“He added that most of the caves linked to human activities tended to have level areas outside of the entrances.”
For the BBQ grill.
Surprised at the “large entrance,” unless those just happen to be easier to find (then and now).
I would think a small entrance would be more defensible and have less heat loss. Perhaps they walled it (with wood that left no trace)?
It formed a bandshell for their rock concerts.
What came first, the BBQ grill or the fire?
Being defensible would be high on my list of priorities as well. Not a cave, but I once read that the cliff dwellers in Arizona built like that for defensive positions.
I’d guess it would come from the natural, though false, assumption that a cave with a bigger mouth would have a bigger exterior. If you know anything about caves you know that’s not true, but for your basic person without such knowledge if you sent them to find the biggest cave in a given region with a time limit (cavemen are going to want to find a cave before sunset probably) they’ll probably focus on the ones with the bigger openings.
yeah, the bbq plus you don't want the kids rolling down the hill when they're out playing on the swingset.