The object shown here is a gourd used by prehistoric American Indians to carry water deep into western Kentucky's Mammoth Cave, the longest cave on Earth. As of fall 2017, 412 miles worth of passages have been explored and mapped.

Known prehistoric Indian activities in Mammoth Cave include gypsum "mining" (= chipping away at gypsum speleothem crusts on the walls of cave passages) and chert/flint "mining" (= whacking pieces of chert nodules from cave walls and ceilings; chert nodules are relatively common in some of the stratigraphic intervals exposed at Mammoth Cave). The chert was knapped and used to make various tools and/or projectile points. The cave was also used for burial purposes. Some Indian burial sites with preserved, desiccated bodies have been discovered in the Mammoth Cave System, including some non-buried "mummies". One such body was discovered only recently, in the 2000s, along an active tourist trail.

Indian artifacts were formerly abundant in Mammoth Cave - many have been removed over the last 200 years. Modern Mammoth Cave archaeologists and park officials are hypersecretive about current archaeological research and discoveries in the cave.

Watson Trace is a relatively recently-discovered stretch of Mammoth Cave just off Audubon Avenue. It was never disturbed in historic times (late 1700s to 1990s) and is still rich in Indian artifacts. The entrance is low and not observable on modern tours. The passage entrance is reportedly sealed off with a grate.

The most commonly encountered artifacts are cane reeds, which were used as torches. Discarded burned reeds can be seen along some modern tourist trails. Caches of unused cane reeds have also been found.

The two objects at bottom and bottom left are modern trash (matchbook & matchbox). The American government has arbitrarily decreed that any >50 year old trash in Mammoth Cave is an "artifact" and should be left in place. Sheesh.