Paine Run Rockshelter facts for kids
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Paine Run Rockshelter
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Overview from the east
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Southern side of Paine Run Hollow, near Grottoes, Virginia |
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| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 85003170 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 13, 1985 |
The Paine Run Rockshelter (also known as 44-AU-158) is an archaeological site. This means it's a place where people find old things from the past. It is located in Shenandoah National Park in Augusta County, Virginia, United States.
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Discovering the Rockshelter
Scientists found the Paine Run Rockshelter in the early 1970s. They were doing a big search of Shenandoah National Park. This rockshelter was one of fifteen old sites they found along Paine Run. Other sites nearby include 44-AU-154 and the Blackrock Springs Site.
Where is the Rockshelter?
The rockshelter is in a hollow, which is like a small valley in the mountains. It is close to three other rockshelters. The shelter itself is not very big, about 45 square meters (like a small classroom). It's also not much taller than an average person. The opening of the shelter faces north. A narrow flat area and Paine Run, a small stream, are about 15 meters away.
What We Learned from the Site
Other old sites in Paine Run Hollow are mostly from the Archaic period. This was a time long ago when people were hunters and gatherers. But the Paine Run Rockshelter seems to have been used during a time of change. People living there were starting to switch the types of stone they used for their tools. They moved from using quartzite to a different kind of stone called cryptocrystalline.
Tools and Pottery Found
People used this site until at least the 1300s AD, during the Woodland period. Scientists found many artifacts here. An artifact is an object made or used by people in the past. They found 800 to 1500 different artifacts in total! This site had more artifacts than any other place found in the survey. This suggests it was a main camp where larger groups of people often stayed.
When scientists first found the site, they saw many stone flakes, pieces of pottery, and projectile points (like arrowheads) on the surface. They decided to dig deeper to learn more. Most of the pottery found was a type called "Albemarle cord-marked." This means the pots had patterns made by pressing cords into the wet clay.
The stone flakes found were small pieces with almost no cores. This suggests that people at the shelter were not making tools from scratch. Instead, they were likely finishing tools that had been roughly shaped somewhere else.
Why the Site is Important
The Paine Run Rockshelter is very important for understanding the past. Because of its archaeological value, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in December 1985. It was listed along with site 44-AU-154 and the Blackrock Springs Site. This listing helps protect the site so future generations can learn from it.
