What do you guys make of this cave carving?

[mn9000]

I posted these photos in the "treasure marks/signs" section, but I wanted to hear what some of you guys thought about this too so I'm posting here as well. Hopefully posting the same topic in more than one section is allowed, if not I apologize.


This is along a smaller feeder creek that flows into a larger creek in a very remote part of southern Missouri. We have plenty of rock carvings in our part of the Ozarks but I'm not aware of any that look this one. And the fact that the eagle is facing to its left instead of its right makes it that much more of a mystery to me. (I blurred out my friends face since he's unaware I'm posting the photos online. )


Oddly enough, the cave is just a few feet above the normal water level of the creek so it certainly flooded out several times a year. Surely the person who carved the image knew the cave would be under water during heavy rains. But maybe not.

There were plenty of Bushwackers living in these parts & a few small Civil War skirmishes in the surrounding area but I can't seem to find any similar examples of civil war era carvings. I'm totally stumped. Any thoughts?

 

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[sprailroad]

I have no idea, but to me, what a mystery.

 

[kingskid1611]

Only thought I can come up with is, "That would look good in my flowerbed" I love the carving and although I wouldn't steal it I would covet it. Thanks for the picture.

 

[diverrick]

No idea,how, or who but it sure is a good job. Could it be a gravemarker for a fallen solder?

 

[Tkaz]

If I were you I'd put the sifter in the creek and start dumping shovel fulls in it. Who knows...maybe it's a marker for something buried back under there. Just a thought...

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[coosakid]

Very cool but no idea what it could mean

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[monsterrack]

If you have permission dig baby dig

 

[rock]

Id look above the rock and also in the direction the eagle is looking maybe google map it to get a birds eye view of the area. Look for rock piles out of the ordinary in the area might be buried treasure close by imo. Looks to be Civil War related to me.

 

[Mrdigz]

That's awesome!! I would be neck deep in research.... and Dirt haha! Good luck!

 

[mn9000]

Good call Rock, I'm going to pull up an arial view on the pc right now. I'll definitely be going back for a closer look as soon as I can talk myself into another round of poison ivy.

 

[crj1968]

I'd guess a grave marker as well....crazy find!

 

[arrow86]

Really cool Somebody put a lot of time into that. Grave marker would make sense. As far as treasure it seems you would want something more discrete and not something that catches everyone's eye.

 

[rock]

I know here where I live there is a on going myth of the civil war and it goes like this. The southern boys had a wagon of gold that they didnt want Sherman to get a hold of so the ran it into a big ditch and then buried it so nobody could find it. Must of been a good hiding place cause nobody has found it yet. At least nobody has admitted to finding it anyway. I know I wouldnt tell if I found it but do look when Im out.

 

[unclemac]

i have seen old caves with carvings in them...often just as graffiti...you know, names and dates and such...but I have also seen and heard stories where an actual stone mason was hired to come out and make something for a specific purpose. Your image looks professionally done, no armature work there, and I suspect that it is known of and someone somewhere close by knows the story. Start with the local historical society, show them the picture and keep asking. Imagine too, what you would be looking at say...150 years ago...minus all the current trees, roots and vegetation, since none of the current stuff looks to have any age to it.

 

[thekspapa]

Will you be going back soon, with a dectector? I want to see more pictures. This is interesting.


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[Tnmountains]

The eagle is the same one used during the civil war. Metal detector might show a camp site. We found a pistol carved into a limestone bluff here as kids. Went back to photograph it as an adult and someone had tried to remove it and destroyed it.It had a date on it that dated the civil war era and some battles in that area. It was beautiful. It is hard to protect things out in the middle on no where. After metal detecting the area I would call in a local archeologist so they could at least document it. I normally am not for calling them into private land but the carving is of some significance. It looks like the one on a civil war button without the stars.
It is not native American. That my opinion anyways.

 

[Tnmountains]

That is a banner find in my book even though you cannot take it home