Dust Cave

Dust Cave is a limestone cavern in northern Alabama with multiple overlapping layers of sediment that document human settlement and environmental change spanning thousands of years. The excavated strata reveal how living conditions and climate shifted across different prehistoric periods.

People first sheltered in the cave roughly 10,600 years ago when falling water tables exposed the floor for habitation. Ongoing excavations since 1989 document continuous use by different groups through the early period after the last Ice Age.

The cave contains artifacts from multiple periods showing how different groups used this shelter for daily activities and burials over thousands of years. These remains reveal the burial practices and way of life of the prehistoric people who returned to this site repeatedly.

Researchers actively examine the site using stratigraphic analysis to understand how ancient people lived and what climate conditions they faced. Visit during warmer months when fieldwork is most active and you can learn about current findings from those working on the excavations.

The cave sheltered people across a wide span of time, yet its initial habitation depended on a subtle geological shift that dried out the floor. This connection reveals how closely human settlement tied to small environmental changes that had outsized consequences.

Location: Alabama

GPS coordinates: 34.77810,-87.72390

Latest update: December 12, 2025 12:06