Graham Cave, Archaeological cave in Montgomery County, United States.
Graham Cave is a limestone cave in Montgomery County, Missouri, cut into a hillside with a wide natural opening that exposes a large interior space. The floor contains many layers of soil and debris left by human groups over a very long span of time.
People used Graham Cave as far back as roughly 10,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest known sites of human activity in Missouri. Excavations carried out in the mid-20th century uncovered overlapping layers reaching from the Early Archaic period to much more recent times.
The cave takes its name from the Graham family, who farmed the surrounding land in the 1800s. Visitors today can stand at the wide rock opening and get a clear sense of why generations of people chose this sheltered spot to stop and rest.
Graham Cave sits inside a state park with marked trails and information panels that explain what was found during the excavations. The ground is uneven near the cave entrance, so sturdy footwear is a good idea.
In 1961, Graham Cave became the first cave in the United States to be designated a National Historic Landmark. That decision changed how archaeologists and officials approached the protection of similar underground sites across the country.
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