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Prairie Remnant

This site was used by Native Americans 10,000 years ago. These Early Archaic people made arrow points here from a chert rock that occurs naturally in the outer bluegrass region to the east and north of Clay Hill but not here. The Native Americans carried the raw material up the Mauldrauh Hill before crafting it into points in this field. It may have been a better grade of rock that was easier to shape. They probably followed an old trace or path often bringing with them items they used or traded. It is probable that the Old Louisville to Nashville Pike road (now KY 289) may have followed this trace.

Before 1996, these fields were planted with Kentucky 31 Fescue and used for haying and pasture. When Campbellsville University acquired Clay Hill we thought about planting trees here but decided that a tall grass paraire would be a good addition to our site. So we planted these fields with native prairie grass seed from Hart County. Almost immediately we noticed that mature prairie plants were already present on adjacent property. We found many prairie indicator plants on that site. Included among these are Indian grass, switchgrass, tall bluestem grass, praire coneflower, purple coneflower, round headed bush clover, lady tresses orchids and more. We questioned how the plants came to be at this site since the remainder of it was forested. We now believe that Native Americans may have transported the seed on purpose or accidentally. We burn these fields to promote the growth of prairie plants and to keep trees from getting established here. Without continued effort to maintain the grasses, they will eventually be replaced by trees. This is the normal succession of species. The trees produce shade that eliminates the sunlight. Native Americans burned vast stretches on forest to promote the growth of grasses. They did this because the animals they depended on for food and fiber were found in grasslands but not in forests

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