Archeologists on a mission to see where a mysterious passageway under the world's longest known cave system goes are uncovering 19th and 20th-century artifacts in the historical dig. This collapsed sinkhole, the largest known natural entrance to the Mammoth Cave system, is believed by researchers to be where the cave's extensive labyrinth of naturally formed passages first began at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. Archeologists from the National Park Service and the University of Idaho found artifacts — including coke bottles, ticket stubs, ceramic pieces and other items from over 200 years ago, according to Bowling Green Daily news. Kailey Alessi, a University of Idaho master's student researching the cave, told the Bowling Green Daily News that researchers found evidence of prehistoric peoples who lit fires in the cave. Significant discoveries in geology, hydrology, speleology, archaeology, biology, and microbiology have come from research at Mammoth Cave, according to National Park Service.

Source: Daily Nation July 10, 2022 22:38 UTC