Systematic archaeological survey of the island’s cave systems has been conducted over multiple field seasons, producing evidence of both Pleistocene megafauna — the bones of brown bears, wolverines, and other animals from past ecological periods — and early human presence.

The On Your Knees Cave discovery is the most significant human find from this survey, but the broader context of cave archaeology on the island has contributed to understanding the post-glacial environmental history of the region and the antiquity of human occupation in the archipelago.

The association between cave environments and early human remains is not unique to southeastern Alaska.

Around the world, caves have disproportionately preserved the evidence of early human presence compared to open-air sites, simply because the preservation conditions are more favorable.