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CHALK IT UP to our journalistic curiosity, or maybe a more primal Indiana Jones-like adventurous streak. In any case, count us among the people eager to discover what, if anything, lies within the so-called Shickshinny Ice Cave.

Pewter plates and Colonial-era cookware, perhaps? Or, maybe, Indians’ stone tools and other prehistoric artifacts?

Or, if this geological formation referenced in local history files even exists today, will its contents only disappoint – a la Al Capone’s all-but-empty vault.

An amateur historian recently raised concerns that the Shickshinny-area cave, believed to long ago have been obscured by heaps of coal mine debris, could be in further danger. An Exeter company plans to excavate the ugly culm piles and potentially sell the reclaimed anthracite to an energy producer. On the surface, that sounds like a great improvement: The proposed project will provide necessary power and beautify the landscape overlapping parts of the borough and Salem Township.

Potential trouble, however, lies beneath.

Richard Kuchta, 63, believes the coal piles conceal the cave’s former entrance and its chamber could be destroyed by heavy earth-moving equipment. He points to passages from a document published in 1926 suggesting the cave might have yielded several archaeological finds before its unceremonious burial. Kuchta, a Union Township resident, thinks the cave merits more exploration, using modern know-how and techniques.

Susquehanna Haul & Drilling, which recently applied for a permit to carry away the culm, did not immediately respond to a reporter’s calls last week seeking comment. Public input on the permit application will be accepted through Sept. 9.

Hopefully, company officials won’t dismiss Kuchta’s concerns and can see the value in treading lightly until preservationists do a proper hunt for the Shickshinny Ice Cave and delve into its layers. Assuming the place can be found, who knows what clues to our collective past might be recovered and what acclaim the company might collect?

“If it’s done correctly,” said Kuchta, “they could get their coal and this history could be preserved.”