Cherokee Inscriptions in Alabama Cave Deciphered by Scientists, Tell of Sacred Ceremony From Time of Crisis
http://www.newsweek.com/cherokee-inscriptions-discovered-alabama-cave-deciphered-scientists-tell-1392885
Cherokee inscriptions in Manitou Cave, Alabama, dating back to the 19th century have revealed how tribes viewed the cave as a “spiritually potent” sacred space during the Trail of Tears.
Archeologists and Cherokee scholars worked together to uncover the meaning of two sets of inscriptions which are the first to be found in a cave context. One set was found around 1.5km (0.9 miles) from the limestone cave entrance, in a remote, wet 30m by 15m (98ft by 49ft) cavern where an underground stream meets the main section. The writings document a ceremonial game of stickball, comparable to lacrosse but with great cultural significance.