New discoveries occur daily in Alabama! On May 4th, scientists published their findings of cave drawings in an Alabama cave, presented as the largest cave art discovered in North America. The cave art consists of five mud glyphs that span the ceiling of a shallow cave in an undisclosed location in Alabama. Mud glyphs are etched with hands or tools into wet mud surfaces. The cave glyphs depict three anthropomorphic (human-like) figures and two rattlesnakes. The largest drawing is a rattlesnake that spans 11 feet on the cave wall.
A process called 3D photogrammetry allowed the discovery of the drawings. It works by highlighting the images which are difficult to see entirely with the naked eye due to the cave’s height. 3D photogrammetry takes many photos and overlaps them to compose the final 3D image. The drawings date to around 133-433 AD.
Explore Alabama and Explore Your World! Alabama is rich with the history of our indigenous peoples. Visit the Berman Museum to view Native American textiles, tools, and weaponry. Then, stop by the Anniston Museum of Natural History’s cave replica and see if you can discover its hidden cave drawings.