Stela 1, a carved stone slab discovered in 1964 by archaeologist Ripley Bullen, has remained a mystery. Researchers found a small cache of stone tools, animal bones, and charcoal in the ground near the stone, possibly left as an offering. Some believed the face on the stela was probably carved in antiquity, while others suggested the stela is entirely modern. The human face pecked and carved into the stela's surface has prompted comparisons to other human clay figures and carvings. Native peoples left carvings on rock walls and free-standing boulders in Georgia and Tennessee, but no proven link has been established to any culture outside the Southeast United States. Erosion from plant growth and exposure to the weather has made the carving on this limestone boulder less clear over time.