People, Plants, and Caves: Discerning Plant and Cave Use from the Late Archaic/Early Woodland to Historic Time Periods at Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Mammoth Cave has played an important part in Kentucky’s prehistory and history and in the cosmologies of indigenous peoples for at least 3,000 years since the Late Archaic/Early Woodland time period up to the present. Recent excavations in Mammoth Cave have uncovered macrobotanical remains which allow for the analysis of the use of plants in both prehistoric through historic time periods. This paper presents a comparison of vegetation of the area in the Early Woodland and Historic time periods to modern day vegetative patterns. The variable use or activities conducted and non-use of certain areas within Mammoth Cave is also addressed with the analysis of the recovered botanical remains. A comparison of these remains with those recovered from other cave/rockshelter sites reveals a common pattern of specific plant exploitation over relatively wide areas of the Midwestern United States.