A variety of natural remains and human artifacts have been well preserved in the dry atmosphere of the cave.

[4] Big Bone Cave formed in Mississippian Montegeale limestone originally on the western escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau.

The cave formed prior to 5.7 ±1.09 Ma based in cosmogenic radionuclide dating of pebbles washed into the Muster Ground room.

[6] At the time, the Cumberland River flowed across the Highland Rim before the formation of the Nashville Basin.

Further erosion isolated Bone Cave Mountain from the Cumberland Plateau.