maintains natural environmental conditions.
Vandalism to rock art is a huge problem
throughout the world. Native
Americans believe that rock art sites are sacred places.
Thanks to new legislation, it is now a felony to damage or cause any type
of destruction to rock art.
MVAC hired artists to create a replica of
one of the most intriguing pictographs in the cave. It is on display in the
Archaeology Center and Laboratory at UW-L. Displays are available
for viewing most weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.. The displays may be
closed on some days when all staff members are in the field. Please check
in advance to ensure that the building will be open by calling 608-785-8454.
The Lab
is located on the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse campus directly behind
Cartwright Center.
MVAC wishes to thank the following
organizations for their financial support of this endeavor:
-
The National Park Service, U.S. Department
of the Interior, administered by the State Historical
Society of Wisconsin.
-
Richmond Speleological
Society
-
The National Speleological Society
-
The College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences at the
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
-
The College of Science and Allied Health at the
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
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Images
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Entrance
to the cave before gate is installed. |
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Welding gate at entrance to
cave. |
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Gate |
 |
Sky and earth scene |
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Sky scene |
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Headless human |
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Birdman |
 |
Bird |
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Bow hunter |
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Deer hunters |
 |
Deer 1 |
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Deer 2 |
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Pregnant deer |
 |
Running deer |
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Long horned bison |
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Abstract |
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Frequently Asked Questions About Tainter Cave
What is rock art?
Rock art is created by carving, drawing, or painting on
rock surfaces. Petroglyphs are carvings made by engraving or pecking into the
rock surface with a tool such as a stone or deer antler. Pictographs are
drawings or paintings achieved by mixing natural pigments to create colors
that are painted or brushed onto the rock surface.
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What does this
site contain?
This ancient deep cave site is filled with the most
comprehensive set of prehistoric paintings in the Upper Midwest.
More than one hundred paintings and carvings are located in the cave,
all magnificently preserved. The art includes birds, deer, humans, and abstract designs.
This is a site of national and perhaps international importance.
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Why is this
discovery so significant?
It’s the sheer quantity
and quality of the pictographs
(or paintings) that is so rare. Until this discovery, there were
approximately 100 documented rock art paintings in the state.
This single discovery equals that, and they are all in one location. Paintings generally do not hold up over time due to changing
climatic conditions. Since these paintings were located in a rare deep cave
site, they have been preserved under near perfect conditions. The temperature,
humidity, and absence of light inside of this cave is not unlike an art
museum’s curation area. It has enabled these rare drawings to last for
centuries.
Furthermore, the paintings portray a whole new style of
art never seen before in the state. Some
panels depict recognizable actions such as a group of bow hunters taking
several deer, including pregnant does, in late winter.
This panel is directly beneath a group of birds, bird feet, and
feathers, representing a classic example of Native American separation of
earth and sky. Another painting
appears to represent an infant bound within a cradle board.
Other panels are composed of abstract motifs which have never been seen
before, and whose meaning eludes us.
Another exciting
aspect of the discovery was the existence of artifacts at the site.
It is rare to find artifacts and rock art in the same location. The
existence of the artifacts can sometimes help to date the rock art. So far, a
portion of a 500-year-old moccasin was found, as well as portions of what
appear to be torches.
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How did MVAC find out about this site?
Daniel Arnold, an amateur
archaeologist and cave enthusiast, “discovered” the site while hiking in
southwestern Wisconsin. He saw that the cave was in serious danger of being
destroyed by vandalism. He
reported his finding to the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center, which
immediately took action to protect it. MVAC will honor Mr. Arnold by awarding
him with the center’s Amateur Archaeologist Award at the organization’s
annual meeting this November.
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Why must the location of this site be kept secret?
Vandalism to rock art is a huge problem throughout the
world. This irreplaceable art is
destroyed by people carving or spray painting modern names, dates, and symbols
over or near rock art. While most people would never intentionally damage
ancient art, a few unscrupulous individuals will, and it only takes one to
destroy these marvelous resources. Even well meaning visitors can cause
destruction. It takes a trained
eye to spot the cave’s art. Visitors
could inadvertently bump against the cave wall and cause significant damage.
Lights could damage the art, and smoke from campfires can contaminate
potential carbon dating.
Many Native Americans associate rock art sites with
sacred places. Thanks to new
legislation, it is now a felony to damage or cause any type of destruction to
rock art. However, it is difficult to monitor remote sites.
MVAC hopes to eventually conduct additional research in
the cave site, since it is very rare to find both rock art and artifacts in
the same site. It is important that any artifacts or other objects that might
be located inside the cave remain in their original locations to help the
archaeologists draw accurate conclusions.
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How is the cave protected?
MVAC raised funds and
coordinated the installation of a massive steel gate to protect the site from
further vandalism. An engineer
affiliated with the American Cave Conservation Association designed the
barricade, which maintains natural environmental conditions.
The gate was funded in part
by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
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How old is the rock art at this site?
One of the drawings has been directly dated at 1100 years old. Others are thought to represent the period from about A.D.
500 to 1000 based on several diagnostic pottery fragments, the presence of
bows and arrows, and styles of deer, which compare with the Effigy Mound
Culture. One image may represent
a long-horned buffalo and, if so, probably dates to the end of the ice age,
nearly 10,000 years ago.
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How is the date of rock art determined?
Rock art is very difficult to date.
Drawings and paintings can sometimes be dated using the Carbon-14
method, but this requires removal of some of the pigments.
Sometimes carbon contamination from later fires and smoke interfere
with the test results.
Carvings are particularly difficult to date, since they
have no organic material. Archaeologists
generally try to estimate the age by cross dating with other styles or
artifacts. For instance, the bow
and arrow was adopted by people in southwestern Wisconsin about A.D. 500, so
the bow hunting scene in the cave cannot pre-date that time.
The deer in the same panel have forked ears with distinct tails, and
these are similar to nearby effigy mounds, which are known to have been
constructed around A.D. 700-1000. Therefore, this panel likely dates to the period between A.D.
500 and 1000, and probably between A.D. 700 and 1000.
Sometimes the rock shelter floors located beneath rock
art panels are excavated, and contain artifacts
which can be dated. However, the
people who lived in the cave may not have actually made the rock art.
In some cases, rock art was placed over earlier work, making it even
more difficult to determine the age. New
technologies will undoubtedly provide dating techniques—if the art is
preserved.
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What is the meaning of the rock art?
It is difficult to interpret rock art because we cannot
look into the minds of the people who created it.
No one knows for certain just what these fascinating pieces of work
mean, although important clues exist in Native American oral histories.
One conceivable explanation is that rock represents a ritual in which
Native Americans fasted in order to commune with a spirit.
Spirit prayers and offerings added stability to their lives, and rock
art symbolizes these connections to the spirit world.
Another interpretation is that some rock art represents
territorial boundaries, or "no trespassing signs" for different
groups. Portions of rock art may also represent casual marking, or
"doodling" to pass the time during long winter months.
It may also mark some astronomical events, such as solstices and
equinoxes. It may have also been a
way to document important events for Native Americans such as ritual dances,
seasons, or family lines. Perhaps
rock art shouldn't be interpreted; instead maybe our society should just look
and appreciate these past artistic expressions.
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Where is rock art typically found?
The vast majority of Wisconsin rock art is found in the
southwestern part of the state - the unglaciated "Driftless Area."
This rugged landscape includes thousands of sandstone and limestone rock
exposures. Archaeologists routinely
survey these outcrops in search of rock art. Sometimes hunters, hikers and
farmers recognize prehistoric art, usually in places reached by natural light.
With this discovery, archaeologists are now working with “cavers” to
survey for more deep cave rock art.
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What can people concerned about rock art preservation do to help?
Every time we lose a rock art site, part of our heritage is
lost forever. It is therefore
urgent that when rock art is found it is immediately reported so archaeologists
can survey and document it. Remember not to touch or rub rock art because this
accelerates deterioration.
The Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center has established a
fund for the preservation of rock art in Southwestern Wisconsin. To make
contributions contact the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at
(608)785-8463.
Visit the Supporting MVAC
web page to find out how you can help MVAC with its mission of research,
preservation and education.
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