© 2025 WUOT

WUOT
209 Communications Building
1345 Circle Park Drive
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-0322
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Dialogue: Walking a Dark Pathway with Jan Simek

Published April 6, 2022 at 5:00 AM EDT

1st Unnamed Cave was discovered in East Tennessee in 1994. The location is kept secret because what is there is sacred and vulnerable: Glyphs that are carved into the mud of the cave’s walls and ceiling. WUOT's Chrissy Keuper will speak with University of Tennessee Anthropology professor and archaeologist Dr. Jan Simek of the University of Tennessee Department of Anthropology about his book, A Dark Pathway: Precontact Native American Mud Glyphs from 1st Unnamed Cave, Tennessee, published by University of Tennessee Press.

Figure 34. Area 2 looking out towards cave entrance showing constriction that eliminates exterior light from the cave interior beginning at this point. Glyph 9 on ceiling.
Alan Cressler
Figure 34. Area 2 looking out towards cave entrance showing constriction that eliminates exterior light from the cave interior beginning at this point. Glyph 9 on ceiling.
Figure 35. Paul Aughey standing below mud glyphs in Area 5 (right wall) that were first ones seen in 1st Unnamed Cave.
Alan Cressler
Figure 35. Paul Aughey standing below mud glyphs in Area 5 (right wall) that were first ones seen in 1st Unnamed Cave.
Alan Cressler
Figure 97. Glyph 65

Stay Connected