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Bluff Shelters of the Arkansas Ozarks

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  • Basics
    • Bluff Shelter Basics
    • Geology
    • Early Archeology
    • Myths and Misconceptions
    • Definitions
  • Importance
    • Rare Perishable Artifacts
      • Food Plants
      • Textiles & Baskets
      • Atlatls & Hafting Elements
    • Sacred Spaces
    • Endangered by Looting & Development
  • People
    • Who Used Bluff Shelters?
    • Timeline
    • Beyond “Bluff Dwellers”
  • Examples
    • Saltpeter Cave
    • Brown Bluff
    • The Arkansas Hempstead Point
    • Rock Art
    • Edens Bluff Seed Bag
    • The Narrows
    • Breckenridge Flute
    • Cob Cave Tray Basket
    • Frog Bayou Shelter
    • Beaver Pond Bluff Shelter Axe
  • Learn More
    • Visit a Shelter
    • Read More
    • Find Your Archeologist
    • Bluff Shelter News

Ozark bluff shelters are widely recognized as an archeological resource of great importance.  With their combination of rarely preserved perishables and deeply stratified deposits, they are an unparalleled source of information about textile arts, plant domestication, and chronology in the midcontinent.  Unfortunately, these sites are increasingly endangered by looting, and potential knowledge about the past is being destroyed.  Learn more about these amazing Arkansas resources and the information they hold.

 

 

Bluff Shelter Basics

What Are Bluff Shelters? Bluff shelters, also called rock shelters, are rock overhangs that were used by peoples in prehistoric and historic times. Because of the geology of the region, the Arkansas Ozarks is home to both bluff shelters and caves—both of which were used by past peoples. The interbedded sedimentary rock strata and the…

Read more Bluff Shelter Basics

Myths and Misconceptions

There are many myths, stories, and misunderstandings surrounding Ozark bluff shelters. These interesting and unusual geologic features have attracted people’s attention for literally thousands of years, so it’s natural that stories surrounding these locations exist. While a good story can be fun, even if it isn’t true, there are consequences to these myths because they…

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Credits

The Bluff Shelters of the Arkansas Ozarks project is made possible by a grant from the Arkansas Natural & Cultural Resources Council.  This publicly-oriented website is only one component of the grant which also funded the scanning of critical 1930s field records from the Ozark bluff shelters and linking them to the University of Arkansas…

Read more Credits

Bluff Shelter News:

5th Grade Archeology Curriculum September 6, 2019 Publication,Web Resources

Bluff Shelter News:

Follow Us on Facebook September 6, 2019 Media Coverage,Web Resources

Bluff Shelter News:

Rock Art in Arkansas September 5, 2019 Current Research,Web Resources

Bluff Shelter News:

AAS Annual Meeting September 4, 2019 Conference

Contact & Info

Arkansas Archeological Survey
2475 N Hatch Ave.
Fayetteville, AR 72704
arkarch@uark.edu

479-575-3556

Our Mission

THE SURVEY'S MISSION is to study Arkansas's past, to preserve and manage information about archeological sites, and to share what we learn with the people of Arkansas. We invite members of the public to help discover and record information about archeological sites in Arkansas. *Information about archeological site locations is exempted from the Arkansas Freedom of Information act to protect our state’s fragile archeological resources from looters and to protect the privacy of landowners with sites on their property. Our archeologists do not appraise artifacts or guarantee their authenticity for commercial purposes.

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