Several burials of adults and children have been found in shallow pits scooped out of the cave floor. No artifacts were found with these burials. Some scraps of evidence hint that during the last 3,000 years of this long Archaic Period, when the cave may have been less frequently occupied, these Indians of the Tennessee Valley relied on the food resources of the river for their chief source of sustenance. But in most other respects, the Russell Cave Indians maintained the same way of life unchanged. Archeological excavations reveal that, beginning about 1000 B.C., the implements of the Indians using Russell Cave underwent a dramatic change.
Pottery appears for the first time, and in quantity.
Smaller weapon points suggest that the bow and arrow had replaced the earlier throwing stick. Bone tools were more finely finished, and there was a variety of bone and shell ornaments. These changes, widespread at this time among the Indian groups of the eastern United States, mark the beginning of the Woodland Period of Indian culture. It was during this period that burial mounds were first built, population increased, and trade of numerous items became important. The richer and more complex lifestyles indicate that the Woodland Period Indians had more time for activities not directly concerned with staying alive.