Originally Posted by
kyratshooter
I am sorry that I have to offer contradictory evidence of cave use and purpose. We have had many threads on this subject in the past.
All caves and rock shelters, bluffs with undercut protection, are now protected under the Federal Antiquities Act as archaeological sites. It is illegal to camp on, under or inside of any of these places.
Every cave, rock house and rock shelter in the eastern US will show evidence of use by prehistoric Native Americans as either permanent or temporary shelters.
In the west many of the pueblos are located well up on cliff faces and under rock shelters. Many of the earliest archaeological finds are in caves and under rock bluffs. Some of the finds are so well preserved that the casual visitor might take them for historical waste and trash them not realizing that what they were destroying is archaeological media 15k-30k years old.
Much of the "Basket Maker" culture was found in western caves and recesses, looking as if it had been left only days before.
In many caves there are signs of prehistoric activity deep inside the caverns, sometimes miles from the entrance. Mammoth Cave is one example with evidence of Indians mining deep inside the cave using reed torches for light.
Even in southeast Missouri there are sites relating to every phase of prehistory from Clovis to woodland and the largest prehistoric city in the U.S. was located in Missouri.
Do not take anything for granted when dealing with caves and rock shelters. They are no longer playgrounds and the penalties for trespassing are stiff.