This creates a sampling bias in the archaeological record — we know more about cave-using populations and cave-deposited remains than about the full range of early human settlement patterns.

Recognizing this bias is important for not overgeneralizing from cave sites to conclusions about the overall character of early human occupation.

In the context of the Alexander Archipelago, the bias toward cave preservation means that the earliest documented human remains from the region come from cave sites.

This does not mean that early people lived primarily in caves — they almost certainly did not, given the maritime character of the environment and the likely importance of coastal and near-shore habitation.

It means that caves are where the evidence has survived.