Thank you so much for your input. I don't think it was a farmer or land owner that was using the cave. The place is way off the trail and no one goes back their. I wanted to contact the UK archaeologist department, but my wife wants to wait until we get into the cave and I think she is right. She and i are worried the governnent may take it. You see the hole was only big enough to get my camera in to take a picture. It was not until I got back home and saw the picture that I saw what was in the cave. I don't think anyone has been in that cave in over 150 years. There is a marking on an old tree by the cave that has 1859 carved on it. If you look left and up a little of the rock, is that a brass canon. If you look straight down on the rock, is that a canon ball? Maybe the cave was sealed by a canon blast over 150 years ago. The main thing is what is that metal thing mounted in the rock. The shaving look like lead, but again i was not able to get in the cave, just my camera. Thanks for any help. Burrel