Mileaway and Huntsman53 I now tend to agree with you both!!!!
This seems like a lot of work just to scratch some symbols on it when they could have done the same on the walls, don't you think?
My mind wanders to what's inside the mud block? Is it solid mud or just a blanket of mud hiding what you went in there for in the first place?
Just thinking out loud but it doesn't make sense and when it doesn't make sense, well, there is always a reason why.
That is of course, if you're convinced it's man made.
Without the right equipment you'll never know unless you do some exploratory drill holes with a camera..
Good Luck, it's very interesting for sure.
You would really have to explore this cave to understand why someone would make etchings on dried mud walls! Yes, there are rock walls but the ones that are away and not along the stream in the cave where someone would want to place their' etchings so not to be effected by constantly flowing or rising waters, are extremely short walls due to dried mud that has covered quite a bit of the floor of the cave. Also, most if not all of the walls that are far enough away from the stream and large of enough to make etchings on, are blocked by dried mud walls and mounds. So, what you have in much of the cave is a very low ceiling, not much in way of useable walls on which to etch some message on and the taller walls constantly effected by the water. As relayed to me by Brad, from the point that you crawl through the dugout portion of the mud wall and mounds (at about 50 yards) or crawl around the bend in the creek, you are pretty much crawling on your' hand and knees or belly through much of the rest of the cave. If I am correct in what Brad relayed to me, the only section that opens back up to where you can really duck waddle, is the area just before the small crack to crawl through with the closed-off tunnel on it's right. I am unsure as to the conditions of navigating the cave beyond this point!
Hopefully, you can understand in what I have wrote, that whoever left the etchings on the dried mud wall, probably had no other choice of where to carve them due to the geology and conditions as stated above and there must have been reasoning behind the location of where they made them.
Also, although it is possible that there is something hidden in or under the dried mud wall with the etchings, Brad is emphatic in that there will be no drilling, tearing down or moving them until it is ascertained as to whether they are Native American Indian etchings or not. If they are not, then that is a possibility after he has exhausted all attempts to document every single etching on the wall. It is quite possible that this dried mud wall was carved out and moved to this location or separated from the floor to hide something underneath it. This is possible as evidenced by some of the pictures, as you can somewhat clearly see that there is an actual seam between the dried mud wall and the mud floor that it sits on.
Frank
No word yet today from University of TN's Anthropology dept. personal concerning possible ancient etchings possibilities. I'm trying to do the right thing here 1st… but I'd like to go do MORE… now!
SO FAR… only 1 dirt/clay mound has apparent symbols etched into it and I have shared these photos. I do really need to look closer at the others though. Admittedly, I do know of another etching WAY BACK put into a mud wall which is not in the "mud mound format" as I've shown in front of cave. It is directly carved into a mud covered wall. And, this other etching is right across from the dead end mud tunnel entrance I've posted before. I believe the one across from the mud tunnel (if I remember right) had numbers also. This was 18-19 years ago and I didn't care then. Very hard to reach this area.
I'm now waiting on the other Topo map to arrive and a portable black light I ordered. I'll then buy different lighting to again attempt to photo / video this mound better and its surroundings.
Folks… I'd really like some opinions or intelligent thoughts on the following PLEASE asap. I admittedly don't know how to read "treasure signs or symbols" if any are there (I think there are). But some of these abnormalities around this etched mound and its surroundings really are apparent. There are 3 other mounds close by and none are "like" this mound. I am a true amateur… but "something" is here or around here because some of these mounds are not natural or nature created.
#1. The etched mound has stones and/or rocks on the surface around it in places… the other's have NONE (see photo Z3).
#2. This etched mound has a "trench" in front of it and around it for whatever reason… the others don't. The 2 mounds to the left don't and the 1 mound to the right doesn't. And some "around" the corner further back don't either, only this one. All other mounds have a "natural" curved base from mound into its base into the floor and its natural surroundings or NO trench (Review photos Z1 & Z7).
#3. The 2 mounds to the left of etched mound which is located in background appear to have been "carved into and/or shaped" somehow at some point (for whatever reason)… the one to the right of the etched mound and all others don't (See photo S6302643 - shows 2 mounds to left) (photo Z7 shows mound to right of etched mound way in background).
Now… am I right about the other mounds being different … absolutely. Now… what's the reasons for this I have no idea but it's obvious. How do mud mounds within a cave get flat surfaces, tops and ends?
As Frank stated awhile ago…. I do not want to harm this etched mound at all if it's historical (I'm waiting to hear). But I wonder still are these markers for graves (hopefully not). And then I wonder STILL and foremost if THE GROUND UNDER THE ETCHED MOUND HAS SETTLED BECAUSE THE GROUND BENEATH IT WAS DUG!!! Frank and I both wonder

Frank called about this today and we discussed.
This would explain why this mound is different from the others. Frank has had his opinions & theory's on this mound and I've have mine. He totally agrees it's different and it works great talking about it between us. Until we know or learn the truth we're both right thus far (either way is cool). I've stated before my opinion during these conversations w/Frank this mound was possibly "hand built" or carved and moved to its location and since it was or did not get built naturally it didn't settle or get packed naturally into its location. So I'm thinking his lead to it cracking under its own weight on the left end because of a bad base…? Who knows. If there's treasure signs on mound I'm IN… and if the mounds split is part of it I’m IN!!!! This is Franks opinion and others also… so he's not alone at all. And I'm totally in with this scenario also. BUT it's not open to debate (Frank or I) this etched mound is different from the one's around. And this leads to the question…. why are these mounds here at all just after natural light at all?
I just wonder (not for long) what's under or within or around this mound or some of the others…
Thanks for any further input… Brad Contact… (Huntsman53 or Limitool)
FOOTNOTE: What would anyone think if you got an email from somebody with the last part of its address being ....TN.gov? Then stating be careful about telling others and "We'll send a much longer detailed email tomorrow morning".... Brad