What was one historical use of caves similar to Niagara Cave?

Caves have historically served as essential storage and shelter for various communities throughout human history. They provided refuge from harsh weather conditions and protection from predators, allowing ancient peoples to live in safer environments. Due to their natural structure, caves also offered excellent storage spaces for food supplies and tools, ensuring that communities could secure their resources away from hostile elements.

While burial sites, religious rituals, and mining operations are indeed significant uses of caves, they are often more specialized or culturally specific, whereas the general use of caves for storage and shelter is a broader and more fundamental aspect of human survival and adaptation. This makes the identification of caves as places of storage and refuge particularly representative of their historical significance across different cultures.