The miners were carrying their tools from the river to the cave — a distance of roughly a mile from the Historic Entrance to the nearest stretch of river — loading up on the specific shell type that worked best for mineral scraping, and then hauling those shells underground.

The systematic battering marks on cave walls — evidence of miners working at the mineral-bearing limestone surfaces — have been documented throughout the passages.

Some sections of wall show extensive scraping, the work of many visits or extended sessions.

Others show the marks of initial exploration followed by abandonment, as though a party had investigated a new passage, found the mineral crust thinner or less accessible than hoped, and moved on.

Limestone hammerstones appear in archaeological assemblages from the cave — heavier tools for breaking away harder sections, used alongside the mussel shell scrapers for the more stubborn mineral deposits.