Click image to enlarge. Painted Bluff is one of Alabama’s most special places. Dating from the Mississippian Period (c. 1400), the six-hundred-year-old site contains more than eighty individual glyphs located along two separate bluff s overlooking the Tennessee River. These red, yellow, and orange symbolic images include people, ovals, circles, snakes, birds, and other animals. Open air rock art sites of this type are unique to the Southeast, and Painted Bluff represents one of the most significant in the region.
Because these paintings are outside, there are many dangers to their survival. Few of the outdoor painted bluffs remain in Alabama because of the humid environment. Nature is slowly wearing down the paint, posing a long-term threat. Modern graffiti and rock climbers create more immediate concerns. The Tennessee Valley Authority manages the area with these irreplaceable art works. They are researching ways to maintain the images and carvings for the future.
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