rock shelter
Cliff dwelling space
A rock shelter is a shallow cave or overhang in a cliff face that provides natural protection from weather.
Unlike deep caves, rock shelters are open to daylight and have been used throughout human history as temporary camps or longer-term habitations: Archaeologists found evidence of prehistoric cooking fires in the rock shelter.
Also called a rockshelter.
Section projecting beyond support
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
- sandstoneCemented grain sediment
- erosionGradual wearing away
- outcropSurfacing native stone
weathering · sediment · strata · karst · fissure · quartzite · chert · alcove
Place of residence
- refugePlace of safety
- campsiteDesignated outdoor lodging area
- encampmentTemporary military or refugee settlement
- bivouacTemporary military encampment
occupation · inhabitation · resting-place · windbreak · fireside · storage
Act of unearthing
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- hearthsFireplace floor areas
- occupationOne's regular paid work
lithics · carbon-dating · potsherds · burials · ceramics · dig · archaeologists · midden
Place of safety
- sanctuaryProtected sacred space
- havenShelter from danger
- coverProtect by overlaying
- windbreakBarrier against gusts
shade · concealment · safety · retreat · hideaway · seclusion · defense
Earliest archaeological era
- NeanderthalExtinct archaic human species
- hunter-gathererPre-farming subsistence lifestyle
- petroglyphsCarvings on natural stone
- pictographsSymbols depicting concepts visually
ochre · foraging · nomadic · megafauna · ancestors · handprints · cave-painting
overhang
Section projecting beyond support
outcrop · weathering · sediment · strata · karst · fissure · quartzite · chert · alcove · recess
dwelling
Place of residence
- refugePlace of safety
- campsiteDesignated outdoor lodging area
- encampmentTemporary military or refugee settlement
bivouac · occupation · inhabitation · resting-place · windbreak · fireside · storage
excavation
Act of unearthing
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- hearthsFireplace floor areas
occupation · lithics · carbon-dating · potsherds · burials · ceramics · dig · archaeologists · midden · sieving
refuge
Place of safety
windbreak · shade · concealment · safety · retreat · hideaway · seclusion · defense
Paleolithic
Earliest archaeological era
- NeanderthalExtinct archaic human species
- hunter-gathererPre-farming subsistence lifestyle
- petroglyphsCarvings on natural stone
pictographs · ochre · foraging · nomadic · megafauna · ancestors · handprints · cave-painting
- cavescave, cavern, caves, caverns, grotto
- shelterstent, hut, igloo, burrow, cave
- ancient shelterscave dwelling, cliff dwelling, longhouse, roundhouse, mud hut
- cave artcave painting, cave paintings, Lascaux, Altamira, hand stencils
- cave dwellingscliff dwelling, dugout, Mesa Verde, pueblo, limestone cave
- native sheltersigloo, tipi, tepee, teepee, wigwam
rock sheltercave
Underground hollow in rock
cavern · grotto · underground chamber · tunnel · mine shaft
rock shelteropen air
Unenclosed outdoor space
open plain · open ground · open field · open sky · barren landscape
rock, shelter, rocky, rocks, sheltered, bedrock, shelters, sheltering, unsheltered