The Mantle Rock Archeological District, near Smithland, Kentucky is a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

which was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2004. The site is owned and protected by the Kentucky Nature Conservancy and is accessed by a gravel road off of

Kentucky Route 133 Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

, just west of the small community of

Joy, Kentucky Joy is an unincorporated community in Livingston County, Kentucky, United States. History The area is known for its post office, named Joy, that was established in 1896, and remained in operation until 1957. The name "Joy" was most likely selec ...

. It includes a natural

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

arch, several springs, and woodland, in a valley in the watershed of McGilligan Creek. It includes a part of the original Salem-Golconda Road. It is associated with the

Cherokee Trail of Tears Cherokee removal, part of the Trail of Tears, refers to the forced relocation between 1836 and 1839 of an estimated 16,000 members of the Cherokee Nation and 1,000–2,000 of their slaves; from their lands in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carol ...

. It includes a contributing site and a contributing structure. With .

References

Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in Livingston County, Kentucky Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky Nature Conservancy preserves Trail of Tears Native American history of Kentucky Caves of Kentucky Sandstone formations of the United States {{LivingstonCountyKY-NRHP-stub