Editing Red River Gorge (section)

==Archaeology==
Rock shelters and other sites in the Red River Gorge Geological Area contain artifacts of prehistoric occupancy by indigenous people, beginning with the [[Paleoindian]] period. Rock shelters are particularly valuable as archeological sites because they are protected from weathering related to precipitation. Plant materials and other relics, such as woven mats and leather moccasins that would decompose in more typical sites are well-preserved in the dry, [[nitrate]]-rich soils found in rock shelters.<ref name=FSwebpage/><ref name=historicMOA/> Sites in the area yielded some of the earliest evidence of the domestication of plants found in the eastern United States.<ref name=historicMOA/>

The Red River Gorge, Clifty Wilderness, and the Indian Creek area were designated as a National Archaeological District and placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2003.<ref name=FSwebpage/> The [[historic district (United States)|National Register district]] covers {{convert|37217|acre}} of land; as of 2005, it included {{convert|29116|acre}} in the national forest and {{convert|8101|acre}} of private land. It contains 664 known prehistoric and historic sites that date from more than 11,000 years ago to the 20th century; 442 sites are [[contributing property|contributing site]]s in the National Register district.<ref name=historicMOA>{{cite web|title=Memorandum of Agreement among the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, the Kentucky Heritage Council, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Concerning the Management of Heritage Resources and the Limits of Acceptable Change Study of the Red River Gorge National Register District on the Daniel Boone National Forest |url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5346567.pdf |date=October 2005 }}</ref>