1800s graffiti (Main Cave, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA) 2
Western Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave on Earth, with 426 miles of passages currently explored & mapped, as of March 2024. The name “Mammoth Cave” does not refer to its world-record length, nor to the early discovery of mammoth or mastodon fossils here (actually, fossil proboscidean skeletal remains have been reported from this locality). Rather, the name refers to the immense size of many of the rooms and passages. It is not certain exactly when Mammoth Cave was discovered. A story about its 1797 discovery by a man named Houchins (or Hutchins) is fictional - the park service knows this, but still tells the story during cave tours. However, Mammoth Cave’s earliest acknowledgement in available historical records dates to 1797. Seen here is 19th century graffiti in Main Cave, the principal trunk passage in Mammoth Cave Ridge. The date is ambiguous - either 1832 or 1892. It's probably 1832. The bedrock here is the Ste. Genevieve Limestone (Meramecian Series, upper Middle Mississippian). Locality: Main Cave, Mammoth Cave Ridge, Mammoth Cave National Park, western Kentucky, USA ---------------------------------- (accessed with park permission)