Fresnal Shelter is a prehistoric campsite in a cliff face across the canyon that served as a seasonal shelter for Archaic hunter-gatherers who once inhabited the Sacramento Mountains of southern New Mexico. These small, highly mobile groups moved continually to places where hunting and plant gathering were most productive, and archaeological analysis of artifacts and radiocarbon dating of charcoal suggest that Fresnal Shelter was occupied in the late summer and early fall between 6000 and 500 B.C. Artifacts from the site include stone tools and basketry fragments but no pottery, since ceramics were not used in this region until hundreds of years later in the Mogollon culture. The south-facing overhang provided protection from the elements and strong sun exposure during cold periods, while nearby Fresnal Creek offered permanent water and access to local plants and animals such as piñon, juniper, sotol, cacti, and mesquite. Because the rock shelter is dry, many perishable artifacts remained intact for thousands of years, including more than 400 sandals, 30 basketry fragments, pieces of hide, twine, atlatls, darts, fire drills, feathers, vegetal material, and bone. Some of the earliest known corn remains were also recovered, dating to around 1500 B.C. and indicating that some foods were cultivated.