Paine Run Rockshelter

Paine Run Rockshelter, in Shenandoah National Park, is a small archaeological shelter along Paine Run that proved especially important among the sites identified there in the early 1970s. Test excavations, prompted by surface finds of stone flakes, pottery, and projectile points, revealed deep deposits and dense remains from repeated occupation lasting as late as the 14th century AD. Unlike nearby sites tied mainly to the Archaic period, it reflects cultural change in stone-tool materials and evidence that some tools were finished there after being roughed out elsewhere. Its heavy artifact concentration suggests frequent use as a regional base camp by larger groups.

Virginia · United States