Watson’s later career focused substantially on questions of prehistoric agriculture in Eastern North America, and the cave work contributed to her broader argument that organized plant cultivation in the East predated the arrival of maize and developed independently — a finding that has become a cornerstone of the understanding of early agriculture in North America.

The cave work and the broader agricultural research were connected: the same communities that were developing organized horticulture above ground were conducting organized mineral harvesting underground.

The sophistication demonstrated in one domain was consistent with the sophistication demonstrated in the other.

The Minerals That Could Not Stay Solid

One of the most difficult aspects of understanding the ancient mining operation at Mammoth Cave is the simple fact that gypsum, mirabilite, and epsomite all dissolve in water.

This is not a minor technical detail.