National Register of Historic Places

Cliff Kill Site

Luray, Madison County, Virginia

Listed

December 15, 1985

Type

Site

Period

Listed

Ref No.

85003153

About this property

The Cliff Kill Site (44-MD-138) is an archaeological site in Shenandoah National Park, in Madison County, Virginia, United States. Its name derives from the discoverers' supposition that it was originally used as a buffalo jump. The site was recorded during the early 1970s as part of a comprehensive survey of the national park. One of several sites in the Big Meadows complex, Cliff Kill lies at the meadow's eastern side, immediately east of a 10-meter cliff; boulders mark the northern edge, and the headwaters of a small stream form the boundaries to the east and south. The surveyors test excavated the site, discovering that Cliff Kill yielded the fewest artifacts of any site so investigated (seventy-one, versus hundreds or thousands at other sites), and almost half of these items were broken pieces of stone tools whose original purpose could not be identified. Quartzite was the dominant material, being used for more than three-quarters of artifacts. Some pieces of projectile points were identifiable as to their cultural affiliation, including three dating from the middle to late Archaic period and one Woodland point, thousands of years newer than the other three. Given the paucity of artifacts, the appearance of flakes that had been reused for some purpose, and the total absence of evidence for on-site lithic reduction, the surveyors concluded that the site was periodically used as a specialty hunting camp, not as a base camp where daily tasks (such as repairing stone tools) would have been undertaken; if the site indeed were used as a buffalo jump, the animals would have been butchered at the cliff's base and the meat removed for consumption elsewhere. This supposition prompted the surveyors to choose the name "Cliff Kill" for the site. In 1985, Cliff Kill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its archaeological value.

Location

Luray, Madison County, Virginia

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Overview

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The Land

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Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.

LiDAR Terrain

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Conflict & War

The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.

The Civil War

The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.

The Soldiers

The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.

Native Heritage

The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.

Settlement

Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.

The Community

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Rivers & Rail

The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.

Notable People

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Historical Maps

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Finds & Access

Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.

Literature

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Spotlight

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Points of Interest

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Questions about this property

When was Cliff Kill Site listed on the National Register?

Cliff Kill Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 15, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Cliff Kill Site?

Cliff Kill Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Cliff Kill Site?

The period of significance for Cliff Kill Site is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Cliff Kill Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Cliff Kill Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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