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The Native American Sachem, Metacomet of Pokonoket, called King Philip by the English, Sachem or chief of the Wampanoag people is reported to have used this area as a stopping place. It provided a natural fortress for his many visits to the settlements of Plimouth and Taunton, both part of the Plimouth colony. Numerous Native American villages have been discovered along Winnecunnit Pond, which were then visible from this natural great hill, as was the Old Bay Path, and all of the surrounding country side.During King Philip's War (1675-1676)after a raid and burning of the settlement of Taunton in June 1675, and nearby homestead of Sgt. William Witherell, Philip and his warriors are believed to have taken refuge here as they withdrew in advance of militia from Plimouth and Taunton under the command of Captain Benjamin Church.
King Philip's Cave is a natural stone formation created by the advance and withdrawal of ice sheets during the last ice age about 13,500 years ago. These glaciers were over a mile thick, and hundreds of miles wide. They carried tons of soil and rock which they deposited throughout this area. The large stones and boulders that form King Philip's Cave are called conglomerate or "pudding stone." These stones are "glacial erratics" left behind as the ice sheets melted and retreated.
King Philip's cave is preserved by the Land Preservation Society of Norton for the education and enjoyment of visitors.
(Colonial Era • Wars, US Indian) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
