The Conley-Greene Rockshelter (15EL4) is a significant archaeological site located in Elliott County, Kentucky, United States. Its official designation, 15EL4, follows the Smithsonian trinomial system, where "15" represents Kentucky, "EL" denotes Elliott County, and "4" indicates that it was the fourth site formally recorded in that county.
As a rockshelter, the site provided natural overhead protection from the elements, making it an attractive location for prehistoric human occupation over millennia. Archaeological investigations have revealed a long history of human use, with evidence spanning multiple cultural periods.
The site was excavated by archaeologists from the University of Kentucky, particularly through projects associated with the William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology. These excavations uncovered stratified deposits containing a wealth of cultural materials, offering valuable insights into the lifeways of indigenous populations in eastern Kentucky.
Key findings from Conley-Greene Rockshelter include artifacts and features representing occupations during the Late Archaic (c. 3000-1000 BCE), Woodland (c. 1000 BCE - 1000 CE), and Fort Ancient (c. 1000-1750 CE) periods. The multi-component nature of the site is particularly important, as it allows researchers to study changes in subsistence strategies, tool technology, and social organization over long spans of prehistory. The Fort Ancient component, in particular, has contributed to understanding the distribution and characteristics of this late prehistoric culture in the interior uplands of Kentucky. The site's data has been crucial for developing regional cultural chronologies and understanding the adaptive strategies of groups utilizing rockshelter environments in the Appalachian foothills.