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Caves are also nature's finest museums, preserving clues from past people and cultures. Ancient humans have used caves for shelter, places to bury their dead, and for mining crystals and minerals.
Since cave conditions (temperature and humidity) remain relatively constant, many artifacts that would not normally survive in archaeological sites are found in caves, such as fragile clothing, footwear, baskets and primitive tools. The remains of food and paleofecal matter found in caves have allowed archaeologists to reconstruct early visitors' diets. Some artifacts and charcoal found inside caves can be dated by the process of radiocarbon dating. In a few instances, naturally preserved remains of individuals have been found inside caves. The mummies from Mammoth and Salts Caves in Kentucky are examples of such. One early visitor even left footprints imprinted in the soft mud of a cave in Tennessee.
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Certain caves are known for petroglyphs (rock carvings), and mudglyphs (mud drawings). A wide variety of geometric designs as well as drawings of animals and people occur in caves throughout the world. One of the most famous examples of cave art is found in the Caves of Lascaux in France. Detailed paintings grace the walls of the cave, illustrating horses, stags and animals such as aurochs, a large wild ox, which is now extinct. These early artists used colors such as shades of reds, browns, and blacks. The meanings of many of these images remain unknown.
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As you can see, caves provide a wealth of information about the past. Unfortunately, many of these sites are in danger. Looting of archaeological sites is a frequent occurrence and has resulted in the loss of much historical information. Some items taken may be recovered, but cannot be interpreted out of context. Sometimes, even a well-meaning visitor may accidentally step on a mudglyph or lean against an artifact. The fact is, once something is destroyed or taken from a cave, we have lost forever the only evidence we may ever have of how our ancient ancestors lived. For this reason, you should never disturb artifacts or drawings found in caves.
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