I Found This Cave Backpacking. What Was Inside Left Me Speechless

Having grown up in the desert Southwest, I think I've hiked this very area. After rambling around in the desert for 65 years, I became pretty honed in on the beauty, artifacts, and history of the areas I hiked. A University even paid me to map different archeological sites they might be interested in. The Natives of the areas became my friends and thru them I learned the stories. Now in my 80s and drawing to the end of the trail, my life has been an amazing journey, much enjoyed, greatly enhanced by my hikes and rambles. Walk on my young friend and never stop marveling at the finds along the way.

Thanks for sharing your adventures with us. I'm a 74 year old guy bed ridden with terminal cancer. Your trips bring me a lot of joy to watch. When I was your age we did not have the social media that you have today. Living in the boreal forest on the minnesota-Canadian border I use to wander and explore like. Please keep your treks and I truely appreciate your respect for the areas you explore.

Hi Andrew, As a Native American researcher in the eastern part of the United States, I really love seeing all the amazing pictographs, and Cliff dwellings that you come across there in the southwest. Such a contrast to how Eastern Woodland Indians lived. I’m also of Cherokee heritage and I’ve located several dozen archaeological sites in Appalachia that has many burial grounds and rock art. And also the comparison between the styles of rock art is quite striking to me. I really appreciate your videos man. They’re very educational and entertaining and I also appreciate your respect for the ancestors and the things that they left us today. Thank you for that, sir.

Loved you “Caveman TV” comment! Let’s face it watching a fire is far more entertaining and rewarding than anything on TV! Your videos are right up there with watching a campfire! Thanks!

Im 71 and it is such a pleasure to watch your videos. I was born in Phoenix and never fully realized the extent of human settlement in ancient times in the southwest. You do a fantastic job. Your laid back style and relaxing narration are definitely a plus. Thanks so much!

As an indigenous Chahta Craftsman and toolmaker, I really appreciate you placing items back where you found them. It truly means a lot to our culture and community.

note. A gallon of water weights 8 Lb,♿ I love your honest videos many of us disabled Veterans at the Veterans Hospital love watch your video adventures.

You know how after a long time watching youtube, you just want something NEW and Interesting to start watching ?? Well, I just found it last night, now I can't stop watching these videos...SO INTERESTING !!!

You have a horde of old geezers like me riding along on the top of your selfie stick. You are doing the best adventures of all the explorers. More!

Dude! I believe the small round structures are what's left of clay kilns. Notice the round structures are 100% clay molded and there are no clay bricks involved in their construction (except the first one by the door had a side hole with small bricks forming it). You found something really, really rare still intact. There was a slightly larger one near the first building when you came in. It had a small round hole in the side to help manage air flow. You didn't know what you were looking at. These kilns rarely got hot enough to scorch the walls black. That's why they still hold their color. The pottery was dried in heat over a period time longer than what we do today. Usually several days as opposed to a couple hours like modern kilns. They were sometimes linked together in some way with side holes so some of the heat would travel through the whole system. The hottest kiln being closest to the fire. But these kilns didn't need super high heat. The chinese and japanese made linked kilns as well in historic times using the same principles. Also, and this is vitally important, a pottery system like this would need to be really close to a good source of clear water. The pottery pieces require many times the quantity of water to form as desired. Much more than the kiln walls made of the same clay. It's the water amount that alters the quality of the clay formation. This is why you find a lot of pottery at a lot of sites but almost never find remnants of a kiln. The water is key. Just ask anyone who knows about pottery and porcelain pieces.(coming back with an edit here...) I wrote the above before the video reached @20:27. When I saw you standing above the kilns, it made me 100% positive these are kilns, but to add to the amazing find, you were stepping down as you moved toward the opening and the building nearest the largest kiln AT THE BOTTOM! That is exactly how the Chinese and Japanese linked kiln system worked. A raised system of kilns with the hottest being at the bottom. No doubt these were linked to some degree at one point before they fell apart.

This guy deserves respect and appreciation. When you think of the potential, dangers, and what he has to do to film, this stuff for us. What a guy. Our eye on the mysterious world. It's great he was so respectful and put things back. We need positive role models today more than ever, and escapism from our complicated and often troubled lives. Thank you. Hope he realises how much pleasure he gives, to so many.

Andrew you are the coolest person on YouTube. I am Indigenous Australian & I love the respect you show the desert & the surprises it throws up. Going back 4 generations, maybe 5, my ancestors on my mothers side would have walked the plains of South West Australia.

I’ve just discovered you through this video. I’m an Australian Aboriginal and in my younger days worked with Archaeologists recording Aboriginal sites in Victoria. This video has brought back many memories of discovering such things over here. The grinding stones and grinding grooves, arrowheads, flints, scarred trees and stone fish traps were plentiful amongst many other items. Thank you for the memories, looking forward to further exploring your older videos.

Drifter I'm 96 years old. Glad I stumbled on this series. My legs haven't worked right after the chainsaw incident. Now I can enjoy hiking using your legs and virtual porthole. Keep up the great work. Your friends cleatus peckerwood.

I want to believe that the beautiful sound of your flute alerted and awakened the spirits of the souls who made the area their home however long ago…and that they blessed you from beyond the veil and sent you gratitude for respecting their land. What an incredible experience ….

I am an old man now - 147 to be exact. I lost my ability to wander like this after I took a musket ball in the Spanish-American war of 1898. Your digital window allows me to remember what it was like. I used to stay in these pueblos when they were still inhabited.

Can I just say that I was applauding when you said to always put back any artifacts you find on a hike? You are a model hiker and modern explorer, sir!🎉🎉😊

thank you for respecting the place and the people who lived there by leaving everything there.

Just stumbled on this and was immediately hooked. As an old British woman this landscape is totally alien yet fascinating to me. Our history is well documented and “tidied” but to see all this wonderful flint and pottery just lying about is amazing. What sort of age are these old walls and hand paintings? I have no idea of the timescale. Thanks for taking us with you.

Sir your videos show exactly the kind of respect for people, objects and ancestry that our children need to be learning. You are a modern day Mr. Rodgers for older children and the southwest is your neiborhood. Thank you