Native American cavers mined Carpenter Cave for gypsum. Archaeologists have identified various forms of evidence for these ancient mining activities: numerous digging marks throughout the cave; the large volume of upturned sediment; torch marks on walls; and fragments of charcoal from cane, sticks, and possibly weed stalks commonly used as torches by Native Americans.
Radiocarbon dates from this site indicate that Native mining took place toward the beginning of the Early Woodland period (800 BC). Other Kentucky caves with similar physical evidence of Early Woodland mining are Mammoth Cave and Salts Cave.