Haua Fteah was first discovered in 1948 by Charles McBurney.[3] McBurney and his team excavated the site from 1950 to 1955.[2] Excavations were not done after 1955 until the most recent excavation in 2007. Since McBurney's excavations, there had been much erosion in this cave and heavy sedimentary layers had deposited over the original site as well.[3]