New At Digging Shelters

[DeadInTheBasement]

I have hunted rock shelters for fossils, arrowheads, and similar relics for years but it wasnt until recently I was made aware people actually dig the dirt in rock shelters!
I have always been very interested in rock shelters as there are plenty of them where I live and grew up using them as club houses and hide outs.
My finds have always been on the upper shelves or on top of the soil but now I would like to see what I could find from a little digging.
After I learned about this I went to a smallish rock shelter in the forest of my back yard and dug a hole about 8 inches deep and found what I believe was charcoal and that was when I stopped and came home to build a strainer and now here I am online trying to learn more before I continue.
I live in a very rural area in a dead coal mining town about 40 miles in the middle of nowhere so I doubt anyone has ever dug them. I am aware of a few very large ones that I found while hunting for caves and assume those have also never been dug and doubt anyone other than loggers(if even them) has even seen them in modern times considering they are nowhere near any roads or human trail other than abandoned logging roads from a decade ago.
I have a few photos i would like to share and get some opinions.
This first set is of the rock shelter in my backyard that I found the possible charcoal.
It sits in the side of a hill overlooking 3 small mountain creeks that are dry for most of the year.

I have always assumed my father or uncle built the fire pit in their childhood but other than family no one has been there in atleast 40 years.

Now this is one of the larger shelters I have found while hunting for caves and fossils. It was about 30ft wide and went back about 15ft. Plus a small hole that leads to a second chamber that I had hoped was a cave entrance but wasnt....at least not anymore.
I cant imagine it ever being dug because it is very difficult to get to and is very well hidden about 1-2 miles up an extremely steep hillside/mountain.
Now while I am looking at this year old photo I am wondering if that black circle on the ceiling is a smoke stain?

Here is a photo from the inside.

 

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[Tnmountains]

Lots of times the roof will be smoke stained so that is a good sign. They look dry also. Many look good but are wet. Remember that the artifacts may be several feet down if they have filled up with leaf debri for hundreds and maybe thousands of years. Loggers have also dug many since logging began. A good sign is lots of roots and of course farhter down flint chips and artifacts. I would also look around the drip edge of the rock for the first quick sign.
Also some of the best finds are out in front of shelters around rock ledges or around boulders where they may have worked.
If you use the google advanced search bar here and look for rock shelters you should find plenty of post.
Good luck and welcome to the forum. I am sure the experts will weigh in shortly

 

[fongu]

Good luck. There used to be a rockhouse that was about 100 + feet deep and I would love to go over this place with my metal detector, but can't go down and back up the long steep climb due to my disability. No telling what's in this place and it was used as a hide out by people trying to evade the law. Might scan it with my UV light and see what I can find. I hadn't thought about looking around shelters like this, but you've opened my eyes and I will be looking out in the woods. HH.

 

[bci101tractors]

Those are nice, dig'em.. and let us know. I'm excited for you. Air currents from inside might produce what looks like smoke stains. Be sure to hit it with a MD as well, again, excited for you, good luck!!!!!!!!!! It will be tough digging, but it will hopefully pay off for you.
Thanks for showing.

 

[quito]

Oh yeah, that looks very promising, dig dig dig!

 

[monsterrack]

Dig along the drip line and out and sift the dirt. All of your photos look good, for sure if you find charcoal you are in a good spot.

 

[bci101tractors]

Crush the charcoal between your fingers and you will know...it is pretty much the same today as it was then.
Keep digging and good luck.

 

[eastTNJoe]

I don't know anything about rock shelters, but based on those pictures I sure think I would have hunkered down in one to stay warm and dry....best of luck...I look forward to seeing what you find.

 

[Tnmountains]

As you have many shelters to choose from you may find that only was ever used. I have seen them side by side and only one have occupation. Some people sift but once you have a big enough hole and depth and have determined artifacts you can use a there prong digger against the wall of your pit. You will hear the clank of flint. Keep a bucket handy for the flakes to study later. High up shelters were usually for a once a year nut gathering. Lower shelters were used more often especially near water.Shelters is all we hunted for about 5 years. Now I hunt and dig one on occasion. I have maybe 6 that I know of I could spend some time at.
Do some test holes. Charcoal means they stayed but for how long will be determined with the amount of flint.

oh yeah the last shelter looks best. If the dirt is real fine though packed it has been sifted.
Be sure to keep us updated.

 

[NC field hunter]

I started digging a shelter. It's about an hour drive and I noticed I wasn't the only person digging. You guys say dig deep, how deep are we talking? The shelter I was working on had soot on the roof also. I think it's from bootleggers though. See the arrow pointing to the round spot? I think this is where they put the still.



You think natives did that, or bootleggers? A few more shots!