Graham Cave

Graham Cave State Park

Useful Information

Location:	Graham Cave State Park. In the hills above the Loutre River in Montgomery County.
Open:	Cave: 7-sunset. Visitor Contact Station: JAN to MAR Mon-Fri 9-11, 12:30-16. APR to NOV 9-11, 12:30-16, Sat, Sun 12-16. DEC Mon-Fri 9-11, 12:30-16, Sat 12-16. [2005]
Fee:	free
Classification:	sandstone cave
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Graham Cave State Park, 217 Hwy. TT, Montgomery City, MO 63361, Tel: +1-573-564-3476.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1951	Graham Cave point first formally described by Edward G. Scully.
1952	Graham Cave point named by Wilfred D. Logan.

Description

Graham Cave is a small sandstone cave, or better a overhanging cliff providing shelter to the prhistoric inhabitants for thousands of years. The excavations of University of Missouri archaeologists uncovered artifacts dating back 10,000 years. The cover two periods in the culture of the Native Americans called Dalton and Archaic period.

The arrowheads found here were of a new type, subsequently called Graham Cave Type. They are medium to large sized (5 to 15 cm long), slender or narrow, side-notched points with an incurvate blade point. Characteristic are the pointed auricles and a deeply concave base which may or may not be ground. Such points are typically found in Missouri, in parts of western Illinois, southern Iowa, northern Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, southern Wisconsin and western Kentucky. It is also found in the Arnold Research Cave site, the Rice Shelter site and the Rogers Shelter site in Missouri.

Graham Cave, was formed at the contact between Jefferson City dolomite and St. Peter sandstone. The entrance is a huge arch.