Hidden Valley Rockshelter, 23JS7

Robert McCormick Adams excavated at the Hidden Valley Rockshelter on behalf of Works Projects Administration. Adams reported that the site included a carved stone image (petroglyph) of a thunderbird on a boulder that had fallen from the ceiling of the rockshelter.

Isometric drawing of the Hidden Valley rockshelter profile. The deepest deposits (Layer 1) was directly upon the original sand floor of the rockshelter. The middle deposits (Layer 2) was distinguished by a low organic content of the soil, stone tools and pottery. The top deposit (Layer 3) was distinguished by a high organic content, pottery, and stone tools.

Artifacts from the earliest group (Layer 1) including two Hidden Valley "type" points (upper right corner and upper left corner).

Artifacts that Adams characterized as Early Woodland. Several of the artifacts, especially the side-notched points and the concave base Dalton point, belong to the Archaic Period.

Deeply buried hearth that Adams described as having neither associated animal bones or artifacts.

Special thanks to John Strubberg for scanning images from Adams' report as his Honor's project in ANT 101 at St. Louis Community College.

Webpage constructed by Michael Fuller, 7 January 2008